Book Image

The Python Workshop

By : Olivier Pons, Andrew Bird, Dr. Lau Cher Han, Mario Corchero Jiménez, Graham Lee, Corey Wade
Book Image

The Python Workshop

By: Olivier Pons, Andrew Bird, Dr. Lau Cher Han, Mario Corchero Jiménez, Graham Lee, Corey Wade

Overview of this book

Have you always wanted to learn Python, but never quite known how to start? More applications than we realize are being developed using Python because it is easy to learn, read, and write. You can now start learning the language quickly and effectively with the help of this interactive tutorial. The Python Workshop starts by showing you how to correctly apply Python syntax to write simple programs, and how to use appropriate Python structures to store and retrieve data. You'll see how to handle files, deal with errors, and use classes and methods to write concise, reusable, and efficient code. As you advance, you'll understand how to use the standard library, debug code to troubleshoot problems, and write unit tests to validate application behavior. You'll gain insights into using the pandas and NumPy libraries for analyzing data, and the graphical libraries of Matplotlib and Seaborn to create impactful data visualizations. By focusing on entry-level data science, you'll build your practical Python skills in a way that mirrors real-world development. Finally, you'll discover the key steps in building and using simple machine learning algorithms. By the end of this Python book, you'll have the knowledge, skills and confidence to creatively tackle your own ambitious projects with Python.
Table of Contents (13 chapters)

Summary

You have looked at multiple modules in the standard library and how they help you write well-tested and easier-to-read code. However, there are still many more modules to explore and understand in order to use them effectively, though. We have learned that Python comes with batteries included, through its vast standard library, and that, in many situations, the utilities it provides are extended through an advanced API. By having the mindset of checking how things can be solved with the standard library before trying to write our own code, you can become better Python programmers.

Now that you have some knowledge of the standard library, you will start to look more deeply into how to make our code easier to read for Python programmers, usually known as Pythonic code. While using the standard library as much as possible is a good start, there are some other tips and tricks that we will look at in Chapter 7, Becoming Pythonic.