# Favorite Resources **URL:** \ **Category:** Archived Topics\ **Created:** [April 24, 2009, 7:12pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/favorite-resources/1108 "2009-04-24T19:12:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Colby.Clegg](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/colby.clegg/32/3282_2.png) [@Colby.Clegg](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Colby.Clegg)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 7:12pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/favorite-resources/1108/1 "2009-04-24T19:12:30Z")
Inductive Automation prides itself on building software centered around open and accessible technologies. Of course, this means that in order to be as effective as possible it is necessary to have a good understanding of these technologies. Outside resources such as books and websites can be invaluable. This thread is dedicated to sharing your favorite and most useful resource. To get things started, here are some books that are permanent fixtures on the desks here at Inductive Automation: Getting Started [Learning Python, 3rd Edition](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0596513984?ie=UTF8&tag=inductautoma-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0596513984) [Learning SQL](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0596007272?ie=UTF8&tag=inductautoma-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0596007272) And from the “love or hate” category… (to be clear: we’ve never used this one, but we’ve had various people recommend it for beginners) [Head First SQL: Your Brain on SQL – A Learner’s Guide](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0596526849?ie=UTF8&tag=inductautoma-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0596526849) Quick Reference [Python Pocket Reference (Pocket Reference (O’Reilly))](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0596009402?ie=UTF8&tag=inductautoma-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0596009402) [SQL Pocket Guide (Pocket Reference (O’Reilly))](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0596526881?ie=UTF8&tag=inductautoma-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0596526881) Websites [SQLZoo.net](http://www.sqlzoo.net) - awesome resource for comparing how things are done in different database systems. ---
**Author:** ![Carl.Gould](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/carl.gould/32/7262_2.png) [@Carl.Gould](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Carl.Gould)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 8:24pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/favorite-resources/1108/2 "2009-04-24T20:24:59Z")
I’ll add the official Python 2.1 docs to the list, available here: [python.org/doc/2.1/](http://www.python.org/doc/2.1/) In particular, the Tutorial and Library Reference sections. ---
**Author:** ![Step7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Step7](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Step7)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 9:26pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/favorite-resources/1108/3 "2009-04-24T21:26:28Z")
I think I’ve got every Python book in publication, and by far I got the most out of “Core Python”. The way that classes and functions were explained really cleared up everything: [Core Python](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0132269937?ie=UTF8&tag=inductautoma-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0132269937) If all I had was fifty bucks in my pocket, this would be the book I’d get. Another Python book that I could recommend to beginners is “Python Power”. It doesn’t get the greatest of reviews, but for my money it made a lot of sense out of things like lists and strings when I was first starting out: [Python Power](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1598631586?ie=UTF8&tag=inductautoma-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1598631586) ---
**Author:** ![MickeyBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e19adc/32.png) [@MickeyBob](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/MickeyBob)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 11:23pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/favorite-resources/1108/4 "2009-05-04T23:23:35Z")
I have the following in my library: “Learning Python” by Lutz & Ascher great for core Python “Jython Essentials” by Pedroni & Rappin good for basics of Jython with Java “Python Cookbook” by Martelli & Ascher good for hints on how to attack a problem “Python Programming with the Java Class Libraries” by Hightower good for using Swing with Jython ---
**Author:** ![JordanCClark](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/jordancclark/32/83362_2.png) [@JordanCClark](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/JordanCClark)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 12:16pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/favorite-resources/1108/5 "2009-09-24T12:16:59Z")
I have a set of various cheat sheets plastered on the wall… [http://www.addedbytes.com/cheat-sheets/](http://www.addedbytes.com/cheat-sheets/) ---
**Author:** ![Carl.Gould](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/carl.gould/32/7262_2.png) [@Carl.Gould](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Carl.Gould)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 6:49pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/favorite-resources/1108/6 "2009-09-24T18:49:13Z")
+1 for those addedbytes cheat-sheets, those things are great. Thanks for the tip! ---
**Author:** ![Step7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Step7](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Step7)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 3:29pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/favorite-resources/1108/7 "2009-11-09T15:29:04Z")
I belong to a Jython forum, and someone there posted about an online Python programming course at MIT. It focuses on how Python could be used in statistical analysis, among other things. It is free, and the videos and pdf lecture notes can be downloaded. I watched a few, and some of the material is pretty dry (it’s MIT, after all) but I look forward to seeing what they are doing in the advanced lessons. Here you go: [MIT](http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Electrical-Engineering-and-Computer-Science/6-00Fall-2008/LectureVideos/index.htm) ---
**Author:** ![tamerplc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d78d45/32.png) [@tamerplc](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/tamerplc)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2018, 7:21pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/favorite-resources/1108/8 "2018-01-11T19:21:31Z")
[www.Datacamp.com](http://www.Datacamp.com) Alot of lessons about python for data science and machine learning . ---
**Author:** ![JordanCClark](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/jordancclark/32/83362_2.png) [@JordanCClark](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/JordanCClark)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2018, 5:51pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/favorite-resources/1108/9 "2018-08-03T17:51:09Z")
Adding cross-link. Sorry for the necro post. > [@Plc Forum Invite](http://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/plc-forum-invite/19093): > > Hello: I also belong to this PLC forum [PLC Forum](http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/forumdisplay.php?f=2) and for those that work with PLC’s you may want to consider joining this group. I have found this forum to have some of the best PLC people on the planet. Together with this Ignition forum and the PLC forum I feel I always have a GREAT place to turn to for help!!