When comparing A Byte of Python vs Learn Python the Hard way, the Slant community recommends Learn Python the Hard way for most people. In the question“What are the best resources to learn Python?” Learn Python the Hard way is ranked 3rd while A Byte of Python is ranked 8th. The most important reason people chose Learn Python the Hard way is:
Teaches by giving a piece of code and letting the user see what the code does.
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Pros
Pro Beginner-friendly
It serves as a tutorial or guide to the Python language for a beginner audience. If all you know about computers is how to save text files, then this is the book for you.
Pro Free
'A Byte of Python' is available for free online. It's a book on programming using the Python language.
Pro Practical
Teaches by giving a piece of code and letting the user see what the code does.
Pro Free
Available online for free.
Pro Encourages use of flash cards
To help better remember certain parts of the language, the author suggests using flash cards.
Cons
Con Some mixing of versions
A Byte of Python is a book about Python 2, but includes some Python 3 code.
Con Author still suggests newcomers to the language learn Python 2
The only reason to learn Python 2 these days is if you have to workout on legacy Python 2 software, and upgrading to Python 3 is not an option. Telling newcomers to learn a outdated, and soon to be unsupported version of the language is detrimental.
Con Suggests looking up details on the web
The book often suggests looking up details on the web instead of providing them. Additionally, no resources are suggested where to look up such information. As a result the quality of explanation of details can vary based on used resource.