This chapter will cover everything you need to get the most out of the rest of the book, as well as give you a feel for the differences between MEL and Python, as follows:
Using the script editor to investigate functionality
Running code from the script editor
Importing Maya's built-in Python functionality
Accessing documentation for a specific command
Understanding Create, Query, and Edit flags
Adding custom folders to your script path
Writing and running an external script
Calling a MEL script with Python