The 5 Best Books for Python Developers

h2k infosysNovember 13, 2023

0 168 4 minutes read

The variety and depth of Python-based software products and applications have been steadily growing. Python is widely used in numerous fields, including web programming, mobile game development, data science, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.

This dominance naturally led to a sharp increase in the need for Python developers. To put it simply, a Python developer is someone who uses Python to design, develop, and maintain software tools and products. Once you have mastered Python, you can look forward to a bright future.

You need resources to learn a programming language, or any other software tool for that matter. Python is an open-source programming language that has a sizable and vibrant community that assists you in getting the assistance you require when needed. There are therefore plenty of resources available to learn Python.

However, this abundance of resources may become a disadvantage if used carelessly. It is not a good idea to study Python by picking and devouring materials at random; instead, you will likely become frustrated and give up rather than gain any valuable skills.

The finest resources for learning Python are organised around a well-thought-out curriculum. Professionally designed interactive online courses are incredibly beneficial in this sense. They assist you in learning while practising, which is crucial to mastering any programming language.

Programming language books are typically excellent resources for learning as well. They are penned by language professionals with extensive subject-matter experience. As a result, you get the opportunity to study the vocabulary and ideas as well as practice utilising the language in practical projects.

But, as books typically don’t have any interactive material, you need to use other resources in addition to books to learn Python. The greatest method to gain a thorough understanding of a subject after learning about it is to work through code problems or examples. Interactive online Python courses are the finest way to provide such an experience.

The fact that books cover some topics and concepts in greater detail than online courses is a major benefit of using them. One may argue that online courses are superior for learning how to code, while books are better for teaching theory. As a result, consider books to be additional reading for online courses. Here are some books to check out.

Table of Contents

1.Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship by Robert C. Martin

No matter what programming language you choose, it is imperative that you write clean code. You will spend the majority of your time reading other people’s code as a Python developer. Both other developers and your coworkers will review your code. Coding can become difficult to read and comprehend if it is disorganised.

According to the book, badly designed code results in the annual loss of numerous hours and substantial resources—definitely a major problem. You will learn the ideas, patterns, and practices of developing clean code, as well as the Agile methodology, from this book.

You’ll discover how to put these ideas into practice in the following areas:

Meaningful names
Functions
Comments
Formatting
Objects and data structures

2.Python Cookbook by David Beazley and Brian Jones Python Developers

This book is filled with useful codes for handling a wide range of Python-related issues. It has over a dozen recipes covering both domain-specific and fundamental Python concepts. There are code samples included with every recipe so you can give it a try.

Every recipe can be thought of as a workable fix for a typical issue. You can implement real-life tasks with the assistance of code samples and their explanations. Additionally, these code samples can always be expanded upon.

The recipes are divided into chapters covering a variety of topics, including concurrency, modules and packages, functions, classes and objects, iterators and generators, data structures and algorithms, and concurrency.

This book is intended for readers with some prior Python expertise; it is not an introduction to the language. It will support you as you progress into a skilled Python developer.

3.Python Testing with pytest by Brian Okken

An integral component of any software product is testing. A testing procedure is necessary to build reliable and maintainable code, regardless of the size of the program—from a little script to a complex multi-module application. Pytest is a testing framework that facilitates the rapid and easy creation of tests, and it is one of the most widely utilised tools for testing Python code.

With clear, concise instructions, this book will show you how to use the pytest framework to its fullest potential. It will help you with exam writing, planning, and administration. It begins with basic tests and progressively adds more sophistication to cover the pytest framework’s more sophisticated features.

Through the course of this book and the code samples it includes, you will get an understanding of how to use pytest to test your programs, identify problems, and swiftly resolve defects. Higher-quality, deployment-ready code will be the outcome.

4.High-Performance Python

This book’s title implies that its goal is to make your Python code perform better. When you are building brief scripts to accomplish small tasks, performance might not be a problem. However, performance can become a problem very rapidly for programs that use large amounts of data. In these situations, your main goals should be finishing the assignment as quickly as possible and doing it with maximum efficiency.

Python programmers at the intermediate and advanced levels can learn how to optimise their code for speed by reading this book. The first step is to locate and describe the code bugs that lead to low performance. Next, many methods and approaches to improve performance are shown, including memory usage, vectorized computations, parallel and concurrent programming, and the effective use of built-in data structures.

5.Python Algorithms: Mastering Basic Algorithms in the Python Language by Magnus Lie Hetland

All that a computer program is is a collection of instructions arranged in a specific manner to carry out a task. As a result, an algorithm is basically what a computer program is. The structure and composition of instructions are essential components of well-written programs.

One of the most difficult aspects of computer science and programming is working with data structures and algorithms. This book shows how theory is mirrored in practical Python programs, with an emphasis on algorithmic theory and programming practice. You will discover popular data structures and algorithms, along with how to use Python to implement them.