Best way to learn Python?

For a beginner with very little previous knowledge, what books/sources do you guys recommend for learning python?

Thanks.

 

If you're an experienced programmer in a different language then "Dive into Python" is quite good to get you going. If by "little previous knowledge" you mean programming in general then Google for a better answer, it has been asked before.

The biggest challenge with Python is deciding which version to use.

 

I'm teaching myself computer programming... vb, php, java, c#, c++, python, assembly, etc. the works, at the same time.

The best way to learn:
1. coding
2. studying other peoples code
3. reading

Books can only teach you so much. Untill you involve all your senses, such as brain in abstract and inovative thinking and your keyboard in terms of actual coding, it wall suck.

Reading is low brain function IMO.

There is very few concepts that encompass programming. You have OOP (the paradigm for now), variables, arrays, loops, etc. All are done in one language just different code to tell the computer to do it. You will recognize the similarites the further down the hole you go.... you'll say, "ah, ha" when you realize a 'jmp' instruction in asm is simply one part of a loop in c++.

Not hard, just takes time.

 

http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electric...o-computer-science-and-programming-fall-2008/

 

http://learnpythonthehardway.org/

 

write code.

here are some puzzles:
http://projecteuler.net/

here's basic syntax:
http://pleac.sourceforge.net/pleac_python/index.html

 

http://www.swaroopch.com/notes/Python

 

I find following books not that helpful. It's easy to just start typing mindlessly what you see in the book and not really learn much. I find it's much better to start coding small simple things (if you're new to coding). There's a tutorial and official documentation on their site as well which is useful since you can look up commands easily: http://www.python.org/doc/

 

Pick a few problems you want to solve, then start writing code. When you get stuck, use google to help find solutions.

If you want to become proficient at programming, you need to write lots and lots of code. The more code you write, the easier it will become.

 

Great training material is http://www.pythonchallenge.com/

I also strongly recommend books by Alex Martelli
"Python in an Nutshell" and "Python Cookbook"