Python Training: Introduction to Python Programming

Course Number: PYTH-100
Duration: 4 days
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Python Training Overview

This Python training course leads the students from the basics of writing and running Python scripts to more advanced features such as file operations, regular expressions, working with binary data, and using the extensive functionality of Python modules. Extra emphasis is placed on features unique to Python, such as tuples, array slices, and output formatting.

This is a hands-on programming class. All concepts are reinforced by informal practice during the lecture followed by graduated lab exercises.

Accelebrate also offers an Advanced Python training class.

Location and Pricing

Most Accelebrate courses are taught on-site at our clients' locations worldwide for groups of 3 or more attendees and are customized to their specific needs. Please visit our client list to see organizations for whom we have recently delivered training. These courses can also be delivered as live, private online classes for groups that are geographically dispersed or wish to save on the instructor's or students' travel expenses. To receive a customized proposal and price quote private training at your site or online, please contact us.

Python Training Prerequisites

Students should already be comfortable using the operating system (Linux, Unix, Windows, Solaris, Mac OS X, etc.) on which they will be running Python. While not mandatory, basic skills with at least one other programming language are desirable.

Hands-on/Lecture Ratio

This Python training class is 70% hands-on, 30% lecture, with the longest lecture segments lasting for 15 minutes. Students "learn by doing," with immediate opportunities to apply the material they learn to real-world problems.

Python Training Materials

All Python training students receive a copy of O'Reilly's Learning Python and related courseware.

Software Needed on Each Student PC

The following should be installed on each student PC:

Any Windows (2000/XP/2003/Vista) or Unix/Linux operating system
Python 2.4 or later (available from http://www.python.org/ or http://www.activestate.com/Products/ActivePython/)
Any good text editor (vim and/or emacs recommended under Unix; TextPad, UltraEdit, and vEdit are good for Windows)

Python Training Objectives

All attendees will:

Master the fundamentals of writing Python scripts
Learn core Python scripting elements such as variables and flow control structures
Discover how to work with lists and sequence data
Write Python functions to facilitate code reuse
Use Python to read and write files
Make their code robust by handling errors and exceptions properly
Work with the Python standard library
Explore Python's object-oriented features
Search text using regular expressions

Python Training Outline

An Overview of Python

What is Python?
Interpreted languages
Advantages and disadvantages
Downloading and installing
Which version of Python
Where to find documentation

Running Python Scripts

Structure of a Python script
Using the interpreter interactively
Running standalone scripts under Unix and Windows

Getting Started

Using variables
String types: normal, raw and Unicode
String operators and expressions
Math operators and expressions
Writing to the screen
Command line parameters
Reading from the keyboard

Flow Control

About flow control
Indenting is significant
The if and elif statements
while loops
Using lists
Using the for statement
The range() function

Sequence Data

list operations
list methods
Strings are special kinds of lists
tuples
sets
Dictionaries

Defining Functions

Syntax of function definition
Formal parameters
Global versus local variables
Passing parameters and returning values

Working with Files

Text file I/O overview
Opening a text file
Reading text files
Raw (binary) data
Using the pickle module
Writing to a text file

Dictionaries and Sets

Dictionary overview
Creating dictionaries
Dictionary functions
Fetching keys or values
Testing for existence of elements
Deleting elements

Errors and Exception Handling

Dealing with syntax errors
Exceptions
Handling exceptions with try/except
Cleaning up with finally

Using Modules

What is a module?
The import statement
Function aliases
Packages

Regular Expressions

RE Objects
Pattern matching
Parsing data
Subexpressions
Complex substitutions
RE tips and tricks

Highlights of the Standard Library

Working with the operating system
Grabbing web pages
Sending email
Using glob for filename wildcards
math and random
Accessing dates and times with datetime
Working with compressed files

An Introduction to Python Classes

About o-o programming
Defining classes
Constructors
Instance methods
Instance data
Class methods and data
Destructors

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“Accelebrate,” “Accelerated Learning Celebrated Results,” and the Accelebrate logo are registered trademarks of Accelebrate, Inc. All other product names and trademarks are property of their respective owners. Course outline content may mirror or be derived from the book that each student receives with the course. Otherwise, all content is copyright © 2003- by Accelebrate, Inc. of Atlanta, Georgia, USA. To contact us, please use the contact form, email info@accelebrate.com us, or call 1 877 849 1850 in the US and Canada, 0808 234 2132 in the UK, 1 800 550 311 in Ireland, or +1 678 648 3113 from all other locations.