Preface

Python is a language that is easy to learn and anyone can get started with a “Hello, World!” script within minutes. Mastering Python, however, is a completely different question.

Every programming problem has multiple possible solutions and choosing the Pythonic (idiomatic Python) solution is not always obvious; it can also change with time. This book will not only illustrate a range of different and new techniques but also explain where and when a method should be applied. To quote The Zen of Python by Tim Peters:

“There should be one—and preferably only one—obvious way to do it. Although that way may not be obvious at first unless you’re Dutch.”

Even though it does not always help, the author of this book is actually Dutch.

This book is not a beginner’s guide to Python. It is a book that can teach you about the more advanced techniques possible within Python, such as asyncio. It even includes Python 3.10 features, such as structural pattern matching (Python’s switch statement), in great detail.

As a Python programmer with many years of experience, I will attempt to rationalize the choices made in this book with relevant background information. These rationalizations are in no way strict guidelines, however, as several of these cases boil down to personal style in the end. Just know that they stem from experience and are, in many cases, the solutions recommended by the Python community.

Some of the references in this book might not be obvious to you if you are not a fan of Monty Python. This book regularly uses spam and eggs instead of foo and bar in code samples because the Python programming language was named after Monty Python. To provide some background information about spam and eggs, I would recommend you watch the Spam sketch from Monty Python. It is positively silly.