alternative manuals

[Alex Martelli]

Graeme Mathieson wrote:

>>>>>> "Marko" == Marko Faldix <mf at mrinfo.de> writes:
> 
>     Marko> Hi there, I would like to ask if someone uses other functions
>     Marko> and library references then these at www.python.org.  Maybe
>     Marko> web references, maybe real books.
> 
> Python in a Nutshell[1].  Well, it turned up from Amazon on Friday along
> with Learning Python and Programming Python which I'm currently working
> through.  I fully intend to use it.

As the author, I sure hope it serves you well!


> On the other hand, the documentation on the main website looks pretty
> good.

It IS -- very good indeed, AND quite exhaustive.  _Part_ of the job of
"Python in a Nutshell" is being somewhat LESS exhaustive -- focusing
on those parts of the standard library that you're more likely to need
most often, rather than needing to cover _all_ parts equally, as the
excellent free docs do.  (The issue is less pressing for the language
itself, since it is as small as the standard library is huge, but the
difference in focus is quite similar).

The Nutshell compensates by covering some essentials of extensions
that are not part of the standard library, and thus are not covered
in the standard docs, yet may often prove indispensable for some
popular Python uses -- things such as Numeric, Tkinter, Cheetah, 
twisted.internet, mxDateTime.

Another excellent "alternative manual", which predates the Nutshell
and has well deserved its popularity among Pythonistas, is Beazley's
"Essential Reference".  Far slimmer and more compact than the
Nutshell, it doesn't stray outside the standard Python library,
and it performs its selection of what parts of it to cover (and
how to cover them) quite differently than the Nutshell.  Indeed,
if a version of "Essential Reference" were to come out covering
today's Python, I would not hesitate to recommend it in addition
to the Nutshell (not "instead" -- but then, of course, I cannot
avoid bias!-).  

Unfortunately, the current edition of "Essential" covers Python 
2.1, which in today's rapidly-moving world of Python IS a bit 
of a handicap (of course the Nutshell will suffer similarly one 
day, though it was lucky in targeting 2.2, since the changes in 
2.3 are modest, while the changes in 2.2 over 2.1 were vast).

But, be careful not to over-evaluate the handicap: a well-written 
book remains of some value anyway, even when Python moves on, 
particularly because Python IS careful to preserve backwards 
compatibility -- essentially, while it's quite possible that a 
newer Python may offer better, simpler, maybe faster ways to 
perform a task, most likely the ways supported by older versions 
will keep working well, too.


Alex