Datasheet

Discovering IronPython
WHAT’S IN THIS CHAPTER?
Understanding why you want to add IronPython to your
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developer toolbox
Obtaining and installing IronPython on your machine
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Understanding some underlying basics of how IronPython works
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Using IronPython at the console and within a window
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Designing and building a simple application
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IronPython: It sounds like some kind of metal snake infesting your computer, but it
isn’t. IronPython is the .NET version of the open source Python language (
http://www
.python.org/
). Python is a dynamic language that can greatly enhance your programming
experience, help you create applications in less time, and make the applications you create
significantly more responsive to user needs. Of course, you’ve heard these promises before
from other languages. This chapter helps you understand how IronPython delivers on these
promises in specific situations. The smart developer soon learns that every language serves
specific needs and might not work well in others. So this chapter isn’t here to blow smoke at
you — once you complete it, you’ll understand the strengths and weaknesses of IronPython.
Of course, you’ll need to obtain a copy of IronPython before you can use it because Visual
Studio doesn’t include IronPython as part of the default installation. This chapter helps you
get IronPython installed on your system and tells you about some options you may want to
install as well.
Once you have IronPython installed, you’ll want to know a little about how it works. This
chapter won’t make you an IronPython guru who’s familiar with every nuance of the underlying
structural elements, but it will give you a good overview that will make the rest of the book a lot
easier to understand. You’ll put your new-found knowledge to the test by performing a few tasks
at the IronPython console and within the IronPython windowed environment.
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