Python QuickStart Guide: The Simplified Beginner's Guide to Python Programming Using Hands-On Projects

Description

Learn Python fundamentals that can be used in any programming setting – use the guidance in this book to program your own game in a unique and practical Python learning experience. Learning Python opens the door to a world of programming possibilities. From AI and machine learning to video game, app, and web development, Python is a critical behind-the-scenes component of everyday technology. Python powers the services of household names like Google, Netflix, and Spotify along with tech pioneers like NASA, IBM, and Intel. Put simply, Python is the in-demand and easy-to-learn programming language that gets stuff done. In Python QuickStart Guide, senior developer and programmer Robert Oliver lays out the quickest and most accessible path yet to the mastery of Python fundamentals. Distilling his experience drawn from over two decades of working with Python and other programming languages, Robert’s clear voice and writing present a practical, hands-on approach that anyone, at any experience level, can use to become a Python programmer. It doesn’t matter if you are a new or existing programmer, a job seeker looking for a career change or promotion, or just someone who wants to learn how to automate basic tasks with Python - Robert’s step-by-step approach, complete with a hands-on companion Python video game project, is the perfect starting point to master Python fundamentals! Python QuickStart Guide is Perfect for: New or experienced programmers looking to enhance their career opportunities with an in-demand programming language Job seekers who want to supercharge their resumes and increase their value in the job marketplace Students or recent college grads who have their sights set on a lucrative position in the tech industry Full stack developers or programmers who need to round out their programming skills to take on new projects Coding or programming bootcamp students looking for supplemental learning material Anyone who wants to explore the world of programming , use Python to automate tedious tasks, or enhance their resume and future-proof their skills! Python QuickStart Guide Explains The best practical approach to learning Python— follow along with the exercises in the book to program your own video game and learn along the way How to master Python building blocks and build a robust set of programming skills at your own pace How to avoid common pitfalls new programmers face, how to debug code, and how to eliminate frustrating errors Coding best practices that anyone can use to level up their programming skills using Python or any other programming language You Will Learn How to Use Python – Practical Examples, Code Snippets, Plus Follow Along to Code Your Own Game! Python Fundamentals – How to Use Python for Web Design and Interfacing with GitHub, SQL, and Other Applications Object-Oriented Programming Principles – Managing Data, Scripts, Logic, Inputs, Outputs, and More! Programming Essentials – Debugging, Producing Clean Code, Best Practices, Time-Savers, and Tips Python Next Steps –Testing, Optimization, Speed Improvements, Integrations with Other Applications, and More! In addition to the follow-along Python game included with the exercises in the book, Python QuickStart Guide comes with a library of references and cheat sheets to help you go beyond the book and get the most out of your Python learning experience. QuickStart Guides are books for beginners, written by experts. INTRODUCTION It Was a Dark and Stormy Night What Is Python? What Is Programming? What We’ll Cover in This Book How to Use This Book Example Code What You’ll Need Operating System and Python Version Notes Getting Ready Visual Studio Code Walk-Through PART I – GETTING STARTED WITH PYTHON | 1 | Getting to Know Python Before Our First Line of Code Hello, World! Working with Variables Strings Numbers A Few Comments Newlines What’s in a Name? ClydeBank Coffee Shop: Our First Cup | 2 | Understanding Python Data Structures Lists Tuples Sets Dictionaries Boolean Variables Combining Data Structures Picking the Right Data Structure ClydeBank Coffee Shop: Starting the Grind | 3 | Controlling Program Flow Logical Comparisons Nested Comparisons Loops Number-Guessing Game ClydeBank Coffee Shop Simulator: The Circle of Life | 4 | Handling Errors Exceptions Mopping Up the Mess with Finally ClydeBank Coffee Shop: Spilt Milk PART II – FUNCTIONS AND CLASSES | 5 | Creating Reusable Tasks with Functions Our First Function Passing Values and Returning a Result Modifying Arguments Default Arguments Keyword Arguments Arbitrary Arguments Scope Generator Functions ClydeBank Coffee Shop: Our First Major Refactor | 6 | Classes The Hello World Class Instance Variables Scope in Classes Object Lifecycle Properties and Private Variables Inches to Centimeters ClydeBank Coffee Shop: Our Second Refactor | 7 | Inheritance and Design Patterns Parent and Child Expanding Child Classes Multilevel Inheritance Multiple Inheritance Introduction to Design Patterns A Fantasy World | 8 | Saving Time with Dataclasses Automatic Instance Variables Dataclass Features Dataclasses Compatibility | 9 | Reusing Code with Modules and Packages Namespaces Importing Modules Creating Your Own Module Standard Modules Packages ClydeBank Coffee Shop: Modularizing the Game PART III – PYTHON IN ACTION | 10 | Advanced Strings Standard String Operations Regular Expressions String Formatting Data Compression ClydeBank Coffee Shop: Inventory Woes | 11 | Math in Python Integer Math Floating-Point Math Percentages Statistical Math Date and Time Counting the Days ClydeBank Coffee Shop: A More Accurate Simulation | 12 | Input and Output Disk I/O Standard I/O Serialization with Pickle ClydeBank Coffee Shop: Saving Your Game | 13 | The Internet Fetching a Web Page Saving a Web Page Sending an Email | 14 | Debugging Python Code Logging Debugging in Visual Studio Code PART IV – ADVANCED PYTHON | 15 | Developing Websites web.py Flask Connecting to a Database Django JSON | 16 | Interfacing with SQLite The sTunes Database Installation Running SQLite A Brief Tour of sTunes More SQL: Beyond SELECT Querying Data with Python Modifying Data with Python Further Ideas | 17 | Test-Driven Development Getting Started with Unit Testing Assertions Test Driven Design Test Coverage ClydeBank Coffee Shop: Test-Driven Coffee Serving | 18 | Managing Your Code with Git Installing Git Forking and Cloning the ClydeBank Coffee Shop Game Committing Changes to Your Repository Pushing to Remote Using Branches Viewing Changes Viewing Your Commit Log Pull Requests Syncing with the Official Repository | 19 | The Junk Drawer Getting Help Inside Python Sorting Lists and Dictionaries Environment Variables Using Command Line Arguments Lambda Expressions Threading Cryptographic Hashing Working with CSV Files Pip Compiled Modules | 20 | Optimizing Python Profiling Apparent Speed Usually Matters More Don't Reinvent the Wheel Cache Results Use Multiple Assignment Exit As Soon As Possible Use Lazy Loading Use the Latest Python Version Optimizing the Coffee Shop Simulator | 21 | What's Next? Keeping Up with Python The Python Package Index Python News through Google Getting Help Python Is Open-Source Software The ClydeBank Coffee Shop Simulator Game CONCLUSION APPENDIX ABOUT THE AUTHOR ABOUT CLYDEBANK MEDIA GLOSSARY REFERENCES