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Is Python a

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Preface1This book provides an introduction to the <strong>Python</strong> programming language. <strong>Python</strong> isa popular programming language used for both standalone programs and scriptingapplications in a wide variety of domains. It is free, portable, powerful, and remarkablyeasy to use.Whether you are new to programming or a professional developer, this book’s goal isto bring you quickly up to speed on the fundamentals of the core <strong>Python</strong> language.After reading this book, you will know enough about <strong>Python</strong> to apply it in whateverapplication domains you choose to explore.About This Third EditionIn the four years since the second edition of this book was published in late 2003,there have been substantial changes in <strong>Python</strong> itself, and in the topics I present in<strong>Python</strong> training sessions. Although I have attempted to retain as much of the priorversion of this text as possible, this new edition reflects many recent changes in the<strong>Python</strong> language and in <strong>Python</strong> training, as well as a handful of structural changes.This Edition’s <strong>Python</strong> Language ChangesOn the language front, this edition has been thoroughly updated to reflect <strong>Python</strong> 2.5and all changes to the language since the publication of the second edition. (The secondedition was based largely on <strong>Python</strong> 2.2, with some 2.3 features grafted on at theend of the project.) In addition, discussions of anticipated changes in the upcoming<strong>Python</strong> 3.0 release have been incorporated where appropriate. Here are some of themajor language topics of which you’ll find new or expanded coverage in this edition:• The new B if A else C conditional expression (Chapter 12).• with/as context managers (Chapter 27).• try/except/finally unification (Chapter 27).• Relative import syntax (Chapter 21).xxix

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