Two topics that many programmers ask about are graphical user interfaces (GUIs) and databases, and we’ve added a chapter on each of these topics. After learning this material, you’ll be able to write a full-fledged database-backed application with a GUI.

We’ve added the Object Oriented Programming chapter. Frequently, programmers encounter situations where they aren’t satisfied with the types that come with Python. In this chapter, you’ll learn how to define and use your own types.

We’ve added the Designing Algorithms chapter. Once you’ve written the function header and docstring for a function, the next step is to write the function body. In this chapter, you’ll learn an approach called top-down design that helps you design and then implement the body of a function.

We’ve added the Testing and Debugging chapter. Once you’ve written your code, the next step is testing it to make sure that it works correctly. In this chapter, you will learn how to choose good test cases and how to test your code using Python’s unittest module.

We’d love you to let us know what you think about the book in the forums or by submitting errata!

Initial beta release.