The Wayback Machine - http://web.archive.org/web/20160322055055/http://python.about.com/od/pythonstandardlibrary/

Python's Library

This is an overview of the major modules from the Python Standard Library and other major Python repositories.
Python Categories
41 Articles in: The Python Library - Standard Library of Python
Import First Things First
Training a spam filter can take a good deal of time and effort. Use an email whitelist to jumpstart the spam filter process. Here's how to create a whitelist of good email addresses for your spam filter.
Close-up of hands writing on laptop - Klaus Vedfelt/Digital Vision/Getty Images
Getting Login Information With the getpass Module
Accepting login information in plain text is inherently dangerous from the persepctive of computer security. Fortunately, Python has the getpass module which allows the handling of login information without leaving a trace in a system's cache.
Logging Into a POP3 Mailbox
Whether you are coding for the Web, the desktop, or for handheld communication devices (PDAs, smartphones, etc.), being able to collect email is an important part of network programming. Here is how to use the poplib module to access a remote POP3 mailbox.
What Is a File Descriptor, Anyway?
Python's os module handles much of the language's portability with respect to the local operating system. Here is how to do cross-platform system programming with Python.
get()
Python's os module provides a convenient interface for many system-level operations. This overview of the module shows how to interact dynamically with the operating system and runtime environment of the Python interpreter.
Search - gavni/iStock Vectors/Getty Images
Checking URLs and IP Addresses With Python's socket Module
In the Wild World of the Web, checking the DNS entry of a URL or IP address is increasingly necessary. Here is how to do it with the Python socket module
Business owner working at laptop in clothing shop - Hero Images/Hero Images/Getty Images
Using Shelve to Save Objects in Python
Python's shelve module is a powerful way to include persistence and to save objects in an easy-access database format. Here is how to open, assign value to, restore value from, and close shelve dictionaries and databases.
Cats vs. Dogs - Guillermo Murcia/Moment Open/Getty Images
What is a Regular Expression?
Regular expressions are a Python programmer's best friend. Understanding what they are and how to use them will help you leap tall programming tasks in a single bound.
A Beginner's Guide to Python Syntax
This tutorial is part of a series on the fundamentals of Python. It covers the syntax used in Python programming. If you are new to Python, this tutorial is for you. If you are completely new to programming but have been using a computer for a little while, you should do fine with these tutorials. If you are completely new to computers, you may want to read through the tutorial "How A Computer Looks at Your Program".
Python's Library
This is an overview of the major modules from the Python Standard Library and other major Python repositories.
Random hexadecimal codes like matrix style. - franckreporter/E+/Getty Images
How to Use 'Pickle' Modules to Save Objects in Python
Python's pickle module is a quick and easy way to save Python objects in a standard format. Here is how to save and restore Python objects with pickle.
Hands on a keyboard - Ghislain & Marie David de Lossy/The Image Bank/Getty Images
Mutable Sequences
Python supports several operations that modify objects in situ. These are called mutable because no output is necessary. Here is a guide to what they are and how they are used.
XRange Type
Python's xrange() function is a very easy way to generate a range without consuming a lot of resources. Here is a reference to how it is used and what operations it supports.
Percent - Sunitha Pilli/E+/Getty Images
String Formatting Operations
Python's string formatting operations are important to know for most any program that you write. Here is a comprehensive guide to them.
Sequence Types
Python supports several kinds of sequences. Here is a guide to each.
Big Tree, Towada, Aomori, Japan - MIXA/Getty Images
Python's Iterators
Python's iterators are very powerful and helpful. Here is a guide to the iterator protocol used in Python.
Man typing on laptop keyboard, close-up - Gary John Norman/The Image Bank/Getty Images
Bit String Operations
Python's bit string operations are an important part of advanced programming. Here you will find a reference to the bit-wise operators in Python.
Understanding Built-In 'Set' and 'Frozenset' Types in Python
Python's built-in set types are helpful ways to create both mutable and immutable sets of values for use in your programming. Here are the functions and methods that you can use with each.
CALCULATOR ON NUMBERS, ABSTRACT, COMPUTER MADE 32 MEGABYTES - Garry Gay/The Image Bank/Getty Images
Numeric Types and Operations
Python recognises several types of numbers. Here is a reference for the numeric types that Python knows and what you can do with them.
Mathematics Icons - White Series - Rakdee/iStock Vectors/Getty Images
Comparison Operations
Python's comparison operations are pretty straightforward. Here is a reference to them with a bit of detail that you may not know.
txjs_2013.113-001 - TR4NSLATOR/Flikr/CC BY 2.0
Python Built-In Modules: Boolean Operations
Boolean operators are a significant part of Python programming. Here is a reference on how to use them.
Working with Computer - TommL/Vetta/Getty Images
Python Built-In Modules: Truth Value Testing
Testing values true or false is a critical part of Python programming. Here are some of the finer details of what tests as false and what tests as true in Python
3D Cardioidal Variation - fdecomite/Flikr/CC BY 2.0
Deprecated Functions in Python's String Module
Python's string module offers a bevy of functionality. Some of it, however, has been moved to the built-in string methods. Here are the functions that are deprecated.
Python Standard Library by Example - reedwade/Flikr/CC BY 2.0
The Python Standard Library
This page offers an overview of the most commonly used modules from the Python Standard Library. It is not intended as a replacement for the documentation. Rather, it highlights modules which factor into most general purpose programming projects.
Warning Sign - ERROR - porcorex/E+/Getty Images
Python's Built-In Exceptions
Python's built-in exceptions are many; knowing them really helps your programming.
Python's Built-In Warnings
Python's built-in warnings are important to know. Here is a list of them.
London Python Code Dojo Feb 2011 - R4vi/Flikr/CC BY 2.0
Pythons 're' Module
Python's re module is without a doubt one of the most commonly used parts of the Python library. Remember its functions, on the other hand, is not always easy. Here is a reference to help you keep it all straight.
Pythons 're' Module: Regular Expression Objects
Python's re module is without a doubt one of the most commonly used parts of the Python library. Here is a reference of the methods and attributes available in each regex object
Hand with Computer Mouse - TommL/Vetta/Getty Images
Pythons 're' Module: RegEx MatchObjects
Python's re module is without a doubt one of the most commonly used parts of the Python library. Here is a reference of the methods and attributes available for every match of a regular expression.
Classes: SSLType, SocketType (Part 1)
Python's socket module is the foundational module for all network programming in Python. Here is a reference of the functions, classes, and constants available through it.
Business executives smiling in a training class - Eric Audras/ONOKY/Getty Images
Classes: socket (Part 2)
Python's socket module is the foundational module for all network programming in Python. Here is a reference of the functions, classes, and constants available through it.
Functions (Part 2)
Python's socket module is the foundational module for all network programming in Python. Here is a reference of the functions, classes, and constants available through it.
Python String Methods - 2 of 2
Python's built-in string methods are incredibly powerful. As the name implies, each of the following methods are available through class String. Every string object is an instance of that class and has these methods available. This is the first of a two-part reference on Python's built-in string methods.
Alphabet - Riou/Photodisc/Getty Images
Constants Provided in Python's String Module
Python's string module provides many helpful constants that you can use in your programming. Here is each of the constants and a brief description of each.
Functions of Python's String Module
Python's string module provides a couple of functions that are not available through string methods. Here they are with brief descriptions of each for your reference.
python icon done in the Tango! style - http://tango.freedesktop.org/The people from the Tango! project./Wikimedia Commons
Python's String Templates
Python's string module provides a Template class to process strings powerfully and en masse. Here is a description of the methods and the single attribute of this class and an example of how to use template string objects.
Functions of Python's String Module
Python's string module provides a couple of functions that are not available through string methods. Here they are with brief descriptions of each for your reference.
Python's String Templates
Python's string module provides a Template class to process strings powerfully and en masse. Here is a description of the methods and the single attribute of this class and an example of how to use template string objects.
The Python Library Reference
If you just want to read the documentation on the Python library, this page is for you. The Python website has a complete discussion of every module that comes with the standard installation of Python. It may be terse or obtuse at times, and not every call is discussed in detail, but this is the "standard".
The Effbot Guide to the Python Standard Library

The Python library is so vast that it is near impossible to know all attributes and all methods of all modules. Fortunately, you do not need to remember all of that. This guide by Fredrik Lundh offers a comprehensive treatment of every attribute and every method of every module in the Python Standard Library. If you would rather have the book, you can buy it from O'Reilly Media.

Object-oriented Programming and Python

If you still find yourself tempest-tossed about what object-oriented programming is and how to do it with Python, this page from Python.net offers a clearly written and well-rounded discussion on the subject. Another excellent discussion on the topic is by Matthew Reynolds at StarDeveloper.com.

View More