Needs a better index | O'Reilly Media

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Book:		Programming Python
Subject:		Needs a better index
Date:		2008-04-23 17:55:39
From:		Hauch

Rating: Think of a python word. Look in the index. Chances are it isn't there. A book is not searchable electronic media, novel though this experience might be for most programmers, I know! You really, really cannot skimp on the index. You could usefully double the number of index pages. Take a python interpreter, get a full list of python words. Put them _all_ in the index unless they don't appear in your book, not even once. Then write down a list of concepts such as "flow control". Add those too. Then you will have at least a basic index. At present the book is just an exuberant random assembly and no good as a source for answers.

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Need to actually read your book before posting Re: Needs a better index, November 02 2008
Submitted by PyNutt [Respond | View]

Before posting and looking like someone who rushes and skips through books without reading everything including explanations of why and how the things are written, and then posting a singularly negative review based upon one single point and then look to the world like someone who does all the above before leaping, let me help you with the answers your own book has been waiting to tell you:

Preface xxv: "Fundamentally, though, this edition, like the second, is still focused on ways to *use* Python rather than on the language itself."

Preface xxv: "But in general, this text assumes that you already have at least a passing acquaintance with Python language fundatmentals, and moves on to the rest of the Python story -- its applications to real tasks."

Let's skip back even further to the beginning:

Preface xxi: "Now that I've told you what this book is. I should tell you what it is not. First of all, this book is *not* a reference manual. Although the index can be used to hunt information, this text is not a dry collection of facts; it is designed to be read."

Preface xxi: "Rather, this book is a *tutorial* that teaches the most common Python application domains from the ground up. It covers each of Python's target domains gradually, beginning with in-depth discussion of core concepts in each domain, before progressing toward complete programs. Later examples do appear, but only after you've learned enough to understand their techniques and code."

Preface xxii: "In a sense, this book is to application-level programming what the book [Learning Python] is to the core Python language...this book is designed to be a natural follow-up to the core language materials in Learning Python."

Preface xxv: "...If you find code in this book confusing, I encourage you to read [Learning Python] as a prelude to this text."

So there you have it, I am all for rubishing books that mislead and make blatent messes of the learning of programming tools. But you sir, have stuck your foot in it and shown what a complete prat you are making an ill informed opinion and obviously ill informed choice before picking the book up off the shelf.

Mark Lutz, deserves at least an open an honest opinion from readers in the target audience, not hit and run posters like yourself.