Newbie Using "Programming Python" 1st Ed. Question

[dique]

David Mertz is writing a great book on Text Processing in Python. You
can read the online draft here:
http://gnosis.cx/TPiP/

"mowestusa" <justnotworking at mail.com> wrote in message news:<uvt1lhl7mtq2c6 at corp.supernews.com>...
> > There are LOTS of good books and tutorials available.
> > Tell us more about yourself; do you prefer dead trees
> > or on-line tutorials?  Are you headed toward GUIs,
> > Web applications, command-line utilities, ...?  Do
> > you like algorithms, games, cool programming techniques,
> > ...?
> 
> I would like to learn more about command-line utilities, that's why I was
> interested in chapter 4 and following of "Programming Python."  On-line
> tutorials are fine, I've used the one in the ActiveState distribution
> "Learning Python for a Beginner."  I found that helpful, but it didn't
> really get me to the point where I could produce a program in which I was
> interested.  I would like to use Python to edit and manipulate text.  Almost
> everything I do for work involves writing, so command-line utilities that
> allow me to change or repackage text would be nice.  I've really started to
> take interest in manipulating text to put on my Palm or when I take things
> off of it.  I would like to learn Python for producing system utilities that
> do tasks in Windows that could be automated with the right kind of
> command-line utility.  I don't have an interest in learning Linux, just
> because programming will always be more of a hobby than something I need to
> know for my job.
> 
> I would like to use Python for simple Website automation.  I don't plan to
> open an on-line store, but if I could use it to automate forms and other
> things it would be nice.  I'm a little concerned about even going in this
> direction because the client side for Python is weak.  Everyone has
> installed the interpreters for VBScript and Javascript on Windows machines,
> but not everyone has Python installed especially in the windows world.
> 
> My ultimate goal would be to learn Python well enough to create python run
> databases that offer the unique structure to hold the unique kinds of data
> involved in my profession.  This would involve a GUI, running a rational
> database, and so much more that I don't know if I will ever reach that goal.
> 
> Short term create command-line tools that would help me do daily tasks
> quickly, like HTML edits, uploads, downloads, and other website updates.
> Tools that would automate my text editing and offer new tools that I could
> use with my Palm and PC.
> 
> That is probably more than you wanted to know.  I've been struggling to
> learn Python because I'm teaching myself, and I this would be my first
> language, so everything is new including OOP and all the other cool stuff
> Python does so well, that I don't even understand.
> 
> mowestusa