60 lines
2.4 KiB
Plaintext
60 lines
2.4 KiB
Plaintext
From: akuchlin at cnri.reston.va.us (Andrew M. Kuchling)
|
|
Date: Fri, 2 Apr 1999 21:59:08 GMT
|
|
Subject: Python books
|
|
In-Reply-To: <Pine.GSO.3.96.990402141337.15023P-100000@crusoe.crusoe.net>
|
|
References: <Pine.GSO.4.05.9903301032180.27689-100000@ccsi.com>
|
|
<7dtsa4$b6p$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com>
|
|
<dozier-0104991624530001@client-151-200-124-135.bellatlantic.net>
|
|
<7e0t19$1de$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com>
|
|
<7e2vol$8c6$1@news1.rmi.net>
|
|
<Pine.GSO.3.96.990402141337.15023P-100000@crusoe.crusoe.net>
|
|
Message-ID: <14085.14480.691560.774349@amarok.cnri.reston.va.us>
|
|
Content-Length: 1802
|
|
X-UID: 1497
|
|
|
|
evil Japh writes:
|
|
>Python" is more a book to be read through, rather than a reference; I'm
|
|
>not saying I expected it to be a reference, but that I would like a book
|
|
>that was a reference.
|
|
|
|
I think the existing free documentation at
|
|
http://www.python.org/doc/ is fine for reference purposes, and
|
|
multiple reference guides aren't needed. Reference docs have the most
|
|
complete and detailed coverage, and are subject to the most nitpicking
|
|
flaws, so the division of effort resulting from two different sets of
|
|
reference docs costs you a lot of accuracy and completeness. We
|
|
should concentrate on improving them.
|
|
|
|
For an example of why this is bad, look at some of the
|
|
O'Reilly Java books, such as the Swing book. Some of the material
|
|
essentially duplicates the Swing API docs, but you can't trust that
|
|
material because, given the lead time required for book publication,
|
|
some details may have changed, so you have to look at Sun's docs for
|
|
definitive information anyway; having another reference-like work
|
|
doesn't help anything, because it might be wrong. The reference-like
|
|
material also makes the Swing book painfully dull to read, and
|
|
probably soul-destroyingly boring to write, too. Focusing on tutorial
|
|
aspects would have made the book smaller, less likely to get out of
|
|
date, and more readable.
|
|
|
|
Multiple *tutorials* and other learning documentation, on the
|
|
other hand, are definitely good, since different people like different
|
|
presentations.
|
|
|
|
--
|
|
A.M. Kuchling http://starship.python.net/crew/amk/
|
|
"Where does this one come from? Have you been raiding poor Holinshed
|
|
again? Or does Plutarch bear the brunt of your depredations?"
|
|
"Bits of things, here and there, but it's mostly mine, for once."
|
|
-- Ben Jonson and William Shakespeare, in SANDMAN #75, "The Tempest"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|