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55 | <H1><A NAME="SECTION001000000000000000000"></A><A NAME="front"></A> | |
56 | <BR> | |
57 | Front Matter | |
58 | </H1> | |
59 | ||
60 | <P> | |
61 | Copyright © 2001-2004 Python Software Foundation. | |
62 | All rights reserved. | |
63 | ||
64 | <P> | |
65 | Copyright © 2000 BeOpen.com. | |
66 | All rights reserved. | |
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68 | <P> | |
69 | Copyright © 1995-2000 Corporation for National Research Initiatives. | |
70 | All rights reserved. | |
71 | ||
72 | <P> | |
73 | Copyright © 1991-1995 Stichting Mathematisch Centrum. | |
74 | All rights reserved. | |
75 | ||
76 | <P> | |
77 | See the end of this document for complete license and permissions | |
78 | information. | |
79 | ||
80 | <P> | |
81 | ||
82 | <H3>Abstract:</H3> | |
83 | <DIV CLASS="ABSTRACT"> | |
84 | ||
85 | <P> | |
86 | Python is an extensible, interpreted, object-oriented programming | |
87 | language. It supports a wide range of applications, from simple text | |
88 | processing scripts to interactive Web browsers. | |
89 | ||
90 | <P> | |
91 | While the <em class="citetitle"><a | |
92 | href="../ref/ref.html" | |
93 | title="Python Reference Manual" | |
94 | >Python Reference Manual</a></em> | |
95 | describes the exact syntax and semantics of the language, it does not | |
96 | describe the standard library that is distributed with the language, | |
97 | and which greatly enhances its immediate usability. This library | |
98 | contains built-in modules (written in C) that provide access to system | |
99 | functionality such as file I/O that would otherwise be inaccessible to | |
100 | Python programmers, as well as modules written in Python that provide | |
101 | standardized solutions for many problems that occur in everyday | |
102 | programming. Some of these modules are explicitly designed to | |
103 | encourage and enhance the portability of Python programs. | |
104 | ||
105 | <P> | |
106 | This library reference manual documents Python's standard library, as | |
107 | well as many optional library modules (which may or may not be | |
108 | available, depending on whether the underlying platform supports them | |
109 | and on the configuration choices made at compile time). It also | |
110 | documents the standard types of the language and its built-in | |
111 | functions and exceptions, many of which are not or incompletely | |
112 | documented in the Reference Manual. | |
113 | ||
114 | <P> | |
115 | This manual assumes basic knowledge about the Python language. For an | |
116 | informal introduction to Python, see the | |
117 | <em class="citetitle"><a | |
118 | href="../tut/tut.html" | |
119 | title="Python Tutorial" | |
120 | >Python Tutorial</a></em>; the | |
121 | <em class="citetitle"><a | |
122 | href="../ref/ref.html" | |
123 | title="Python Reference Manual" | |
124 | >Python Reference Manual</a></em> remains the | |
125 | highest authority on syntactic and semantic questions. Finally, the | |
126 | manual entitled <em class="citetitle"><a | |
127 | href="../ext/ext.html" | |
128 | title="Extending and Embedding | |
129 | the Python Interpreter" | |
130 | >Extending and Embedding | |
131 | the Python Interpreter</a></em> describes how to add new extensions to Python | |
132 | and how to embed it in other applications. | |
133 | ||
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174 | <span class="release-info">Release 2.4.2, documentation updated on 28 September 2005.</span> | |
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