Course length: 4 days (32 hours)

Description: Python is a popular open-source language used in a wide variety of domains — school instruction, academic research, numeric analysis, Web applications, and system administration.  Because of its readability, Python is considered to be an excellent first language with which to learn programming. Indeed, many universities now use Python in their introductory courses.

This class introduces Python for people who have had little or no experience programming before. By the end of the course, participants will know how to write and execute simple Python programs, make use of complex data structures, functions, and classes. They will also understand many of the different types of data that come with Python, and will know which ones to use, and when.

Participants will receive PDF copies of the slides, files with the answers to exercises, as well as an IPython notebook from all live-coding demos.

This course, like all of my courses, can be given either in-person or virtually. Contact me for availability and pricing, but be warned that my time tends to fill up months in advance.

Audience: People with little or no programming experience, who wish to learn Python and taken advantage of its power.

Course syllabus

  • Introduction to Python (and programming)
  • Variables
  • Blocks and indentation
  • Conditionals
  • Programs in files
  • Basic data types
  • Loops (for and while)
  • Reading from and writing to files
  • Creating complex data structures
  • Writing and invoking functions
  • Modules and packages
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