Updated for Python 2.5

As the gold standard reference for Python, this Nutshell is required reading for every new programming hire at Google. In the tradition of O'Reilly's "In a Nutshell" series, this book offers Python programmers one place to look when they need help remembering or deciphering the most important tools and modules of this open source language. The book covers more than Python itself; it also deals with the most frequently used parts of the standard library, and the most popular and important third-party extensions. Revised and expanded for the latest 2.5 release of the language, this book now contains the gory details of Python's new sub process module and the latest from Microsofts' IronPython project. Python is an easy scripting language with a huge library that is enormously rich. Our "Nutshell" format fits Python perfectly -- it's an excellent way to present the highlights of all modules and functions, which cover well over 90% of a programmer's practical needs.