Brett Slatkin - Effective Python: 59 Specific Ways to Write Better Python

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59 SPECIFIC WAYS TO WRITE BETTER PYTHON

Brett Slatkin

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Slatkin, Brett, author.
Effective Python : 59 specific ways to write better Python / Brett Slatkin.
pages cm
Includes index.
ISBN 978-0-13-403428-7 (pbk. : alk. paper)ISBN 0-13-403428-7 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Python (Computer program language) 2. Computer programming. I. Title.
QA76.73.P98S57 2015
005.133dc23
2014048305

Copyright 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. This publication is protected by copyright, and permission must be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. To obtain permission to use material from this work, please submit a written request to Pearson Education, Inc., Permissions Department, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458, or you may fax your request to (201) 236-3290.

ISBN-13: 978-0-13-403428-7
ISBN-10: 0-13-403428-7

Text printed in the United States on recycled paper at RR Donnelley in
Crawfordsville, Indiana.
First printing, March 2015

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Each item in Slatkins Effective Python teaches a self-contained lesson with its own source code. This makes the book random-access: Items are easy to browse and study in whatever order the reader needs. I will be recommending Effective Python to students as an admirably compact source of mainstream advice on a very broad range of topics for the intermediate Python programmer.

Brandon Rhodes, software engineer at Dropbox and chair of PyCon 2016-2017

Ive been programming in Python for years and thought I knew it pretty well. Thanks to this treasure trove of tips and techniques, I realize theres so much more I could be doing with my Python code to make it faster (e.g., using built-in data structures), easier to read (e.g., enforcing keyword-only arguments), and much more Pythonic (e.g., using zip to iterate over lists in parallel).

Pamela Fox, educationeer, Khan Academy

If I had this book when I first switched from Java to Python, it would have saved me many months of repeated code rewrites, which happened each time I realized I was doing particular things non-Pythonically. This book collects the vast majority of basic Python must-knows into one place, eliminating the need to stumble upon them one-by-one over the course of months or years. The scope of the book is impressive, starting with the importance of PEP8 as well as that of major Python idioms, then reaching through function, method and class design, effective standard library use, quality API design, testing, and performance measurementthis book really has it all. A fantastic introduction to what it really means to be a Python programmer for both the novice and the experienced developer.

Mike Bayer, creator of SQLAlchemy

Effective Python will take your Python skills to the next level with clear guidelines for improving Python code style and function.

Leah Culver, developer advocate, Dropbox

This book is an exceptionally great resource for seasoned developers in other languages who are looking to quickly pick up Python and move beyond the basic language constructs into more Pythonic code. The organization of the book is clear, concise, and easy to digest, and each item and chapter can stand on its own as a meditation on a particular topic. The book covers the breadth of language constructs in pure Python without confusing the reader with the complexities of the broader Python ecosystem. For more seasoned developers the book provides in-depth examples of language constructs they may not have previously encountered, and provides examples of less commonly used language features. It is clear that the author is exceptionally facile with Python, and he uses his professional experience to alert the reader to common subtle bugs and common failure modes. Furthermore, the book does an excellent job of pointing out subtleties between Python 2.X and Python 3.X and could serve as a refresher course as one transitions between variants of Python.

Katherine Scott, software lead, Tempo Automation

This is a great book for both novice and experienced programmers. The code examples and explanations are well thought out and explained concisely and thoroughly.