Python is a popular object-oriented scripting language that is freely available over the Net. It's portable, powerful, and remarkably easy to use. Python is commonly used for both stand-alone programs and scripting applications, in a wide variety of domains. This book is a companion volume to two O'Reilly Animal Guides, Programming Python and Learning Python. It summarizes Python statements and types, built-in functions, commonly used library modules, and other prominent Python language features. This pocket reference covers the latest Python release and complements Python's online reference material.

Table of Contents:
Conventions. 1. Command-Line Options. 2. Environment Variables. 3. Built-In Types and Operators Operators and Precedence Operations by Category Sequence Operation Notes Specific Built-In Types Type Conversions. 4. Statements and Syntax Syntax Rules Name Rules Specific Statements. 5. Namespace and Scope Rules Unqualified Names: Global Unless Assigned Qualified Names: Object Namespaces. 6. Object-Oriented Programming Classes and Instances Special Overloading Methods Private Attributes. 7. Built-In Functions. 8. Built-In Exceptions Base Classes (Categories) Specific Exceptions. 9. Built-In Attributes. 10. Major Built-In Modules The sys Module The string Module The os Module The posix Module The posixpath Module The math Module The time Module The re Module The regex Module. 11. Other Built-In Modules 12. Persistence: dbm, shelve, pickle Dbm and shelve Interfaces Pickle Interface. 13. Debugger and Profiler The Debugger The Profiler. 14. Python Mode for Emacs Indentation Processing Regions of Code Moving the Point Executing Python Code Variables 15. Python Idioms and Hints