Python Fundamentals: A practical guide for learning Python, complete with real-world projects for you to explore

With an interesting mix of theory and practicals, explore Python and its features, and progress from beginner to being skilled in this popular scripting language

Key Features

• A comprehensive introduction to the world of Python programming
• Paves an easy-to-follow path for you to navigate through concepts
• Filled with over 90 practical exercises and activities to reinforce your learning

Book Description

After a brief history of Python and key differences between Python 2 and Python 3, you'll understand how Python has been used in applications such as YouTube and Google App Engine. As you work with the language, you'll learn about control statements, delve into controlling program flow and gradually work on more structured programs via functions.

As you settle into the Python ecosystem, you'll learn about data structures and study ways to correctly store and represent information. By working through specific examples, you'll learn how Python implements object-oriented programming (OOP) concepts of abstraction, encapsulation of data, inheritance, and polymorphism. You'll be given an overview of how imports, modules, and packages work in Python, how you can handle errors to prevent apps from crashing, as well as file manipulation.

By the end of this book, you'll have built up an impressive portfolio of projects and armed yourself with the skills you need to tackle Python projects in the real world.

What you will learn

• Use control statements
• Manipulate primitive and non-primitive data structures
• Use loops to iterate over objects or data for accurate results
• Write encapsulated and succinct Python functions
• Build Python classes using object-oriented programming
• Manipulate files on the file system (open, read, write, and delete)

Who this book is for

Python Fundamentals is great for anyone who wants to start using Python to build anything from simple command-line programs to web applications. Prior knowledge of Python isn't required.

Table of Contents

1. Introducing Python
2. Data Types
3. Control Statements
4. Functions
5. Lists and Tuples
6. Dictionaries and Sets
7. Object-Oriented Programming
8. Modules, Packages, and File Operations
9. Error Handling

Ryan Marvin is a software developer with extensive experience in Python. He has also worked with JavaScript and a bit of PHP. He has built web scrapers, built APIs, and worked on frontend apps using React and Angular. In his own time, he works on mobile applications and likes to contribute to open source. Currently, he is working with Andela and specializes in building smart water grid software for one of their partners.

Mark Ng'ang'a is a software developer who specializes in web technologies. He has a bachelor's degree in computer science from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya. He has been programming for 6 years in Python, PHP, and JavaScript. Mark runs a software development and consultancy fim, Builtapp Ltd., that designs, plans, and builds software solutions for diverse business needs.

Amos Omondi is a software developer, who specializes in building applications for the web. He has a bachelor's degree in computer science from Kenyatta University, Kenya. He has several years of experience working with Python, and he has dabbled in languages such as PHP, Java, C, and built products using the MEAN stack.