Lean Python: Learn Just Enough Python to Build Useful Tools

by Paul Gerrard

Learn only the essential aspects of Python without cluttering up your mind with features you may never use. This compact book is not a "best way to write code" type of book; rather, the author goes over his most-used functions, which are all you need to know as a beginner and some way beyond.

Lean Python takes 58 Python methods and functions and whittles them down to 15: as author Paul Gerrard says, "I haven't found a need for the rest."




What You'll Learn

Discover lean Python and how to learn just enough to build useful tools
Use Python objects, program structure, I/O, modules and more
Handle errors and exceptions
Test your code
Access the Web; do searching; and persist data

Who This Book Is For
This book is aimed at three categories of reader: The experienced programmer if you already know a programming language, this book gives you a shortcut to understanding the Python language and some of its design philosophy.
You work in IT and need a programming primer you might be a tester who needs to have more informed technical discussions with programmers. Working through the examples will help you to appreciate the challenge of good programming.
First-timer you want a first book on programming that you can assimilate quickly to help you decide whether programming is for you.
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Genres: Programming

112 pages, Paperback

Published November 12, 2016

Reviews

[Kārlis Bergmanis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not a book as much as bits and pieces of documentation. There is no continuity, no real world examples, just chapters containing "This is function, write this, this will happen."
Compare this to, for example, "Automate boring stuff with Python" which contains real world scenarios and builds section by section upon previous chapters, explaining why something is done this way and how to tweak it to get other results, or to "Month of Lunches" series, which starts by a simple scripts, and then adds to them - help files, logging, how to make function out of script, module out of functions etc..
As a result, I'd suggest finding something else, even and especially if you are starting from nothing. It might be used as cheat sheet, but even then you'd be better off just by googling separate elements as you need them.

[Wes Stahler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Appropriately titled! I picked up a few tips in this short high level walk-through of Python. Gives you just enough information to get something working knowing that the reader will have to dive deeper on their own. Quick, efficient read!

[Yogi Saputro · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title says it all. Short enough to read in 1-2 days, but useful enough as cheatsheet. These kind of simplicity is what makes the book valuable.