Learning Python (4th Edition)

Learning Python (4th Edition) is the Chinese translation of the fourth edition of Learning Python by Python instructor Mark Lutz, translated by Li Jun, Liu Hongwei, and others, published by China Machine Press in 2011, running 889 pages and 39 chapters. Building on the original, the book uses Python 3.0 as its primary version while accommodating the habits of Python 2.x readers. The book advances layer by layer through language features in nine parts: three chapters first clarify Python's place, how programs run, and how to run programs; then it systematically unfolds built-in object types, including numbers, strings, lists, dictionaries, tuples, and files; next come statements and syntax, covering assignment, if, while/for, iterators and comprehensions, and documentation tools; then functions (scope, arguments, advanced topics), modules and packages, classes and object-oriented programming (operator overloading, class design), exception handling, and development tools; finally, advanced topics new to the fourth edition: Unicode and byte strings, attribute management, decorators, and metaclasses, with appendices offering installation and configuration advice and solutions to the exercises in each part. The book is positioned to "teach readers the Python language itself" rather than a specific application area. Each chapter is relatively self-contained, with exercises at the beginning or end and numerous annotated examples, suitable for self-learners who want to build a systematic foundation in Python and understand the object model and syntax details. The examples are mostly basic syntax demonstrations and do not involve large project practice.