With Python, you can do almost anything you can do with the C or C++ programming languages; but Python is an interpreted language designed for rapid application development and deployment. Python is easy to read and write so that you can accomplish common tasks quickly, but it is also extensible when the complexity of the task requires additional power. Python programs can call C and C++ modules. Python can also be embedded in C and C++ programs. You can use Python with Tk as well, making it an ideal language for prototyping and deploying Graphical User Interfaces (GUI). Python is as easy, or as powerful, as you want it to be. Programming Python is a comprehensive companion to this scripting language. It introduces the language to novice users, but it also contains advanced information about embedding and extending Python for advanced users. The book moves quickly from simple to intermediate to complex tasks. Most of all, Programming Python is practical and full of examples you'll use, including shell tools, database access, rapid development tools, and Internet scripting.