Book Image

Learn Programming in Python with Cody Jackson

By : Cody Jackson
Book Image

Learn Programming in Python with Cody Jackson

By: Cody Jackson

Overview of this book

Python is a cross-platform language used by organizations such as Google and NASA. It lets you work quickly and efficiently, allowing you to concentrate on your work rather than the language. Based on his personal experiences when learning to program, Learn Programming in Python with Cody Jackson provides a hands-on introduction to computer programming utilizing one of the most readable programming languages–Python. It aims to educate readers regarding software development as well as help experienced developers become familiar with the Python language, utilizing real-world lessons to help readers understand programming concepts quickly and easily. The book starts with the basics of programming, and describes Python syntax while developing the skills to make complete programs. In the first part of the book, readers will be going through all the concepts with short and easy-to-understand code samples that will prepare them for the comprehensive application built in parts 2 and 3. The second part of the book will explore topics such as application requirements, building the application, testing, and documentation. It is here that you will get a solid understanding of building an end-to-end application in Python. The next part will show you how to complete your applications by converting text-based simulation into an interactive, graphical user interface, using a desktop GUI framework. After reading the book, you will be confident in developing a complete application in Python, from program design to documentation to deployment.
Table of Contents (14 chapters)

What this book covers

Chapter 1, The Fundamentals of Python, looks at the Python language and how it differs from other languages, and covers how to install and use the interactive Python console, commenting code, running Python programs, and alternative programming shells.

Chapter 2, Data Types and Modules, covers how Python code is structured, common data types and their methods, and how to import and work with Python modules.

Chapter 3, Logic Control, discusses conditional tests using if...else statements, repetition using loops, and error handling with exceptions.

Chapter 4, Functions and Object-Oriented Programming, looks at optimizing code reuse with functions and objects. Classes, methods, namespaces, and Python properties are also covered.

Chapter 5, Files and Databases, discusses file interaction, including reading from and writing to files, retrieving individual lines from files, and serializing files for transfer. In addition, basic database operations are covered using SQLite, and a brief summary of using the SQLAlchemy utility for database access is provided.

Chapter 6, Application Planning, covers the software development life cycle, development practices and methodologies, identifying project requirements, and the use of software repositories.

Chapter 7, Writing the Imported Program, focuses on the development of the foundational code; identifying specific project requirements; writing utility functions; simulating liquid storage tanks, valves, and pumps; as well as how name mangling alleviates errors in classes.

Chapter 8, Automated Software Testing, discusses a variety of techniques for writing unit and functional tests, how to use pytest to write automated tests, and what code refactoring is.

Chapter 9, Writing the Fueling Scenario, is the main focus of the book. It details the specific requirements for creating a simulated fuel farm, how the project directory is structured, writing the component instances and scenario functionality, and testing the simulation.

Chapter 10, Software Post-Production, looks at the final steps to completing software projects, including documenting code using docstrings, creating user documentation via Sphinx, and reviewing lessons learned for the project.

Chapter 11, Graphical User Interface Planning, explores GUI development, including GUI functionality, elements, and best practices. It also considers the user environment as it applies to GUI creation, and looks at some of the most popular graphical Python frameworks available.

Chapter 12, Creating a Graphical User Interface, discusses wireframing the GUI prior to writing the code. It then uses the Kivy framework to write the actual interface, utilizing separate Kivy logic and layout files. It also looks at using manual methods to test GUI functionality.