This short cut is taken from Programming in Python 3: A CompleteIntroduction to the Python Language (Addison-Wesley, 2009) and provides self-contained coverage of Python’s advanced features. Most of the techniques covered are not needed every day, but in the right circumstances they can make a crucial difference, allowing us to write clean and straightforward code rather than having to resort to hacks and workarounds to achieve what we need. The short cut explains a range of procedural, object-oriented, and functional-style techniques, and the information provided will be a considerable addition to most Python programmers’ toolboxes.