Python is a modern programming language that belongs to the category of free software and is available for all operating systems. Its main features are simple syntax and an emphasis on code readability. It is a general-purpose language, has thousands of libraries, is fully object-oriented, and supports other programming models as well. All these elements make it ideal for both novice and experienced programmers.

This book does not require any programming knowledge and is aimed at educators, students, and programmers. The topics are developed in a simple and understandable way, with short examples accompanied by explanations for each line of code. It also includes tables with the most important functions and methods of the language, detailed references on how to syntax commands, and diagrams where needed.

The book covers all versions of Python, from version 2 up to 3.6 as of 2017. Among other things, the following issues are covered:

• Algorithmic structures of selection and repetition
• Data structures: lists, tuples, sets, dictionaries, strings
• Functions and decorators, classes and objects
• Principles and techniques of object-oriented programming such as encapsulation, inheritance, etc.
• Libraries, modules, and packages
• Text files, binary files and the libraries for handling them, such as pickle, json, marshal, shelve
• Exceptions and error handling

The accompanying website, with exercises and special topics on Python, will be regularly updated and enriched with material that will be included in future editions of the book. Manos Kafes is a mathematician, programmer, and computer science professor, with teaching experience at all levels of education.

Tags: Exploring Python