Duration: 4 days

This course provides participants with the skills to write and maintain Python scripts. Topics covered include data types, operators, conditions, loops, functions, objects, collections, modules, exception handling, file I/O, and databases. Hands-on exercises reinforce key concepts.

Skills Gained

Participants will learn to:

• Write and test Python scripts
• Use built-in and custom data types
• Build expressions, conditions, and loops
• Declare and call functions
• Handle numbers, collections, strings, spreadsheets and files
• Create modules, handle exceptions, and work with databases
• Apply object-oriented programming principles

Target audience and Course requirements

Ideal for those looking to solidify or formalise their home-grown Python skills or transition from other languages. Also suited for absolute beginners

• No prior programming experience required: Suitable for those new to coding.
• Basic computer skills: Ability to manage files, install software, use a web browser, etc.
• Willingness to develop abstract thinking: Programming involves problem-solving and thinking in terms of logic and structure.

Course Content Overview

Getting ready to code

• Getting Started: Installing Python, editors and integrated development environments (IDEs)
• Scripts & Syntax: Basic syntax, script execution, console input/output

Core Syntax

• Numbers: Integers and floats
• Strings: Syntax, manipulation, formatting
• Collections: Lists, tuples, sets, dictionaries
• Operators & Expressions: Arithmetic, comparison, logical operators
• Conditions & Loops: if/else, for/while loops, continue/break/else, range and enumerate functions

Structuring your code

• Functions: Declaration, invocation, passing in and returning values
• Objects & Classes: Declaration, creating instances, methods and attributes, inheritance
• Modules & Packages: Creating and importing (from) modules
• Exception Handling: try/except

Practical applications

• Files & Filesystems: Reading/writing files; copying, moving and renaming files; processing all files in a folder; navigating folders
• Databases: Connecting, querying, and updating databases
• Spreadsheets: Reading and writing data
• Internet & APIs: Requesting web data, handling JSON

Optional bonus materials

Time permitting, the following will also be covered

• Basic image manipulation
• Drawing with Turtle
• Graphical user interfaces (GUIs) with Tkinter