*Advanced* Python book?

[Jean-Claude Arbaut]

mk wrote:

> Hello everyone,
> 
> I looked for it I swear, but just can't find it.

> Most Python books seem to focus on examples of how to call functions 
> from standard library. I don't need that, I have online Python 
> documentation for that.

IMHO, you don't need an advanced *python* book. If you know
the documentation and basic tutorials, then you know
enough python to write almost anything you may need.

The exception may be, again IMO:
- tkinter, that will need some more work,
- and C extensions, that are made easier by SWIG.
But I think these topics are adressed by books
you already found too simple.

What you need next is:
- read code that do something interesting, for example
   here http://www.ics.uci.edu/~eppstein/PADS/ or in python
   sources (or find projects on sourceforge, etc.)
- find a book on advanced *what you want to do*

There are good books on programming, like TAOCP or CLRS,
but it's not necessarily what you are looking for.

You may also find material in university CS sites: there
is sometimes cool stuff. Start with MIT OCW if you want
to try this.

The real question is: what do you want to do with your python ?

And don't forget to check with google if someone has already
had the same idea in the same language, such things happen ;-)
The "filetype:pdf" trick may help !

> I mean really advanced mental gymnastics, like gory details of how 
> Python objects operate, how to exploit its dynamic capabilities, dos and 
> donts with particular Python objects, advanced tricks, everything from 
> chained decorators to metaprogramming.


> Dive Into Python comes closest to 
> this ideal from what I have found, but still not far enough.

I was about to tell you about it :-)

> Anybody found such holy grail?

'never found a better grail than source code :-)