Python Course Lecture Notes

Introduction to the Course

• Python is a popular programming language, widely used in various industries like web development, data science, machine learning, and automation.
• The course covers basics to advanced topics, including data types, variables, functions, error handling, modules, packages, object-oriented programming, and API communication.

Basic Concepts

Data Types

• Strings: Text data types enclosed in quotes (single or double).
• Numbers: Includes integers (whole numbers) and floats (decimal numbers).
• Booleans: True or False values.
• Lists: Ordered collection of items, allows duplicates.
• Sets: Unordered collection of unique items.
• Dictionaries: Key-value pairs for mapping information.
• Date Time: For working with dates and times.

Variables

• Used to store data for later use.
• Naming conventions include using underscores between words (e.g., user_input).

Functions

• Blocks of code that perform a specific task.
• Defined using def keyword.
• Can accept parameters and return values.

Conditionals and Loops

• If-Else: Decision-making constructs that execute code blocks based on conditions.
• While Loop: Executes a block of code as long as a condition is true.
• For Loop: Iterates over a sequence (like a list) and executes a block of code.

Error Handling

• Using try, except blocks to handle exceptions and errors gracefully.

Comments

• Single-line comments using # for explanations or to make code readable.
• Multi-line comments using triple quotes (''' or """).

Intermediate Concepts

Modules and Packages

• Modules: Python files containing functions, variables, and classes.
• Packages: Collections of modules.
• Built-in Modules: Pre-installed with Python (e.g., os, datetime).
• External Packages: Installed using pip from repositories like PyPI.

File Handling

• Reading, writing, and manipulating files using Python.
• External libraries like OpenPyXL for spreadsheet manipulation.

Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)

• Classes: Blueprints for creating objects.
• Objects: Instances of classes with attributes and methods.
• Constructor (__init__): Initializes an object.
• Methods: Functions defined within a class.

Advanced Topics

API Communication

• Using Python requests module to interact with external APIs.
• Making HTTP requests and handling responses.
• Parsing JSON data from API responses.

Practical Applications

Projects Covered

• Building a number of demo projects to develop practical skills, including:
  • Date manipulation using datetime module.
  • Automation tasks like working with spreadsheets using OpenPyXL.
  • Fetching data from APIs using requests.
  • Object-Oriented Programming for user management and data manipulation.

Tools and Environment

• Importance of using Integrated Development Environment (IDE) such as PyCharm.
• Setting up Python and PyCharm for development.
• Managing Python packages and modules.

Conclusion

• Python's versatility and ease of learning make it a valuable skill for various programming needs.
• Final thoughts on the importance of practice and continuous learning.