Introduction to Computing and Programming in Python, A Multimedia Approach | 
 enlarge | Author: Mark J. Guzdial
Publisher: Prentice Hall
Category: Book
List Price: $103.00
Buy Used: $73.00
You Save: $30.00 (29%)
New (15) Used (25) from $73.00
Rating:  3 reviews
Sales Rank: 21653
Media: Paperback
Pages: 400
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 7 x 0.9
ISBN: 0131176552
Dewey Decimal Number: 004
EAN: 9780131176553
Publication Date: January 6, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Guzdial introduces programming as a way of creating and manipulating media–a context familiar and intriguing to today's readers. Starts readers with actual programming early on. Puts programming in a relevant context (Computing for Communications). Includes implementing Photoshop-like effects, reversing/splicing sounds, creating animations. Acknowledges that readers in this audience care about the Web; introduces HTML and covers writing programs that generate HTML. Uses the Web as a Data Source; shows readers how to read from files, but also how to write programs to directly read Web pages and distill information from there for use in other calculations, other Web pages, etc. (examples include temperature from a weather page, stock prices from a financials page). A comprehensive guide for anyone interested in learning the basics of programming with one of the best web languages, Python.
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| Customer Reviews:
 best python as a first language book so far May 20, 2005
Michael Tobis (Chicago)
9 out of 11 found this review helpful
This book achieves both of the things you would want a Python as a first language book to do - it engages the beginner with things they might actually want to do, but doesn't fail to introduce the deeper concepts that are needed to come to appreciate the beauty and elegance of Python.
Focusing on computing applications in the arts, this book uses a clever approach to enable the beginner to do really interesting stuff, very quickly. There are things in there that would be of interest to any photographer, not just a software beginner.
Yes, Photoshop is faster and easier, but it hasn't got this level of control! If you ever wanted to write your own Photoshop plugins, this book might be of interest just as an alternative way to get to design your own effects.
The end of the book gets carried away, trying to pack too much in. It tries to explain OOP and Swing, HTML, Javascript and SQL. I think this is too much to get into one book, and if you are working through the text yourself without any mentors you should probably not give yourself too much grief if you don't get all the way through it.
Admittedly, it is also pretty darned expensive.
Otherwise great stuff! This book fills a gaping hole in the Python literature. If you are an intelligent beginner, it is a great place to get started in getting real control over your computer!
Great Book November 23, 2004
CS newbee (Atlanta)
2 out of 7 found this review helpful
Guzdial presents concepts in simple form that is easy for beginners to understand. Actually entertaining to read. Worth every penny!
 strong image analysis February 10, 2006
W Boudville (Terra, Sol 3)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Guzdial teaches Python from the angle that you want to use it to easily manipulate various types of multimedia files. The files might contain images, sounds, video or even just plain text. This gives some of you extra motivation to learn the material.
Along the way, you can learn how images are encoded in JPG, and how colours are represented, either in RGB or HSB. There is a fair amount of image analysis and modifications that can be easily done in Python. This does not approach the sophistication of what Photoshop provides. But being able to do a lot yourself, instead of invoking canned Photoshop routines, might appeal to you.
Audio manipulation is also covered, though perhaps not as extensively. There are more specialised audio tools available elsewhere, especially for music synthesis.
The discussion of movies is very weak. Due to the complexity of what is required. Here I suggest you turn to what Apple and others offer.
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