CS50's Introduction to Programming with Python

Overview

• Presented by David Malan
• Focuses exclusively on programming in Python.

Course Structure

1. Functions and Variables

   • Introduction to writing code to solve smaller problems.
   • Compose smaller solutions into larger solutions.

2. Conditionals

   • Logical expressions in code.
   • Execute code based on true/false conditions.

3. Loops

   • Mechanism to repeat actions multiple times.

4. Exceptions

   • Handling errors in code.
   • Defensive programming to manage exceptions.

5. Libraries

   • Using third-party code to avoid reinventing the wheel.

6. Unit Tests

   • Writing tests for your code to ensure correctness.
   • Modifications can be checked against existing tests.

7. File I/O (Input/Output)

   • Saving data persistently to files and folders.

8. Regular Expressions

   • Defining patterns and validating data.
   • Data extraction techniques from datasets.

9. Object-Oriented Programming

   • Representing real-world entities in code.
   • Exploring other programming paradigms:
     • Procedural Programming
     • Functional Programming

Course Timeline

• No prior programming background required.
• Flexible timing: Can take before, during, or after CS50.
• Weekly lectures introduce concepts followed by problem sets for practice.

Goals

• Equip students with vocabulary and technical skills to tackle real-world problems.
• Applicable across various fields: technical, arts, humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, etc.

Conclusion

• CS50's Introduction to Programming with Python aims to prepare students for future projects and courses.