projects / OpenSPARC-T2-SAM / blame
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| 17 | <title>1. Introduction</title> | |
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| 33 | <td align="center" width="100%">Python Library Reference</td> | |
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| 54 | ||
| 55 | <H1><A NAME="SECTION003000000000000000000"></A> | |
| 56 | <A NAME="intro"></A> | |
| 57 | <BR> | |
| 58 | 1. Introduction | |
| 59 | </H1> | |
| 60 | ||
| 61 | <P> | |
| 62 | The ``Python library'' contains several different kinds of components. | |
| 63 | ||
| 64 | <P> | |
| 65 | It contains data types that would normally be considered part of the | |
| 66 | ``core'' of a language, such as numbers and lists. For these types, | |
| 67 | the Python language core defines the form of literals and places some | |
| 68 | constraints on their semantics, but does not fully define the | |
| 69 | semantics. (On the other hand, the language core does define | |
| 70 | syntactic properties like the spelling and priorities of operators.) | |
| 71 | ||
| 72 | <P> | |
| 73 | The library also contains built-in functions and exceptions -- | |
| 74 | objects that can be used by all Python code without the need of an | |
| 75 | <tt class="keyword">import</tt> statement. Some of these are defined by the core | |
| 76 | language, but many are not essential for the core semantics and are | |
| 77 | only described here. | |
| 78 | ||
| 79 | <P> | |
| 80 | The bulk of the library, however, consists of a collection of modules. | |
| 81 | There are many ways to dissect this collection. Some modules are | |
| 82 | written in C and built in to the Python interpreter; others are | |
| 83 | written in Python and imported in source form. Some modules provide | |
| 84 | interfaces that are highly specific to Python, like printing a stack | |
| 85 | trace; some provide interfaces that are specific to particular | |
| 86 | operating systems, such as access to specific hardware; others provide | |
| 87 | interfaces that are | |
| 88 | specific to a particular application domain, like the World Wide Web. | |
| 89 | Some modules are available in all versions and ports of Python; others | |
| 90 | are only available when the underlying system supports or requires | |
| 91 | them; yet others are available only when a particular configuration | |
| 92 | option was chosen at the time when Python was compiled and installed. | |
| 93 | ||
| 94 | <P> | |
| 95 | This manual is organized ``from the inside out:'' it first describes | |
| 96 | the built-in data types, then the built-in functions and exceptions, | |
| 97 | and finally the modules, grouped in chapters of related modules. The | |
| 98 | ordering of the chapters as well as the ordering of the modules within | |
| 99 | each chapter is roughly from most relevant to least important. | |
| 100 | ||
| 101 | <P> | |
| 102 | This means that if you start reading this manual from the start, and | |
| 103 | skip to the next chapter when you get bored, you will get a reasonable | |
| 104 | overview of the available modules and application areas that are | |
| 105 | supported by the Python library. Of course, you don't <em>have</em> to | |
| 106 | read it like a novel -- you can also browse the table of contents (in | |
| 107 | front of the manual), or look for a specific function, module or term | |
| 108 | in the index (in the back). And finally, if you enjoy learning about | |
| 109 | random subjects, you choose a random page number (see module | |
| 110 | <tt class="module"><a href="module-random.html">random</a></tt>) and read a section or two. Regardless of the | |
| 111 | order in which you read the sections of this manual, it helps to start | |
| 112 | with chapter <A href="builtin.html#builtin">2</A>, ``Built-in Types, Exceptions and | |
| 113 | Functions,'' as the remainder of the manual assumes familiarity with | |
| 114 | this material. | |
| 115 | ||
| 116 | <P> | |
| 117 | Let the show begin! | |
| 118 | ||
| 119 | <P> | |
| 120 | ||
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| 123 | <p></p><hr /> | |
| 124 | <table align="center" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2"> | |
| 125 | <tr> | |
| 126 | <td class='online-navigation'><a rel="prev" title="Contents" | |
| 127 | href="contents.html"><img src='../icons/previous.png' | |
| 128 | border='0' height='32' alt='Previous Page' width='32' /></A></td> | |
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| 134 | border='0' height='32' alt='Next Page' width='32' /></A></td> | |
| 135 | <td align="center" width="100%">Python Library Reference</td> | |
| 136 | <td class='online-navigation'><a rel="contents" title="Table of Contents" | |
| 137 | href="contents.html"><img src='../icons/contents.png' | |
| 138 | border='0' height='32' alt='Contents' width='32' /></A></td> | |
| 139 | <td class='online-navigation'><a href="modindex.html" title="Module Index"><img src='../icons/modules.png' | |
| 140 | border='0' height='32' alt='Module Index' width='32' /></a></td> | |
| 141 | <td class='online-navigation'><a rel="index" title="Index" | |
| 142 | href="genindex.html"><img src='../icons/index.png' | |
| 143 | border='0' height='32' alt='Index' width='32' /></A></td> | |
| 144 | </tr></table> | |
| 145 | <div class='online-navigation'> | |
| 146 | <b class="navlabel">Previous:</b> | |
| 147 | <a class="sectref" rel="prev" href="contents.html">Contents</A> | |
| 148 | <b class="navlabel">Up:</b> | |
| 149 | <a class="sectref" rel="parent" href="lib.html">Python Library Reference</A> | |
| 150 | <b class="navlabel">Next:</b> | |
| 151 | <a class="sectref" rel="next" href="builtin.html">2. Built-In Objects</A> | |
| 152 | </div> | |
| 153 | </div> | |
| 154 | <hr /> | |
| 155 | <span class="release-info">Release 2.4.2, documentation updated on 28 September 2005.</span> | |
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