• Registered: 2010-04-10
  • Posts: 21

Topic: Learning Python and writing apps for linux (need book suggestions)

I used to get a huge kick out of writing websites, started with HTML and Perl, then learned PHP, SQL, CSS, JavaScript/AJax;; but it just hasn't been as much fun lately. Not when you have to take into account a dozen browsers rendering your pages diferently, and the fact that some displays are massive, while others like netbooks are 10", and mobile devices even smaller.

So i want to learn Python and using the GTK library. I though id start out with something simple like writing a GUI app to change a computers' hostname. The way i see it, it consists of opening two files, and using regex to replace all instances of the old hostname with the new hostname.

I downloaded a bunch of ebooks about python, but some of them are dated, others have examples that dont seem to work in linux. (maybe im doing it wrong). All the titles i have are here : http://isohunt.com/torrent_details/1853 … ab=summary

  • Registered: 2010-08-11
  • Posts: 24

Re: Learning Python and writing apps for linux (need book suggestions)

I found this site very useful when learning pyGTK:
http://zetcode.com/tutorials/pygtktutorial/

http://chameleonos.wordpress.com
  • Registered: 2010-04-10
  • Posts: 21

Re: Learning Python and writing apps for linux (need book suggestions)

Thank You! :-) most of the books i found seem to give examples for windows GUI's

  • ADcomp
  • Python Script Master
  • Offline
  • From: Belgium
  • Registered: 2008-12-22
  • Posts: 594

Re: Learning Python and writing apps for linux (need book suggestions)

Hello ..

Python is cool   big_smile

ADcomp wrote:

Python : http://docs.python.org/tutorial/   big_smile
PyGtk : http://faq.pygtk.org

Two another nice tuto ( python and pygtk ) .. well explained
Python : http://zetcode.com/tutorials/pythontutorial/
PyGtk : http://zetcode.com/tutorials/pygtktutorial/

TuxRadar python tutorials ( video .. really good !! )  : http://www.tuxradar.com/python

A good book : http://www.diveintopython.org/

Howto write your own widget : http://www.pygtk.org/articles/cairo-pyg … dgets2.htm

if you want to play with gstreamer : http://pygstdocs.berlios.de/pygst-tutorial/

ADcomp wrote:

Acire Project

The Acire Project is simple: to provide a library of Python snippets and examples that demonstrate how to perform specific tasks. Many of us learn by example, and having a library of examples help us learn different modules faster and easier, helping us to write awesome programs faster and easier.

ADcomp wrote:

I often play with python, too .. but I'm not a guru coder and I have not enough memory for all tuto/doc/..  big_smile
So I use "DevHelp"  ( http://live.gnome.org/devhelp )

Devhelp is an API documentation browser for GTK+ and GNOME. It works natively with gtk-doc (the API reference framework developed for GTK+ and used throughout GNOME for API documentation). If you use gtk-doc with your project, you can use Devhelp to browse the documentation.

Install devhelp , python and pygtk doc :

sudo apt-get install devhelp python-doc python-gtk2-tutorial

http://www.ad-comp.be/public/images/divers/.devhelp_m.jpg

Last edited by ADcomp (2010-09-29 17:15:36)

~$ whoami
ADcomp

ADcomp's Website

  • From: Stockholm, Sweden
  • Registered: 2009-01-23
  • Posts: 241

Re: Learning Python and writing apps for linux (need book suggestions)

"Core Python Programming" by Wesley J. Chun has worked wonders for me. YMMV as you are much more up-to-date than me when it comes to programming skills and languages.

/Martin

MartinRF's Website

  • Registered: 2010-04-10
  • Posts: 21

Re: Learning Python and writing apps for linux (need book suggestions)

Wow thanks ADComp, i think i have enough reading material to last a few weeks :-)


MartinRF wrote:

"Core Python Programming" by Wesley J. Chun has worked wonders for me. YMMV as you are much more up-to-date than me when it comes to programming skills and languages.

/Martin

Whats YMMV?

  • From: Stockholm, Sweden
  • Registered: 2009-01-23
  • Posts: 241

Re: Learning Python and writing apps for linux (need book suggestions)

Your Mileage May Vary meaning to say it worked for me but there is no guarantee it works for you.

/Martin (English is not my first language...)

MartinRF's Website

  • From: Fort Worth, Texas
  • Registered: 2010-04-07
  • Posts: 1,766

Re: Learning Python and writing apps for linux (need book suggestions)

I'm kind of weary about programming languages...

I remember doing HTML the hard way, lots of typing, testing in IE, Firefox, and Safari, etc... Then all the software companies came up with programs that did it for you in ten minutes. Frustrating!

I just find myself looking at investing all that time and effort learning, and then having it become obsolete with the next release cycle.

Death and I have a working relationship.
Anyone touches my coffee I send him some business.  Sector11

My attempt at a blog; http://jims2011.blogspot.com/

merelyjim's Website

  • From: Nagoya, Japan
  • Registered: 2009-01-07
  • Posts: 1,972

Re: Learning Python and writing apps for linux (need book suggestions)

merelyjim wrote:

I remember doing HTML the hard way, lots of typing, testing in IE, Firefox, and Safari, etc... Then all the software companies came up with programs that did it for you in ten minutes. Frustrating!
I just find myself looking at investing all that time and effort learning, and then having it become obsolete with the next release cycle.

I'm not sure that all the effort you put into learning html was necessarily wasted. Those WYSIWYG edtors don't always do as good a job as you can do writing the code by hand, and anyway unless you know what they're doing you'd have a hard time choosing all the right settings, options etc...

The new browsers are a bit more standards-compliant than they used to be, but all that testing in IE showed you how much a web page depends on what the end-user does with it! neutral

John
------------------------
( a boring Japan blog , and idle twitterings )
“Good morning sir, which way up would you like your reality today?”  "As it comes, Jeeves, as it comes..."

johnraff's Website

  • From: Fort Worth, Texas
  • Registered: 2010-04-07
  • Posts: 1,766

Re: Learning Python and writing apps for linux (need book suggestions)

johnraff wrote:

I'm not sure that all the effort you put into learning html was necessarily wasted. Those WYSIWYG edtors don't always do as good a job as you can do writing the code by hand, and anyway unless you know what they're doing you'd have a hard time choosing all the right settings, options etc...

The new browsers are a bit more standards-compliant than they used to be, but all that testing in IE showed you how much a web page depends on what the end-user does with it! neutral

Yeah, you're right. And reading my last post, I sound like a whiny child crying over why his mother won't go to Kindergarten with him. Sorry about that.

Death and I have a working relationship.
Anyone touches my coffee I send him some business.  Sector11

My attempt at a blog; http://jims2011.blogspot.com/

merelyjim's Website

  • From: Boston 'burbs
  • Registered: 2010-07-09
  • Posts: 10

Re: Learning Python and writing apps for linux (need book suggestions)

For those interested in learning Python, here's another text to consider: Zed Shaw's "Learn Python the Hard Way."  Free pdf download available.  I'm planning on going through every exercise just for grins.

This post on his blog gives a bit of "about/why" info; the latest version of the .pdf is available here (release 0.9.1, 09/30/2010).