Learning Python using a book based on version 1.5

[Steve Holden]

James Stroud wrote:
> dogatemycomputer at gmail.com wrote:
>> Greetings,
>>
>> A friend of mine dropped off a copy of Sams Teach Yourself Python in
>> 24 Hours published in 2000.  I skimmed the first couple of chapters
>> looking for the interpreter version and the book was based on version
>> Python version 1.5.
>>
>> Is this book still relevant?   Should I toss it and look for something
>> newer?
>>
>> Any thoughts would be appreciated.
>>
>> Best Regards,
>> Dave
>>
> 
> If you want to make a decision based on a quorum, I would suggest to not 
> bother with that book. Yes the SAMS TY books are usually great 
> (especially anything Laura Lemay), but you if you use a 1.5 book, you 
> will be learning some stuff you will *need* to unlearn at the expense of 
> learning things you should know.
> 
> I think the online tutorial is the way to go, or the newest Learning 
> Python from Lutz. After that, check out TPIP (Mertz) or the Programming 
> Python book from Lutz (for a global-esque view of the python world). 
> Maybe even think about the Cookbook (ed. Martelli).
> 
> Dive-Into-Python starts with one of those "Don't worry about what all 
> this means" examples, which I tend to hate and so I never got passed the 
> first example--it may get better as you go judging from all of its 
> proponents.
> 
I'm not sure I'd agree here. Certainly you will learn things that can be 
updated as you get to newer versions of Python, but there are relatively 
few backward incompatibilities, so your code will mostly work in newer 
versions without (too many) modifications.

By all means look for something newer, but don't let that search stop 
you from getting started with the book you have.

Andrew Kuchling has written a great series of "What's new in Python X.Y" 
articles that can bring you up to date relatively quickly once you are 
fluent in version 1.5. Start with:

   http://www.python.org/download/releases/2.0/new-python

And welcome to the Python community.

regards
  Steve
-- 
Steve Holden        +1 571 484 6266   +1 800 494 3119
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