Python Development For Beginners

Python is popular for its beginner-friendly syntax. Its use of short English words instead of symbols and enforced usage of white space make it much easier for a new programmer to read than other languages.

Mastering Python’s fundamental concepts can help beginners develop a solid foundation for their programming journey. After completing a few structured Python projects, beginners can speed up their learning by working on independent projects.

1. Variables

Variables are one of the most important concepts to understand as a beginner programmer. They are essentially placeholders for values in your program that allow you to keep track of them and reference them throughout your code.

A variable can be used to store all types of data, including integers, floats, strings, and booleans. It is also possible to re-assign a variable of one type to hold a different data type. For example, a string may be assigned to the variable greeting, which can later be re-assigned to hold an integer.

Python variable names must be unique and descriptive. They cannot begin with a keyword, such as if, elif, or else, and they must be in uppercase. However, they can include spaces and underscores.

2. Functions

Functions are a fundamental part of any programming language. They facilitate code reusability and abstraction. In fact, almost all modern programming languages support user-defined functions.

Think of a function as a small program within your main program. The function takes inputs, works on them, and then returns an output. When you need to use this function in your main program, you just call it.

Writing a function is one of the first things that software developers learn. The concept is simple, but understanding how to write functions well can be challenging. This entry-level Python Functions Tutorial training helps prepare new or aspiring software developers to master the concept of functions. This is an invaluable skill that will be necessary for any career as a software developer.

3. Classes

In python, classes allow programmers to create reusable code that encapsulates data and behavior in a single entity. It’s an important concept to understand as you move forward with Python development.

A class can have attributes, which are used to store information, and methods, which are functions related to the data. When you assign a class to a variable, the object instantiates and is ready for use.

Classes can also be hierarchical, meaning they can have parent and child classes. Each class can inherit from its parent, which provides common and generic features.

You can also define a method that returns None for a class instance, which is an alternative to the default return value of the class. By convention, class method names start with the word self.

4. Object-Oriented Programming

Object-oriented programming is an extension of procedural programming, in which the program is broken down into software objects that represent real-world entities like cars and humans. These software objects contain data, such as a car’s attributes, and behavior, such as its ability to accelerate. These are represented by methods, which are a subroutine that performs a sequence of logic for the object.

Object-oriented programming promotes code reuse through the principle of abstraction. This allows the programmer to break down a complex process into smaller pieces that are easier to understand and modify. It also allows the programmer to create a more flexible and adaptable code structure through inheritance and composition.

5. List Comprehension

Python is a powerful programming language with a wide range of libraries and a large community of developers. It is also known for its elegance and flexibility. Among its many features, list comprehensions are an important tool for creating lists in Python. List comprehensions allow developers to create new lists with minimal code, improving efficiency and readability.

To use a list comprehension, you need to write an expression that specifies how the elements of the new list should be derived from the elements of the existing iterable object. It combines the functionality of loops and conditional statements into a single, concise line of code, which is enclosed in square brackets.

As a beginner to Python, you may be tempted to bust out a for loop whenever you need to modify a list or string object. However, this quickly leads to complex “loops within loops” code architectures that are hard for humans to understand, even if they work correctly.

6. Async IO

Async IO is a key component of the Python programming language, but it can be difficult to get started. It’s a lot more complicated than putting async before every function call.

As a general rule, asynchronous code is more appropriate for CPU bound tasks than IO-bound ones. This is because a CPU can only run a limited number of processes at the same time.

Fortunately, there is a library called asyncio that can improve the performance of your IO-bound programs by running them in parallel. While async IO is not the same as multiprocessing or threading (it uses coroutines instead), it does give a feeling of concurrency by running code in multiple threads within a single process.

7. Exception Handling

Exception handling is one of the most important skills for Python developers. It allows programmers to create robust, error-resistant code that prevents crashes and makes applications more user-friendly. By understanding different types of exceptions, using try-except blocks effectively, and following best practices, Python developers can ensure their programs can handle unforeseen errors, making them more resilient and readable.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to distinguish syntax errors from exceptions, as well as different ways to raise, catch, and handle exceptions in Python. You’ll also get hands-on experience with the try… except block and all the exception-related keywords that you can use in it, such as assert, raise, and except. All of these techniques will help you build stronger, more scalable Python programs. You’ll be able to develop your apps faster and with less risk of bugs and crashes.