Introduction

The core Python language is, by design, very small, making the language easy to learn and efficient in its operation. However, there are additional capabilities that are required in order to complete many programming tasks, and these capabilities are provided through the use of modules. Modules are simply collections of Python programs (often with accompanying programs written in the C programming language) and other objects, which are grouped together according to functionality. In this chapter, we'll look at how to access modules in your Python programs, as well as take a quick overview at some of the most commonly used modules which are distributed with Python. Two cautions are in order. First, due to the large number of available modules, and the depth of coverage within many of these modules, it will not be possible to take an in-depth look at the functionality offered by the modules. The online reference guide should be consulted to get more information about any of the modules mentioned here. Secondly, in addition to the standard modules distributed with Python, keep in mind that there are many additional modules listed on the python web site. If there's a programming task that you'd like to accomplish with Python, make sure you check the Python web site to see if there is a module available to help you with your task.