The people who knows me, know that I'm a fan of the Python programming language, and many of the stuff I do in my work is done with this fabulous tool, I have made work for services, where Python behave very very well, and applications for the Desktop, most of them run on the Microsoft Windows operating system.

Why do I choose Python instead C, C++, Java or C#?, well, I have to say that I was a PHP user before Python, that was the programming language where I start, and I thought that PHP was perfect, because I felt that PHP was so simple, easy to use because I didn't have to compile anything!. Then I meet Python and everything change.

I choose Python because it is ridiculously simple, easy to use and it have almost everything you need by default, the data types are more than enought to work and do amazing stuff, it was by the time I meet it a fully functional programming language.

By that time, I was also trying to learn something about Mono and the C# programming language, its obvious that I left C# in favor of Python, Why? just because Python is easier than C# (IMHO). And by the time, a lot of FUD was arround the mono framework about patents and possible Microsoft attacks which still exists, but by that time Mono was something new and everyone put their eyes on it.

Now, that I have learned Python and know much more about it, I want to try another developing platform, as I already said, I write programs that runs on the Microsoft Windows OS, and I'm trying to learn something that help me to develop stuff there, but also let me work on it in Linux. The answer IronPython an implementation of the Python programming language under .NET (something similar to Jython but for .NET)

Recently I receive a copy of the IronPython in Action by Michael J. Foord and Christian Muirhead. The book itself is very interesting, first, you'll see an introduction to IronPython, Python itself and the CLR then start the teaching about the .NET framework and how to write your programs using the .NET objects and IronPython, which is the reason of the book to exists. This is where the book shines, it will teach you how the core development techniques that will help you to write your applications in the IronPython way, using classes with XML, and agile testing.

Then, and advanced look to the .Net Framwork, using the Microsoft Windows Presentation Foundation, system administration with IronPython and combine IronPython with ASP.NET concluding with the Silverlight plugin, allowing you to create appliciations like Flash does.

Finally, something really really important, how to extend your IronPython applications using C#/VB.NET. We know that even when the programming language is very very powerfull we need tu help us with another programming language, This may be because it is simpler or easy to do in another language or just because you have to do it like that. Python let you extend your applications writing python modules with C, IronPython could not be the exception and allows you to write extensions using the C# and VB.NET languages. And in the same way you could extend Python/IronPython, you could use it to extend another application by embedding the IronPython engine into your applications.

Yes, the book is about Windows programming, Windows programmers will benefit from the book by learning how to write their applications using IronPython. No matter if they are beginners or experienced users. I think that using IronPython will help them a lot if they use it instead the C, or C++, because it is quick, it is simple, easy to read and more, but also, programmers that use another OS will benefit from it, by using the Mono Framework.

If you are looking a good book to learn .NET check the IronPython in Action, it's a very complete book.