CS50’s Introduction to Programming with Python

Instructor: David Malin

Course Overview

• CS50 Overview:
  • Introduction to computer science and programming.
  • Focuses specifically on programming with Python.

Key Topics

• Functions and Variables:

  • Write code to solve smaller problems.
  • Combine smaller solutions into larger solutions.

• Conditionals:

  • Express logic in code.
  • Do something if a condition is true or another if false.

• Loops:

  • Execute code multiple times.

• Exceptions:

  • Handle errors in code defensively.
  • Manage errors so users don’t see them.

• Libraries:

  • Use third-party or previously written code.
  • Avoid reinventing the wheel.

• Unit Tests:

  • Write code to test your own code.
  • Ensure tomorrow's changes don’t break today’s code.

• File I/O:

  • Store information persistently.
  • Save data to disk, files, and folders.

• Regular Expressions:

  • Define patterns in Python.
  • Validate and extract data.

• Object-Oriented Programming (OOP):

  • Represent real-world entities in code.

• Programming Paradigms:

  • Procedural Programming: Solve problems step-by-step with functions.
  • Functional Programming: Use functions to create solutions.

Course Logistics

• Target Audience:

  • No prior programming experience required.
  • Can be taken before, during, or after CS50.

• Learning Approach:

  • Weekly lectures introduce key concepts.
  • Weekly problem sets for hands-on practice.

Course Goal

• Equip students with vocabulary and technical skills.
  • Apply skills in various fields: technical, arts, humanities, etc.