Building Skills in Python

date:2007-12-17 15:38:23 category:Building Skills

Since I spend a lot of time on skill upgrades for my clients, my books are oriented around that theme.  It’s something that I learned from Jim Bullock : there’s a Clue Absorption Rate, and you can’t exceed that rate.  These books are about building skills incrementally.

I’ve got three Python-related titles.  [Links are on the right, under “Publications”.]

1.  Building Skills in Programming.  This is for n00bs, and covers very basic topics.  This is an introduction to computers and programming; it leverages Python to help someone get their hands dirty making computers do stuff.
2.  Building Skills in Python.  If you’ve got a language or two under your belt, this will help you learn Python.  It covers every language feature, most of the built-in classes and some of the library.  It’s 385 pages: it covers a lot of ground.  It’s packed full of exercises and examples.
3.  Building Skills in OO Design.  This has both Python and Java examples, and moves from language skills to more serious design skills.  This is somewhat more ambitious because it directs the reader through construction of a fairly sophisticated application program, and covers debugging, testing and rework issues.

These are provided with a Creative Commons by-nc-nd license.  Feel free to download and use the text.  You must give me credit, you can’t create a commercial offering, nor can you create a derivative work.  However, if you want to create courseware, contact me, I have a lot of material, we can work something out.

If you want to comment or correct this, please do; I’m open to suggestions.

Plans

I’ve got to upgrade both Python books to Python 2.5.

Start on database design, since that’s a skill that I coach fairly often.

Resolve the FOP embedded font problem.