Are you struggling to find python programming examples and creating a beginner python program? That was me a few weeks ago. Fear not – you are not alone and I’m here to help.
They say if at first, you don’t succeed try, try again.
What is python?
Python is an object-based programming language.
An object-oriented programming language is one where the programs are organised around data or objects. To apply different functions to these objects you can use predefined classes that contain the code to run the function.
The way that you apply the functions derived in your class to the object (data) is by initialising an object of your chosen class.
Don’t worry if that doesn’t make much sense to you right now. As you get more familiar with the language it will become clear.
Some basic data types, structures and concepts in python for beginners
Data Types:
- Strings: A string is text-based data; for example, a sentence. You surround a string with quotation marks to use it.
- Integers: An integer is a whole number i.e one that doesn’t have a decimal
- Float: A float is a number that does have a decimal point or one that is not whole. You can define the number of decimal points to go print out when you create a float.
- Booleans: Booleans are a binary variable that can have one of two possible values, 0 (false) or 1 (true)
Data structures:
- Lists: An ordered sequence of data that can be updated and changed
- Dictionaries: An unordered collection of data that is stored in key:value pairs that can be updated and changed
Basic Functions:
According to tutorials point on Python:
‘ A function is a block of organized, reusable code that is used to perform a single, related action. Functions provide better modularity for your application and a high degree of code reusing.’
Some basic built-in functions in python include:
- Print function: So that you can see what’s happening behind the scenes, you may want to print out the values at different points. This is so you can check that everything is working as expected.
- Length function: This will calculate the length of the data set or the number of characters in a string.
- Range function: Used to define the values between which you want to test something definition
Loops:
You can use loops to iterate over data.
- While loops: If you want to iterate only when a condition is met, you can use While loops
- For Loops: If you want to iterate over a set number of objects, then you can use For loops.
If statements:
- If: The if command is used to add a condition into your programming
Classes and Modules:
- Classes: The code in object-oriented programming that contains properties and methods
- Modules: A module can contain a library of classes and functions
5 Great Beginner Python Coding Projects
Below are 5 projects for beginners to practice different python skills.
1. Understanding RegEX
Regular expressions (RegEx) are used to find specific phrases or sections within a piece of text. They are a useful skill to learn in python.
2. Tic Tac Toe
Tic tac toe is a fun game you can code and play in python. Below is a tutorial
3. Code a Quiz
Quiz coding is a great way to get started with functions when coding in python.
You can find an example of how to code a quiz using python below
4. Web scraper
Python is used in a lot of web scraping applications. Here is a tutorial to get you started in creating these kinds of systems.
5. Password generator
One final fun project to play around with is a password generator. You can create different rules to make passwords for yourself.
One final tip – Don’t get disheartened!
Learning to code python is a marathon not a sprint.
Things rarely work the first time, that’s ok though.
Just keep practising and building up your understanding – you’ll get there eventually.
If you need more help to stay motivated, check out this article with some of my top tips.
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