Python

Learning Resources & References

Our main exercise set is the booklet handed out and found on the Unit 3 Outcome 1 (Programming) page. Handy tool for visualising Python code running is Python Tutor (also see Dis This and Recursion Visualiser)

Python - Recommended resources

Advice: Choose ONE main reference to work through and supplement with ONE secondary reference for when the first is confusing. Any more than that, you will spend too much time reading and not enough time doing. 

• Textbook - A practical intro to Python Programming - Recommended

• Foundations of Python Programming - Online & Open textbook on Runestone Academy. (There are other books on that site that are also great resources, e.g., Think Python & How To Think Like a Data Scientist, etc...)

• A Byte of Python - A good introduction - needs to be supplement with exercises or projects

• The Python Tutorial - The official tutorial

• Real Python - Lots of good tutorials, articles, videos, etc... 

• Dive into Python 3 - Is a good resource that covers a good overlapping set of more advanced Python knowledge

• Grok Learning - An Australian site used to teach computing and digital technology skills - used at FHS in years 7-11. It has a decent Python sequence with exercises, but is not free. 

• CheckiO - A large collection of exercises to explore over a range of floating islands 

• Also see the Year 11 Applied Computing Python Page

GUI Programming with PySimpleGUI

• The primary reference is PySimpleGUI @ readthedocs, especially the Cookbook full of examples

• And of course, see our slides!

• A good PySimpleGUI tutorial at Real Python

• Example & Useful code from FHS

Extension Stuff

• Modern Python Developer's Toolkit - resources on moving from small exercises to a more professional projects

• Regular Expressions - useful to know

  • Generate, Test and Learn RegEx: https://regexr.com/ 

  • Python RegEx Tutorial on Runestone Academy [Fix Link?]

• Databases

• Python is distributed with SQLite - a fast relational database stored in a custom binary file format

  • sqlite3 library docs; Introduction to SQLite in Python - Python Central

• TinyDB is a multi-table, document database that is stored (by default) in a JSON file. 

• Key-Value database in repl.it & package on PyPI

• SQL in Khan Academy (Intro to databases and SQL - not Python)

• SQAlchemy - ORM for Python (more advanced) - also see the Django ORM

Code Snippets

Also see the Year 11 Applied Computing Python Snippets page

Changing Directories 

useful when playing with code directly in the Python shell

from os import chdir

chdir(r"D:\Simon\12SD\PythonExamples")  # raw string with Windows-style path

Some fun things to try importing

The Zen of Python: import this

The smallest "hello world" program: import __hello__

Make your code more C-like: from __future__ import braces     😎

Replace != with <> (and more): from __future__ import barry_as_FLUFL

Python Glossary

https://docs.python.org/3/glossary.html 

Other Python Resources - not necessarily recommended for year 12

• Python From Scratch - U Waterloo - A nicely paced intro with videos and quizzes (Can run code in their Python Panel)

• Hyperskill (Python track) - A good project-based learning resource from Jetbrains. I like the knowledge map. Used to be free :'(

• LearnPython.org - A good introduction (can run scripts and iPython interactive sessions online)

• Object Orientated Programming with Python - A good online textbook with exercises and a Tkinter introduction

• Data Camp - Although it is mainly focused on data science skills, the intro to Python is relevant to us. 

• Grok Learning - This is a good site that we use in Year 11 Computing. The larger courses on the site are not now free.

• Practice Python - A good collection of Python exercises - ranked by chilis.

• PyNative - OK tutorials. Some handy quizzes for self testing. [Has improved recently, need to look at it again]

• Packt Publishing - Learn Python Programming - free book

• Snakify - OK sequence with exercises. However, overly math-heavy and teach some bad variable naming practices and poor user interactions.

• Codecademy - Don't use this! The free Python course is only Python 2. The sequence is OK when supplemented with a project or other assessment task