Mastering Python Programming

1. An Overview of Python

• What is Python?
• Python Timeline
• Advantages/Disadvantages of Python
• Getting help with pydoc

2. The Python Environment

• Starting Python
• Using the interpreter
• Running a Python script
• Python scripts on UNIX/Windows
• Editors and IDEs

3. Getting Started

• Using variables
• Built-in functions
• Strings
• Numbers
• Converting among types
• Writing to the screen
• Command line parameters

4. Flow Control

• About flow control
• White space
• Conditional expressions
• Relational and Boolean operators
• While loops
• Alternate loop exits

5. Array types

• About array types (AKA sequences)
• Lists and list methods
• Tuples
• Indexing and slicing
• Iterating through a sequence
• Nested sequences
• Sequence functions, keywords, and operators
• List comprehensions
• Generator Expressions

6. Working with files

• File overview
• Opening a text file
• Reading a text file
• Writing to a text file
• Reading and writing raw (binary) data
• Converting binary data with struct

7. Dictionaries and Sets

• About dictionaries
• Creating dictionaries
• Iterating through a dictionary
• About sets
• Creating sets
• Working with sets

8. Functions

• Defining functions
• Parameters
• Global and local scope
• Nested functions
• Returning values

9. Sorting

• The sorted() function
• Alternate keys
• Lambda functions
• Sorting collections
• Using operator.itemgetter()
• Reverse sorting

10. Errors and Exception Handling

• Syntax errors
• Exceptions
• Using try/catch/else/finally
• Handling multiple exceptions
• Ignoring exceptions

11. Modules and Packages

• The import statement
• Module search path
• Creating modules
• Using packages
• Function and module aliases

12. Classes

• About o-o programming
• Defining classes
• Constructors
• Methods
• Instance data
• Properties
• Class methods and data

13. Regular Expressions

• RE syntax overview
• RE Objects
• Searching and matching
• Compilation flags
• Groups and special groups
• Replacing text
• Splitting strings

14. The standard library

• The sys module
• Launching external programs
• Math functions
• Random numbers
• Reading CSV data

15. Dates and times

• Working with dates and times
• Translating timestamps
• Parsing dates from text
• Formatting dates
• Calendar data

16. Working with the file system

• Paths, directories, and filenames
• Checking for existence
• Permissions and other file attributes
• Walking directory trees
• Creating filters with fileinput
• Using shutil for file operations

17. Advanced data handling

• Defaultdict and Counter
• Prettyprinting data structures
• Compressed archives (zip, gzip, tar, etc.)
• Persistent data

18. Network programming

• Using requests
• Grabbing web content
• Sending email
• Using SSH for remote access
• Using FTP

19. Writing real-life applications

• Reading input files a la Unix
• Parsing command-line options
• Detecting the current platform
• Implementing logging

Join an engaging hands-on learning environment, where you’ll learn:

• Create working Python scripts following best practices
• Use python data types appropriately
• Read and write files with both text and binary data
• Search and replace text with regular expressions
• Get familiar with the standard library and its work-saving modules
• Use lesser known but powerful Python data types
• Create "real-world", professional Python applications
• Work with dates, times, and calendars
• Know when to use collections such as lists, dictionaries, and sets
• Understand Pythonic features such as comprehensions and iterators
• Write robust code using exception handling

This course has a 50% hands-on labs to 50% lecture ratio with engaging instruction, demos, group discussions, labs, and project work.

This course is about 50% hands-on lab and 50% lecture, with extensive programming exercises designed to reinforce core Python programming skills, concepts and best practices learned in the lessons. Students will write numerous Python scripts to reinforce the major concepts covered in this course. The courses will increase in complexity as more sophisticated techniques are introduced. At the end of each lesson, students will be tested witha set of review questions to ensure that he/she fully grasps the topic. Our courses include ample materials and labs to ensure all students are either appropriately challenged, or assisted, at all times-no matter their skill level.

Before attending this course, you should have:

• Basic familiarity with Python
• Working knowledge of Unix/Linux, Mac, or Windows

Experienced Developers, Engineers, Administrators, and anyone who wants to automate or simplify tasks using Python scripts.