Introduction to Python Programming
Hello Guys,
This blog is all about starting the journey towards python programming. In the past few years, Python has exploded in popularity. The programming language has surpassed Java in popularity, but, for many, this is no surprise. With the rise in machine learning, data analysis, and web application development, many developers utilize Python for its powerful and abundant libraries, easy-to-learn syntax, and portability. so this blog is dedicated to all those who are from any domain whether they are students, working employees, mechanical engineers who are willing to learn to program, and newbies. Looks interesting right, then let’s get started.
WHAT IS PYTHON?
Python is an interpreted, object-oriented, high-level programming language with dynamic semantics. It is also called general-purpose programming language as it is used in almost every domain we can think of. Some Of the domains where we can use Python are mentioned below:
1. Website Development:
For those new to programming, you might be wondering what exactly web development is. Though it’s impossible to pinpoint an exact term, Website development is loosely defined as a building, creating, and maintaining websites. Typically, web development involves a frontend, everything that interacts with the client, and a backend, which contains business logic and interacts with a database. So You might think right now where we are using python in this entire thing ?. So python is used as a backend via some Python web frameworks. Python provides a vast amount of frameworks some of them are Flask, Django,TurboGears, etc. 2. Software Development:
Software development refers to a set of computer science activities dedicated to the process of creating, designing, deploying, and supporting software. Here Python also provides various tools to create Software in python like PyQT5, Tkinter.
3. AI & ML:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are the new blacks of the IT industry. While discussions over the safety of its development keep escalating, developers expand the abilities and capacity of artificial intellect. Today Artificial Intelligence went far beyond science fiction ideas. Python has some great libraries for AI & ML. Python is the most popular programming language used for AI. A library is a module or a group of modules published by different sources like PyPi which include a pre-written piece of code that allows users to reach some functionality or perform different actions. Python libraries provide base-level items so developers don’t have to code them from the very beginning every time.
ML requires continuous data processing, and Python’s libraries let you access, handle and transform data.
This list can go on as we go but why python is so much popular let’s see it in the next topic.
Advantages of Python?
1. Easy to Read, Learn and Write
Python is a high-level programming language that has an English-like syntax. This makes it easier to read and understand the code.
Python is really easy to pick up and learn, that is why a lot of people recommend Python to beginners. You need fewer lines of code to perform the same task as compared to other major languages like C/C++ and Java.
2. Improved Productivity
Python is a very productive language. Due to the simplicity of Python, developers can focus on solving the problem. They don’t need to spend too much time understanding the syntax or behavior of the programming language. You write less code and get more things done.
3. Interpreted Language
Python is an interpreted language which means that Python directly executes the code line by line. In case of any error, it stops further execution and reports back the error which has occurred.
Python shows only one error even if the program has multiple errors. This makes debugging easier.
4. Dynamically Typed
Python doesn’t know the type of variable until we run the code. It automatically assigns the data type during execution. The programmer doesn’t need to worry about declaring variables and their data types.
5. Free and Open-Source
Python comes under the OSI-approved open-source license. This makes it free to use and distribute. You can download the source code, modify it and even distribute your version of Python. This is useful for organizations that want to modify some specific behavior and use their version for development.
6. Vast Libraries Support
The standard library of Python is huge, you can find almost all the functions needed for your task. So, you don’t have to depend on external libraries.
But even if you do, a Python package manager (pip) makes things easier to import other great packages from the Python package index (PyPi). It consists of over 200,000 packages.
7. Portability
In many languages like C/C++, you need to change your code to run the program on different platforms. That is not the same with Python. You only write once and run it anywhere.
Which Are The Top 10 Tips For Newbies?
1. Learning by doing.
Always experience with code snippets. Run them in your own environment, change them, try to crash them.
2. Don’t rush over the fundamentals.
Many coders use StackOverflow to look up the code snippet they need. They copy&paste what they found into their own project without properly understanding the code. Although this solves their problem in the short term, this behavior harms their long-term productivity. Decide now, once and for all, that you play the Python game for the long term.
3. Seek help.
Be active in online communities and forums. Ask – and you will get answers. By going out there, you will get to know new people, new opportunities, and new insights.
4. Master Google Search.
Searching for relevant information is one of the core competencies of Python developers. It does no harm to read one or two articles about effective Google search. Learning about Google search tricks (e.g. why to use quotes) will boost your productivity.
5. Automate.
As soon as you feel bored doing a process, again and again, watch out for ways to automate. Although you have to invest time now, you will get it back a hundredfold later. The reason is two-fold: you become a better Python coder AND you will directly save time doing stupid tasks.
6. Have a walk.
Seriously. I can not think how often I was stuck finding a bug for four hours. Seeing my frustration, my colleague used to throw me out of the office and convinced me to have a walk. Coming back with a fresh mind, I was able to fix the bug within minutes.
7. KISSES.
Keep It Simple, Stupid! Keeping code simple is actually a difficult endeavor. You have to understand your code snippet on a deeper level. Ask yourself: how can I get rid of unnecessary complexity? How can I make it more readable by renaming functions and variable names? Where is redundant code and how can I use functions to get rid of it? Remove stale code instead of commenting it out. Find concise ways of rewriting your code. Think about your code BEFORE hacking it into your keyboard. And find even better alternatives.
8. Have a side project you are passionate about.
Nothing will keep you motivated to learn to code like something you care about deeply.