Introduction to Python Programming Basics (TTPS4800)

Introduction to Python Programming Basics (TTPS4800) is a 3-day, instructor-led training course from IT Dojo covering Python programming and scripting fundamentals. It is delivered live online or on-site for U.S. federal government, DoD, and corporate teams, employer sponsored.

Course Duration

3 Days

Audience

Employees of federal, state and local governments; and businesses working with the government.

Prerequisites

Some prior hands-on experience with scripting or programming, comfort working with Unix or Linux and the command line for simple tasks, and basic familiarity with a text editor or IDE.

Course Description

Python is one of the most versatile, popular programming languages in use today, with applications spanning system administration, machine learning, automation, web services, data analysis, and more. Compared to other languages, Python is relatively easy to learn and use, providing opportunities for students of all skill levels and roles. Introduction to Python Programming Basics is a highly rated, hands-on course that has given thousands of students the skills required to quickly and easily put Python to work in their job, task, or project. This three-day, jumpstart-style course provides an excellent start for users new to Python, enabling them to use their new skills immediately and providing a broad foundation for continued Python learning in their particular industry. The course leads you through writing and running basic Python scripts, then guides you through more advanced features such as file operations, exception handling, modules, and an introduction to object-oriented programming. About half the class is hands-on lab work, ensuring you leave able to apply Python on the job.

Learning Objectives

• Create working Python scripts following best practices.
• Understand and use Python data types and structures effectively.
• Implement file read and write operations with text and binary data.
• Develop robust code with exception handling and Pythonic features.
• Organize code with functions, modules, packages, and classes.

Course Outline

The Python Environment and Language Basics

• Starting Python, using the interpreter, running scripts, editors, and IDEs.
• Variables and values, builtin functions, string and numeric data.
• Converting types, basic input and output, string formatting, command-line arguments.

Flow Control and Sequence Types

• The if statement, relational and Boolean values, and while loops.
• Exiting from loops; sequence types in general.
• Lists and list methods, tuples, indexing, slicing, and iteration.
• List comprehensions and generators.

Files, Dictionaries, and Sets

• File I/O overview: opening, reading, and writing text files.
• Dictionaries: creating, getting values, and iterating.
• Sets: creating and working with sets.

Functions, Sorting, and Exceptions

• Defining functions, returning values, parameters, and variable scope.
• Sorting with sorted(), custom sort keys, and lambda functions.
• Exception handling with try/except/else/finally and logging.

Modules, Packages, and Classes

• Creating modules, the import statement, and the module search path.
• Using packages and function/module aliases.
• Introduction to object-oriented programming: classes, constructors, self.
• Properties, instance and class methods, and inheritance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Official Certification & Standards Resources

Authoritative references for Introduction to Python Programming Basics (TTPS4800) from the certifying bodies and federal standards that govern this training:

• Python Institute Certifications
• Python.org Official Documentation