A guide to completing Python projects for those ready to take their skills to the next level
Python Projects is the ultimate resource for the Python programmer with basic skills who is ready to move beyond tutorials and start building projects.
The preeminent guide to bridge the gap between learning and doing, this book walks readers through the "where" and "how" of real-world Python programming with practical, actionable instruction. With a focus on real-world functionality, Python Projects details the ways that Python can be used to complete daily tasks and bring efficiency to businesses and individuals alike.
Python Projects is written specifically for those who know the Python syntax and lay of the land, but may still be intimidated by larger, more complex projects. The book provides a walk-through of the basic set-up for an application and the building and packaging for a library, and explains in detail the functionalities related to the projects. Topics include:
*How to maximize the power of the standard library modules
*Where to get third party libraries, and the best practices for utilization
*Creating, packaging, and reusing libraries within and across projects
*Building multi-layered functionality including networks, data, and user interfaces
*Setting up development environments and using virtualenv, pip, and more
Written by veteran Python trainers, the book is structured for easy navigation and logical progression that makes it ideal for individual, classroom, or corporate training.
For Python developers looking to apply their skills to real-world challenges, Python Projects is a goldmine of information and expert insight.
Table of Contents:
INTRODUCTION xxv
CHAPTER 1: REVIEWING CORE PYTHON 1
Exploring the Python Language and the Interpreter 2
Reviewing the Python Data Types 3
Numeric Types: Integer and Float 4
The Boolean Type 5
The None Type 6
Collection Types 6
Strings 7
Bytes and ByteArrays 8
Tuples 10
Lists 10
Dictionaries 12
Sets 13
Using Python Control Structures 15
Structuring Your Program 15
Using Sequences, Blocks and Comments 16
Selecting an Execution Path 17
Iteration 18
Handling Exceptions 20
Managing Context 21
Getting Data In and Out of Python 21
Interacting with Users 21
Using Text Files 23
Extending Python 24
Defining and Using Functions 24
Generator Functions 26
Lambda Functions 27
Defining and Using Classes and Objects 28
Creating and Using Modules and Packages 33
Using and Creating Modules 33
Using and Creating Packages 34
Creating an Example Package 36
Using Third‐Party Packages 42
Summary 43
CHAPTER 2: SCRIPTING WITH PYTHON 47
Accessing the Operating System 48
Obtaining Information about Users and Their Computer 49
Obtaining Information about the Current Process 53
Managing Other Programs 55
Managing Subprocesses More Effectively 58
Obtaining Information about Files (and Devices) 60
Navigating and Manipulating the File system 62
Plumbing the Directory Tree Depths 69
Working with Dates and Times 72
Using the time Module 72
Introducing the datetime Module 75
Introducing the calendar Module 76
Handling Common File Formats 76
Using Comma‐Separated Values 76
Working with Confi g Files 83
Working with XML and HTML Files 86
Parsing XML Files 86
Parsing HTML Files 89
Accessing Native APIs with ctypes and pywin32 93
Accessing the Operating System Libraries 94
Using ctypes with Windows 95
Using ctypes on Linux 96
Accessing a Windows Application Using COM 96
Automating Tasks Involving Multiple Applications 98
Using Python First 98
Using Operating System Utilities 98
Using Data Files 98
Using a Third‐Party Module 99
Interacting with Subprocesses via a CLI 99
Using Web Services for Server‐Based Applications 99
Using a Native Code API 100
Using GUI Robotics 100
Summary 100
CHAPTER 3: MANAGING DATA 103
Storing Data Using Python 104
Using DBM as a Persistent Dictionary 104
Using Pickle to Store and Retrieve Objects 109
Accessing Objects with shelve 111
Analyzing Data with Python 116
Analyzing Data Using Built‐In Features of Python 116
Analyzing Data with ittertools 119
Utility Functions 119
Data Processing Functions 121
Taming the Vagaries of groupby() 122
Using itertools to Analyze LendyDB Data 124
Managing Data Using SQL 125
Relational Database Concepts 126
Structured Query Language 127
Creating Tables 128
Inserting Data 129
Reading Data 130
Modifying Data 133
Linking Data across Tables 134
Digging Deeper into Data Constraints 134
Revisiting SQLite Field Types 135
Modeling Relationships with Constraints 136
Many‐to‐Many Relationships 140
Migrating LendyDB to an SQL Database 143
Accessing SQL from Python 143
Using SQL Connections 143
Using a Cursor 143
Creating the LendyDB SQL Database 145
Inserting Test Data 146
Creating a LendyDB API 148
Exploring Other Data Management Options 154
Client‐Server Databases 154
NoSQL 155
The Cloud 155
Data Analysis with RPy 156
Summary 157
CHAPTER 4: BUILDING DESKTOP APPLICATIONS 161
Structuring Applications 162
Building Command-Line Interfaces 164
Building the Data Layer 164
Building the Core Logic Layer 165
Building the User Interface 169
Using the cmd Module to Build a Command-Line Interface 173
Reading Command-Line Arguments 175
Jazzing Up the Command-Line Interface with Some Dialogs 177
Programming GUIs with Tkinter 181
Introducing Key GUI Principles 181
Event‐Based Programming 181
GUI Terminology 182
The Containment Tree 183
Building a Simple GUI 184
Building a Tic‐Tac‐Toe GUI 186
Sketching a UI Design 186
Building Menus 187
Building a Tic‐Tac‐Toe Board 188
Connecting the GUI to the Game 190
Extending Tkinter 194
Using Tix 194
Using ttk 198
Revisiting the Lending Library 199
Exploring Other GUI Toolkits for Python 206
wxPython 207
PyQt 207
PyGTK 208
Native GUIs: Cocoa and PyWin32 209
Dabo 209
Storing Local Data 210
Storing Application‐Specific Data 210
Storing User‐Selected Preferences 211
Storing Application State 212
Logging Error information 212
Understanding Localization 214
Using Locales 214
Using Unicode in Python 216
Using gettext 218
Summary 220
CHAPTER 5: PYTHON ON THE WEB 223
Python on the Web 224
Parts of a Web Application 225
The Client‐Server Relationship 226
Middleware and MVC 226
HTTP Methods and Headers 227
What Is an API? 230
Web Programming with Python 235
Using the Python HTTP Modules 235
Creating an HTTP Server 235
Exploring the Flask Framework 237
Creating Data Models in Flask 238
Creating Core Flask Files 239
More on Python and the Web 247
Static Site Generators 248
Web Frameworks 248
Using Python across the Wire 248
XML‐RPC 249
Socket Servers 250
More Networking Fun in Python 253
Summary 254
CHAPTER 6: PYTHON IN BIGGER PROJECTS 257
Testing with the Doctest Module 258
Testing with the Unittest Module 262
Test‐Driven Development in Python 267
Debugging Your Python Code 267
Handling Exceptions in Python 272
Working on Larger Python Projects 276
Releasing Python Packages 280
Summary 282
CHAPTER 7: EXPLORING PYTHON’S FRONTIERS 285
Drawing Pictures with Python 286
Using Turtle Graphics 286
Using GUI Canvas Objects 286
Plotting Data 287
Using imghdr 287
Introducing Pillow 287
Trying Out ImageMagick 287
Doing Science with Python 288
Introducing SciPy 288
Doing Bioscience with Python 290
Using GIS 290
Watching Your Language 290
Getting It All 290
Playing Games with Python 291
Enriching the Experience with PyGame 291
Exploring Other Options 291
Going to the Movies 292
The Computer Graphics Kit 292
Modeling and Animation 292
Photo Processing 292
Working with Audio 293
Integrating with Other Languages 293
Jython 293
IronPython 294
Cython 294
Tcl/Tk 295
Getting Physical 296
Introducing Serial Options 296
Programming the RaspberryPi 296
Talking to the Arduino 297
Exploring Other Options 297
Building Python 298
Fixing Bugs 298
Documenting 298
Testing 299
Adding Features 299
Attending Conferences 299
Summary 299
APPENDIX A: ANSWERS TO EXERCISES 303
Chapter 1 Solutions 303
Chapter 2 Solutions 305
Chapter 3 Solutions 306
Chapter 4 Solutions 311
Chapter 5 Solutions 315
Chapter 6 Solutions 316
Chapter 7 Solutions 317
APPENDIX B: PYTHON STANDARD MODULES 319
APPENDIX C: USEFUL PYTHON RESOURCES 327
Asking Questions: Mailing Lists and More 327
Reading Blogs 328
Studying Tutorials and References 328
Watching Videos 329
And Now for Something Completely Different… 329
REFERENCES 331
INDEX 333
