A Mountain of Perl Books + Python Advocacy

[.,.]

>> Now something I can't quite figure out is: why are there so many more
>> books on Perl out there than on Python?


>6 months ago, I discovered Python and it immediately clicked.
>Learned most of Python before buying my first Python book.


I don't know about any of the rest of you guys,  but I figure this is where I 
should speak up.  I have just discovered Python in the last week.  I was 
trying to manipulate about 400 smallish text files with identical datafields 
and differing values into a format that I could display on the web.  After 
spending about 80 hours cutting, pasting deleting and hten realizing that it 
would be good to start again,  so I could include that peice of info afterall, 
 I decided there had to be a better way.

 I have done one semester in C++ about 2 years back, and nothing before or 
since.  I have a very great friend who is helping me out with my script and 
what I want to do, but this is because they have also only just discovered 
Python and have a direct need to use it for a project over the next week.  
This is very lucky for me, cause I am so close to forgetting absolutely 
everything I learnt in that semester, except the basic tenets of form and 
structure.

Trying to get information out of the python website is virtually impossible 
for the layman trying to learn Python.   I am finding it very very hard to 
expand on the stuff my mate has shown me already,  and I need to expand so 
much!  I am looking for the Learning Python book now,  but I doubt I will find 
it on any shelves in my town, as I live in a backwater country downunder.

======

Whuddaya know?   I just rang TechBooks and they have 4 in stock  :-)

I am off to buy one. 

It still doesn't change the fact that this is a VERY hard language to learn as 
a layman without a guide or some sort of coding TLA translator.  When and if I 
get proficient I might write a page for people with that in mind.

:-)

I have no doubt you will be hearing from me again as I post newbie 
questions....


*sigh*

Nemir