Foundations of Python Network Programming

The Comprehensive Guide to Building Network Applications with Python

John Goerzen

Publisher: Apress, 2004 , 512 pages

ISBN: 1-59059-371-5

Synopsis:

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To guide readers through the new scripting language, Python, this book discusses every aspect of client and server programming. And as Python begins to replace Perl as a favorite programming language, this book will benefit scripters and serious application developers who want a feature-rich, yet simple language, for deploying their products.

The text explains multitasking network servers using several models, including forking, threading, and non-blocking sockets. Furthermore, the extensive examples demonstrate important concepts and practices, and provide a cadre of fully-functioning stand alone programs. Readers may even use the provided examples as building blocks to create their own software.

Table of Contents:

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• Part I: Low-Level Networking
  
  • Chapter 1: Introduction to Client/Server Networking
  • Understanding TCP Basics
  • Using the Client/Server Model
  • Understanding User Datagram Protocol
  • Understanding Physical Transports and Ethernet
  • Networking in Python
  • Summary
  • Chapter 2: Network Clients
  • Understanding Sockets
  • Creating Sockets
  • Communicating with Sockets
  • Handling Errors
  • Using User Datagram Protocol
  • Summary
  • Chapter 3: Network Servers
  • Preparing for Connections
  • Accepting Connections
  • Handling Errors
  • Using User Datagram Protocol
  • Using inetd or xinetd
  • Logging with syslog
  • Avoiding Deadlock
  • Summary
  • Chapter 4: Domain Name System
  • Making DNS Queries
  • Using Operating System Lookup Services
  • Using PyDNS for Advanced Lookups
  • Summary
  • Chapter 5: Advanced Network Operations
  • Half-Open Sockets
  • Timeouts
  • Transmitting Strings
  • Understanding Network Byte Order
  • Using Broadcast Data
  • Working with IPv6
  • Binding to Specific Addresses
  • Using Event Notification with poll () or select ()
  • Summary
• Part II: Web Services
  
  • Chapter 6: Web Client Access
  • Fetching Web Pages
  • Authenticating
  • Submitting Form Data
  • Handling Errors
  • Using Non-HTTP Protocols
  • Summary
  • Chapter 7: Parsing HTML and XHTML
  • Understanding Basic HTML Parsing
  • Handling Real-World HTML
  • A Working Example
  • Summary
  • Chapter 8: XML and XML-RPC
  • Understanding XML Documents
  • Using DOM
  • Using XML-RPC
  • Summary
• Part III: E-mail Services
  
  • Chapter 9: E-Mail Composition and Decoding
  • Understanding Traditional Messages
  • Composing Traditional Messages
  • Parsing Traditional Messages
  • Understanding MIME
  • Composing MIME Attachments
  • Composing MIME Alternatives
  • Composing Non-English Headers
  • Composing Nested Multiparts
  • Parsing MIME Messages
  • Summary
  • Chapter 10: Simple Message Transport Protocol
  • Introducing the SMTP Library
  • Error Handling and Conversation Debugging
  • Getting Information from EHLO
  • Using Secure Socket Layer and Transport Layer Security
  • Authenticating
  • SMTP Tips
  • Summary
  • Chapter 11: POP
  • Connecting and Authenticating
  • Obtaining Mailbox Information
  • Downloading Messages
  • Deleting Messages
  • Summary
  • Chapter 12: IMAP
  • Understanding IMAP in Python
  • Introducing IMAP in Twisted
  • Understanding Twisted Basics
  • Scanning the Folder List
  • Examining Folders
  • Basic Downloading
  • Flagging and Deleting Messages
  • Retrieving Message Parts
  • Finding Messages
  • Adding Messages
  • Creating and Deleting Folders
  • Moving Messages Between Folders
  • Summary
• Part IV: General-Purpose Client Protocols
  
  • Chapter 13: FTP
  • Understanding FTP
  • Using FTP in Python
  • Downloading ASCII Files
  • Downloading Binary Files
  • Uploading Data
  • Handling Errors
  • Scanning Directories
  • Downloading Recursively
  • Manipulating Server Files and Directories
  • Summary
  • Chapter 14: Database Clients
  • SQL and Networking
  • SQL in Python
  • Connecting
  • Executing Commands
  • Transactions
  • Repeating Commands
  • Retrieving Data
  • Reading Metadata
  • Using Data Types
  • Summary
  • Chapter 15: SSL
  • Understanding Network Vulnerabilities
  • Reducing Vulnerabilities with SSL
  • Understanding SSL in Python
  • Using Built-in SSL
  • Using OpenSSL
  • Verifying Server Certificates with OpenSSL
  • Summary
• Part V: Server-Side Frameworks
  
  • Chapter 16: SocketServer
  • Using BaseHTTPServer
  • SimpleHTTPServer
  • CGIHTTPServer
  • Implementing New Protocols
  • IPv6
  • Summary
  • Chapter 17: SimpleXMLRPCServer
  • SimpleXMLRPCServer Basics
  • Serving Functions
  • Exploiting Class Features
  • Using DocXMLRPCServer
  • Using CGIXMLRPCRequestHandler
  • Supporting Multicall Functions
  • Summary
  • Chapter 18: CGI 
  • Setting Up CGI
  • Understanding CGI
  • Understanding CGI in Python
  • Retrieving Environment Information
  • Getting Input
  • Escaping Special Characters
  • Handling Multiple Inputs per Field
  • Uploading Files
  • Using Cookies
  • Summary
  • Chapter 19: mod_python
  • Understanding the Need for mod_python
  • Installing and Configuring mod_python
  • Understanding mod_python Basics
  • Dispatching Requests
  • Handling Input
  • Escaping
  • Understanding Interpreter Instances
  • Prebuilt Handlers in mod_python
  • Summary
• Part VI: Multitasking
  
  • Chapter 20: Forking
  • Understanding Processes
  • Understanding fork ()
  • Forking First Steps
  • Forking Servers
  • Locking
  • Error Handling
  • Summary
  • Chapter 21: Threading
  • Threading in Python
  • Writing Threaded Servers
  • Writing Threaded Clients
  • Summary
  • Chapter 22: Asynchronous Communication
  • Deciding Whether or Not to Use Asynchronous Communication
  • Using Asynchronous Communication
  • Advanced Server-Side Use
  • Monitoring Multiple Master Sockets
  • Using Twisted for Servers
  • Summary