Python Scripting for Computational Science

1. Front Matter

   Pages I-XXII

   PDF

2. Introduction

   • Hans Petter Langtangen

   Pages 1-25

   PDF

3. Getting Started with Python Scripting

   • Hans Petter Langtangen

   Pages 27-64

   PDF

4. Basic Python

   • Hans Petter Langtangen

   Pages 65-119

   PDF

5. Numerical Computing in Python

   • Hans Petter Langtangen

   Pages 121-167

   PDF

6. Combining Python with Fortran, C, and C++

   • Hans Petter Langtangen

   Pages 169-204

   PDF

7. Introduction to GUI Programming

   • Hans Petter Langtangen

   Pages 205-273

   PDF

8. Web Interfaces and CGI Programming

   • Hans Petter Langtangen

   Pages 275-298

   PDF

9. Advanced Python

   • Hans Petter Langtangen

   Pages 299-429

   PDF

10. Fortran Programming with NumPy Arrays

    • Hans Petter Langtangen

    Pages 431-461

    PDF

11. C and C++ Programming with NumPy Arrays

    • Hans Petter Langtangen

    Pages 463-502

    PDF

12. More Advanced GUI Programming

    • Hans Petter Langtangen

    Pages 503-578

    PDF

13. Tools and Examples

    • Hans Petter Langtangen

    Pages 579-647

    PDF

14. Back Matter

    Pages 649-732

    PDF

The primary purpose of this book is to help scientists and engineers work­ ing intensively with computers to become more productive, have more fun, and increase the reliability of their investigations. Scripting in the Python programming language can be a key tool for reaching these goals [27,29]. The term scripting means different things to different people. By scripting I mean developing programs of an administering nature, mostly to organize your work, using languages where the abstraction level is higher and program­ ming is more convenient than in Fortran, C, C++, or Java. Perl, Python, Ruby, Scheme, and Tel are examples of languages supporting such high-level programming or scripting. To some extent Matlab and similar scientific com­ puting environments also fall into this category, but these environments are mainly used for computing and visualization with built-in tools, while script­ ing aims at gluing a range of different tools for computing, visualization, data analysis, file/directory management, user interfaces, and Internet communi­ cation. So, although Matlab is perhaps the scripting language of choiee in computational science today, my use of the term scripting goes beyond typi­ cal Matlab scripts. Python stands out as the language of choice for scripting in computational science because of its very elean syntax, rieh modulariza­ tion features, good support for numerical computing, and rapidly growing popularity. What Scripting is About.

• C++ programming language
• FORTRAN
• Java
• MATLAB
• Python
• computational experiments
• computational science
• graphical user interfaces
• interfaces
• language
• multi-language programming
• programming
• programming language
• scientific computing
• user interface

From the reviews of the second edition:

"This book addresses primarily a CSE (computational science and engineering) audience. … gives a clear and detailed account on the ways in which the surprisingly powerful Python language may aid the CSE community." (H. Muthsam, Monatshefte für Mathematik, Vol. 151 (4), 2007)

• Simula Research Laboratory, Lysaker, Norway

  Hans Petter Langtangen

• Department of Informatics, University of Oslo, Blindern, Oslo, Norway

  Hans Petter Langtangen

Policies and ethics