Professional IronPython

Thorough coverage of Microsoft’s new dynamic programming language: IronPython IronPython is a powerful and vital part of any .NET developer's toolbox, and although it is several years old, very little literature exists on the topic. This essential resource fills that void and provides you with an in-depth understanding of IronPython. A brief introduction walks you through the installation, usage, and tools of IronPython and also explains what makes IronPython different from other programming languages. Coverage quickly moves on to explaining how to use and work with the IronPython language, and an in-depth look at its environment sheds light on how it can be stand alone or with the .NET Framework. You'll see how IronPython can be used to create either desktop or Web-based applications and you’ll witness how it interacts with other existing technologies. In addition, coverage of advanced topics shares techniques for extending IronPython and making it a robust language. Provides you with an in-depth look at IronPython, how it is different from other programming languages, what it is capable of, and how to maximize its potential Explores how IronPython interacts with existing technologies and how it can perform administration tasks Answers popular questions, such as how to extend IronPython and make it a more robust language Tackles topics not addressed anywhere else, including executing IronPython using Mono You'll want to devour every topic covered in Professional IronPython so you can get started working with this powerful programming language today.

Table of Contents:
Introduction xvii Part I: Introducing IronPython Chapter 1: Discovering IronPython 3 An Overview of IronPython 4 Getting IronPython 7 Understanding the Dynamic Language Runtime 11 Using the IronPython Console 12 Using the IronPython Windowed Environment 20 Creating Your First Application 21 Using IronPython Constructively 22 Chapter 2: Understanding the IronPython Basics 23 Using Visual Studio to Create IronPython Applications 24 Understanding the Use of Indentation and Capitalization in IronPython 31 Considering Data Types in IronPython 33 Exploring the IronPython Modules 36 Interacting with the IronPython Environment 40 Using IronPython Constructively 41 Chapter 3: Implementing Structured Language Elements 45 Stringing Statements Together 46 Selecting Between Options 48 Creating Loops 51 Performing Enumerations 53 Using IronPython Constructively 54 Chapter 4: Using Arrays and Collections 55 Working with Tuples, Lists, and Arrays 56 Working with the Collections Module 72 Using Dictionaries 74 Using IronPython Constructively 76 Chapter 5: Interacting with Structures and Objects 77 Working with Existing Objects 78 Creating New Objects 89 Using IronPython Constructively 93 Chapter 6: Using the Python Standard Library 97 Considering the Standard Library Features 98 Obtaining and Installing the Python Standard Library 100 Accessing the Standard Library from IronPython 102 Using the Standard Library Features 104 Using IronPython Constructively 115 Chapter 7: Accessing the .NET Framework 117 Importing the .NET Framework Assemblies 118 Using .NET Data Types 126 Interacting with .NET Framework Elements 128 Working with Generics 135 Using IronPython Constructively 137 Chapter 8: Creating Windows Forms Applications 139 Working without a Visual Designer 140 Defining Windows Forms 142 Interacting with Predefined and Custom Events 150 Using IronPython Constructively 159 Chapter 9: Interacting with COM Objects 161 An Overview of COM Access Differences with Python 162 Choosing a Binding Technique 164 Defining an Interop DLL 167 Performing Late Binding Using Activator.CreateInstance() 186 Performing Late Binding Using Marshal.GetActiveObject() 189 Using IronPython Constructively 191 Chapter 10: Using IronPython for Administration Tasks 193 Understanding the Command Line 194 Interacting with the Environment 207 Starting Other Command Line Applications 218 Providing Status Information 220 Using IronPython Constructively 222 Chapter 11: Developing AS P.NET Applications 223 Considering IronPython Web Application Compatibility 224 Obtaining ASP.NET Dynamic Language Support 224 Creating a Web Site 228 Building a Basic ASP.NET Site Using IronPython 229 Using IronPython Constructively 240 Chapter 12: Debugging IronPython Applications 241 Understanding IronPython Warnings 242 Obtaining Error Information 252 Debugging with the Python Debugger 256 Debugging with the CLR Debugger 260 Using Visual Studio for IronPython Debugging 262 Defining and Using Exceptions 263 Using IronPython Constructively 266 Chapter 13: Working with XML Data 271 Using the .NET XML Functionality 272 Using XMLUtil 276 Using the Python Modules 281 Using IronPython Constructively 286 Chapter 14: Interacting with the DLR 287 Obtaining DLR 288 Working with Hosting APIs 293 Understanding the Extensions to LINQ Expression Tree 298 Considering DynamicSite 300 Working with IDynamicObject 300 Understanding the ActionBinder 304 Understanding the Other DLR Features 305 Using IronPython Constructively 305 Chapter 15: Using IronPython from Other .NET Languages 307 Understanding the Relationship between Dynamic and Static Languages 308 Creating an Externally Accessible IronPython Module 309 Accessing the Module from C# 312 Accessing the Module from Visual Basic.NET 319 Developing Test Procedures for External Modules 321 Debugging the External Module 321 Using IronPython Constructively 324 Chapter 16: Extending IronPython Using C# 325 Understanding the Requirements for an Extension 326 Considering IronPython and Static Language Differences 327 Creating the Simple C# Extension 329 Using C# for User Interface Support 336 Using C# for Win32 Support 348 Using IronPython Constructively 356 Chapter 17: Extending IronPython Using Visual Basic .NET 359 Considering C# and VISUAL BASIC.NET Extension Similarities 360 Creating the Simple Visual Basic.NET Extension 360 Using Visual Basic.NET for User Interface Support 367 Using Visual Basic.NET for Database Support 377 Using IronPython Constructively 386 Using IronPython Chapter 18: for Application Testing 387 Understanding Why You Want to Use IronPython for Testing 388 Considering the Test Environment 389 Testing DLLs 392 Testing Applications 396 Performing Command Line Tests 402 Using IronPython Constructively 404 Chapter 19: Using IronPython with Mono 405 What Is Mono? 406 Obtaining and Installing Mono 410 Creating an IronPython Application with Mono 412 Interacting with Other .NET Languages under Mono 418 Using IronPython Constructively 418 Appendix A: IronPython Diff erences with CPython 421 Appendix B: CPython Extensions for IronPython 433 Index 439

About the Author :
John Paul Mueller is the owner of DataCon Services, a consulting firm, where he has written code for everything from database management systems (DBMS) to low-level hardware access code. He is the author of more than 80 books covering topics such as Web Services, web development, and Win32 API. He has also published over 300 articles.