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Python Beginner to Advanced Guide

Jun 9, 2025

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Overview

This lecture provides a complete beginner-to-advanced guide to Python, covering programming basics, Python setup, variables, data types, operators, control structures, functions, object-oriented programming, file handling, error handling, libraries, and practical projects, including AI integration.

Introduction to Python & Setup

  • Programming is giving instructions to computers using languages like Python.
  • Python is chosen for its simplicity and English-like syntax.
  • To start, install Python and Visual Studio Code (VS Code), and add Python to your PATH.
  • Use the .py extension for Python scripts.
  • VS Code is recommended for efficient coding with helpful extensions like Python.

Python Basics: First Programs & Modules

  • The print() function outputs text or variables to the console.
  • Use the terminal to run Python scripts or use the Python REPL (Read-Eval-Print-Loop) as a calculator.
  • Modules are reusable code files; install external modules using pip install <module>.
  • Comments use # for single-line and triple quotes for multi-line.

Variables, Data Types & Input

  • Variables act as containers for storing data.
  • Main data types: int, float, str, bool, and NoneType.
  • Variable names can contain letters, digits, and underscores, but cannot start with a digit or have spaces.
  • Input is taken using input() and converted using int() or float() as needed.
  • Type casting changes a variable’s type with int(), float(), or str().

Operators and Control Structures

  • Arithmetic, assignment, comparison, and logical operators are available in Python.
  • If-elif-else statements allow decision-making based on conditions.
  • Loops (for, while) repeat actions; use break to exit and continue to skip an iteration.

Strings, Lists, Tuples, Dictionaries & Sets

  • Strings are sequences of characters; support slicing, methods like .find(), .replace(), .capitalize().
  • Lists store mutable sequences; methods include .append(), .sort(), .reverse(), .insert().
  • Tuples are immutable sequences; use .count() and .index() methods.
  • Dictionaries store key-value pairs; use .keys(), .values(), .items(), .get(), .update().
  • Sets store unique, unordered items; support set operations like .add(), .remove(), .union(), .intersection().

Functions & Advanced Concepts

  • Functions encapsulate reusable code; use def to define.
  • Functions can have parameters, default arguments, and return values.
  • Recursion is when a function calls itself (e.g., factorial).
  • Lambda functions provide simple, one-line anonymous functions.
  • List comprehensions create lists in a concise way.
  • Map, filter, and reduce are used for functional-style programming.

Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)

  • Classes are blueprints for objects; instantiate with object = ClassName().
  • Attributes store data; methods are functions within classes.
  • Use self for instance methods; @staticmethod for static methods; @classmethod for class methods.
  • Inheritance allows child classes to reuse parent class logic.
  • Operator overloading and property decorators customize behavior.

File Handling & Exceptions

  • Open files with open(), read using .read() or .readline(), write with .write(), append with 'a' mode.
  • Always close files after use (.close()), or use with to auto-close.
  • Handle errors using try-except-finally blocks.
  • Raise custom exceptions with raise, and use assert for sanity checks.

Projects & AI Integration

  • Practice projects include games (e.g., Snake-Water-Gun, Guess the Number), a voice assistant (Jarvis), and a WhatsApp bot.
  • External libraries: speech_recognition, pyttsx3, webbrowser, requests, openai, pyautogui, and pygame.
  • Use virtual environments (venv, pip freeze, requirements.txt) to manage project dependencies.

Advanced Python Features

  • Use type hints (x: int, def func(a: int) -> int) for clarity.
  • Walrus operator (:=) assigns values within expressions.
  • f-strings allow variable interpolation in strings.
  • Modern features: match-case statements, dictionary merging, and context managers.

Key Terms & Definitions

  • Variable — A named container for storing data in memory.
  • Module — A file containing Python code (functions, classes) for reuse.
  • REPL — Interactive Python shell: Read, Evaluate, Print, Loop.
  • Type Casting — Converting a value from one type to another.
  • List — Mutable ordered collection.
  • Tuple — Immutable ordered collection.
  • Dictionary — Unordered collection of key-value pairs.
  • Set — Unordered collection of unique elements.
  • Function — Block of reusable code, defined by def.
  • Class — Blueprint for creating objects (OOP).
  • Attribute — Data stored in an object or class.
  • Method — Function defined in a class.
  • Inheritance — Mechanism for deriving new classes from existing ones.
  • Exception — Error detected during execution.
  • Virtual Environment — Isolated Python environment for dependency management.

Action Items / Next Steps

  • Practice all chapter-end practice sets and mini-projects.
  • Push your projects to GitHub for your portfolio.
  • Explore advanced Python libraries: MediaPipe, OpenCV, Django, Flask, Streamlit.
  • Watch data science and machine learning roadmaps for further specialization.
  • Update your LinkedIn profile and send targeted job application emails.
  • Explore more industry-relevant Python projects and features as recommended.

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