Standard library
A standard library is a collection of reusable modules, types, functions, APIs, and other facilities distributed with a programming language implementation or platform.
Clojure: The Essential Reference
A standard library is the collection of reusable code packaged with a programming language and made available as part of its normal distribution.
- How it is used
- Supplies reusable, composable functions and macros for recurring tasks and application-specific solutions.
- How deep it goes
- Defines the Clojure library’s boundaries and demonstrates composition, while leaving detailed treatment of Java SDK facilities aside.
- Examples
- Uses an XML balance report to compare hand-written formatting with composed string, formatting, and collection functions.
- What you can do after
- Apply it via Clojure namespaces to assemble readable solutions from existing functions instead of reimplementing routine operations.
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Go in Practice, Second Edition
- How it is used
- Supplies packages for common application tasks, from networking and HTTP to command-line input.
- How deep it goes
- Works through imports and network-client calls, while pointing to package documentation rather than cataloging every API.
- Examples
- Uses a TCP status request, an HTTP GET, formatted output, input processing, and a test run.
- What you can do after
- Apply it via Go packages to make network requests, process command-line input, and use test facilities.
Read how Go in Practice, Second Edition explains standard library →
Python Workout: 50 ten-minute exercises
- How it is used
- Provides commonly needed functionality through modules and packages that Python programs import.
- How deep it goes
- Frames imports, modules, namespaces, and packages, but stops short of detailed individual module APIs.
- Examples
- Uses import os, from os import sep, and from decimal import Decimal as concrete import examples.
- What you can do after
- Apply it via Python imports to reuse functionality and make programs shorter and more maintainable.
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Go by Example
- How it is used
- Supports rapid construction of command-line tools, tests, HTTP clients, and servers with built-in Go packages.
- How deep it goes
- Defines the package collection and works through a minimal HTTP server, deferring detailed HTTP service structure.
- Examples
- Uses a localhost:8080 HTTP server that returns “hello, gophers!” and concurrent request handling.
- What you can do after
- Apply it via Go packages to build everyday tools and network services, choosing third-party packages for unmet specialized needs.
The Well-Grounded Rubyist, Fourth Edition
The standard library is the collection of libraries distributed with Ruby to provide commonly needed programming functionality.
- How it is used
- Provides reusable facilities for everyday programming tasks and loads them into applications with require.
- How deep it goes
- Explains library locations, Ruby and C implementations, and require usage, while stopping short of exhaustive API reference.
- Examples
- Uses URI.parse, FileUtils, Pathname, StringIO, open-uri, rubylibdir, and architecture-specific extension files.
- What you can do after
- Apply it via require to load standard-library features and use the classes and methods they provide.
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Learn Go with Pocket-Sized Projects
A standard library is the collection of libraries distributed with a programming language implementation.
- How it is used
- Provides imported formatting and output functions when a Go program needs capabilities beyond a single file's limited built-in tools.
- How deep it goes
- Defines identification through import syntax and demonstrates fmt.Println, while deferring package creation and use to later treatment.
- Examples
- Uses a main.go Hello world program, fmt.Println, go run main.go, and the resulting terminal output.
- What you can do after
- Apply it via Go imports to format values and write human-readable output to standard output.
Read how Learn Go with Pocket-Sized Projects explains standard library →
The Quick Python Book, Fourth Edition
A standard library is the collection of libraries and modules distributed with a programming language implementation to provide commonly needed functionality.
- How it is used
- Provides ready-made functionality for common data, file, operating-system, internet, development, and debugging tasks.
- How deep it goes
- Surveys built-in components and major module categories, but defers detailed API study to the library reference.
- Examples
- Uses a two-line HTTP server and module tables covering string services, data types, and numeric operations.
- What you can do after
- Apply it by selecting built-in modules before installing external packages, then manage unavoidable dependencies with pip and venv.
Read how The Quick Python Book, Fourth Edition explains standard library →
Related concepts
- cmd modulehas part · The cmd module is a Python standard-library module that provides a framework for building interactive command interpreters.
- struct modulehas part · The struct module is a Python standard-library module for converting between Python values and packed binary data using format specifications.
- net/http packagehas part · The net/http package is Go’s standard-library package providing HTTP client and server implementations, requests, responses, and related functionality.
- librarykind of · A software library is a reusable collection of code or components that other programs can incorporate or invoke to provide functionality.
- StringIOhas part · StringIO is a library class that provides a file-like interface for reading and writing text in an in-memory string buffer.
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