Fundamentals of Python Programming

To get the most out of the Python language, it’s important to get familiar with the fundamental programming concepts that it is based on. This way you can easily integrate the large amount of external code and modules available into your own code.

Though the topics covered here are by no means everything Python has to offer, they do go over the main concepts you are most likely to need in a typical Data Science role. Luckily, this basic Python syntax isn’t too complicated and has actually been designed to make it as easily understandable as possible.

Prerequisites

You need to understand the concepts of files and directories and have a basic knowledge of Shell before tackling this lesson

The commands in this lesson pertain to Python 3.

Getting Started

To get started, follow the directions on the “Setup” page to install a Python interpreter.

Schedule

Setup Download files required for the lesson
00:00 1. Introduction to Python What is Python?
How do I get it to do things?
00:15 2. Types, Objects, Values and Variables How can I store and access basic information in Python?
00:40 3. Operators How do I manipulate objects and data in Python?
01:00 4. Storing Multiple Values in Collections How can I store many values together?
01:40 5. Making Choices How can my programs do different things based on data values?
02:20 6. Repeating Actions with Loops How can I do the same operations on many different values?
03:20 7. Creating Functions How can I define new functions?
What’s the difference between defining and calling a function?
What happens when I call a function?
04:00 8. Using External Modules How can I extend Python’s functionality?
How can I use code other people have written?
04:20 9. Errors and Exceptions How does Python report errors?
How can I handle errors in Python programs?
04:50 10. Writing Python Scripts How can I write and save complete Python programs?
05:10 Finish

The actual schedule may vary slightly depending on the topics and exercises chosen by the instructor.