Learn AI-assisted Python Programming: With GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT

Writing computer programs in Python just got a lot easier! Use AI-assisted coding tools like GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT to turn your ideas into applications faster than ever.

AI has changed the way we write computer programs. With tools like Copilot and ChatGPT, you can describe what you want in plain English, and watch your AI assistant generate the code right before your eyes. It’s perfect for beginners, or anyone who’s struggled with the steep learning curve of traditional programming.

In Learn AI-Assisted Python Programming: With GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT you’ll learn how to:

• Write fun and useful Python applications—no programming experience required!
• Use the Copilot AI coding assistant to create Python programs
• Write prompts that tell Copilot exactly what to do
• Read Python code and understand what it does
• Test your programs to make sure they work the way you want them to
• Fix code with prompt engineering or human tweaks
• Apply Python creatively to help out on the job

Learn AI-Assisted Python Programming: With GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT is a hands-on beginner’s guide that is written by two esteemed computer science university professors. It teaches you everything you need to start programming Python in an AI-first world. You’ll hit the ground running, writing prompts that tell your AI-assistant exactly what you want your programs to do. Along the way, you’ll pick up the essentials of Python programming and practice the higher-level thinking you’ll need to create working apps for data analysis, automating tedious tasks, and even video games.

Foreword by Beth Simon, Ph.D.

About the technology

The way people write computer programs has changed forever. Using GitHub Copilot, you describe in plain English what you want your program to do, and the AI generates it instantly.

About the book

This book shows you how to create and improve Python programs using AI—even if you’ve never written a line of computer code before. Spend less time on the slow, low-level programming details and instead learn how an AI assistant can bring your ideas to life immediately. As you go, you’ll even learn enough of the Python language to understand and improve what your AI assistant creates.

What's inside

• Prompts for working code
• Tweak code manually and with AI help
• AI-test your programs
• Let AI handle tedious details

About the reader

If you can move files around on your computer and install new programs, you can learn to write useful software!

About the author

Dr. Leo Porter is a Teaching Professor at UC San Diego. Dr. Daniel Zingaro is an Associate Teaching Professor at the University of Toronto. The technical editor on this book was Peter Morgan.

Table of Contents

1 Introducing AI-assisted programming with Copilot
2 Getting started with Copilot
3 Designing functions
4 Reading Python code – Part 1
5 Reading Python Code – Part 2
6 Testing and prompt engineering
7 Problem decomposition
8 Debugging and better understanding your code
9 Automating tedious tasks
10 Making some games
11 Future directions

Dr. Leo Porter is an Associate Teaching Professor of computer science at UC San Diego. He has over a decade of teaching experience and is well-known for his award-winning research on effective pedagogies and assessments in computer science.

Dr. Daniel Zingaro is an Associate Teaching Professor of computer science and award-winning teacher at the University of Toronto. His main area of research is computer science education research, where he studies how students learn computer science material.