Python Fundamentals and Resources.

Python Fundamentals and Resources.

Outline:

What is Python and its History?

When and Where is Python being used?

Basic or fundamentals in Python.

Resources on Python Programming.

What is Python?

Python is a high level programming language that is used in data science, web development, application development etc. It is a language where type checks happen at Runtime instead of Compile, easily readable and has the ability to support both object oriented and structure oriented programming.

History of Python:

Python was first released in 1991 by Guido Van Rossum. He decided to write an interpreter for the new scripting language he had been thinking about and chose Python as a working title.

Python 2.0 - 2000, Python 3.0 or Py3k - Dec 3rd, 2008.

When and where is Python being used?

Popular areas where Python is being used include:

Web Development.

API - which involves backend codes. Python frameworks here are: Flask, Bottle, Pyramid etc.

Applications - the python frameworks here are Plone, django, CMS, Mezzanine.

Website - python frameworks are Django, web2py etc.

Application Scripting

Areas here include 2D/3D modelling software, photo taking applications, image manipulation software.

Data Science

Areas here are Big Data and Machine Learning.

Installing Python

Head over to python.org and download the latest version.

Fundamentals of Python.

Whether you are a code newbie or you have some basic knowledge in Python, understanding these basics will be very helpful in your journey as a software developer, as they serve as building blocks to your learning.

Scalar Types

There are a number of built-in data types in Python, which includes integers, collection types like dictionaries. Basic scalar types are:

int - for whole numbers (integers)

float - for numbers with fractional part (floating point numbers)

none - null object(NoneType)

bool - for True and False values (boolean logical values).

Dictionaries or Maps - a dictionary maps keys to its associated value. They are created using curly braces containing key value pairs.

{K1 : V1 , K2 : V2} ---- K1 and K2 are the Keys while V1 and V2 are the Values.

Tuples - this is when a repeated application of the indexing operator is used to get the inner elements of such nested collections.

Strings, Range and Lists

Strings are immutable sequences of characters, you cannot modify them in place. Useful string methods:

str.join() - to join a large number of strings.

Partition - divides the string into three different sections, the part before the separator, the separator itself and the part after the separator.

Range is created by calls to the range constructor and it's a type of sentence representing an arithmetic progression of integers.

Lists are sequences of mutable objects, that is, can be replaced or removed and new elements can be appended. Lists can contain multiple values making it easier to write programs handling large amounts of data.

Variables

Values are stored in Variables with the use of an assignment statement, an equal sign or assignment operator and the value to be stored. It is important to note also that when a new value is assigned to that variable, the old value is forgotten.

Amazing books on Python you should definitely read:

Automate Boring Stuff with Python(currently reading this!)

Head First Python by Paul Barry

Learn Python the Hard Way by Zed Shaw

Python Crash Course by Eric Mattes

Sites to learn Python Programming:

Codecademy.com

Udemy

Coursera.org

Freecodecamp.org

YouTube Channels to follow and learn Python:

Edureka

Freecodecamp

CodeWithHarry

Chris Hawkes

Python Podcasts:

Test and Code

The Real Python Podcast

Python Bytes

Teaching Python

The fundamentals of Python I have explained above will help you get a basic knowledge of what Python is, I also added some resources to get you started in Python. If there is any you might want to add, pls put it down in the comment section!