Python Illustrated: Not another boring Python book, learn programming the fun way

Cover....1 Title Page....2 Copyright Page....3 Contributors....4 Table of Contents....8 Preface....20 Free benefits with your book....27 Introduction....30 Chapter 1: Get Your Computer Ready to Code Python....34 Exploring Python features....34 Technical requirements....35 The terminal....36 Opening a terminal....38 Speaking the terminal’s language....38 Is Python already purring on your system?....40 Understanding the response if Python is found....41 Understanding the response if Python isn’t found....42 Windows users: a tiny hiccup....42 Installing Python....42 Writing our first program....45 Running your first Python program....46 Working with an IDE....47 Introducing Visual Studio Code (commonly called VS Code)....48 What’s where?....48 Creating and running a program with an IDE....51 Alternatives for when you can’t use a computer....53 Quiz....54 Exercises....55 1.1 Getting familiar with VS Code....55 1.2 A chat with the terminal....56 Summary....56 Chapter 2: Understanding Variables and Data Types....58 What are variables?....58 Naming variables....62 Basic data types....64 Variable assignment and reassignment....65 Working with numbers....66 The int type....66 The float type....67 Operations on numbers....67 Working with text (strings)....75 Strings (str)....75 Concatenation....77 String methods....79 Boolean values....80 Comparison operators....80 Comments in code....82 Quiz....83 Exercises....84 2.1 Creating variables....84 2.2 Escape characters in action....84 2.3 How long will Wiesje’s food supply last?....84 2.4 Adventure time for Wiesje....85 2.5 Manipulating strings....85 Summary....86 Chapter 3: Working with Conditional Statements....90 The if statement....91 Comparison operators....92 The else atatement....94 The elif statement....96 Nested if statements....98 Logical operators....99 Logical and operator....100 Logical or operator....101 The not operator....102 The match statement....103 The ternary operator....106 Common mistakes and how to avoid them....107 Using = instead of ==....107 Incorrect indentation....107 Forgetting the colon....107 Quiz....108 Exercises....109 3.1 Even or odd?....109 3.2 Dachshund weight classification....110 3.3 Password checker....110 3.4 Grading system....111 3.5 Fun activities for humans per weekday....112 Summary....112 Chapter 4: Using Lists, Tuples, and Dictionaries....114 Lists....115 Creating lists....115 List with items....115 Accessing list items....116 Accessing by positive index....116 Accessing by negative index....117 Modifying lists....118 Adding items....118 Removing items....119 Changing items....121 More list actions....121 Slicing lists....121 List length....123 Checking item existence using in....124 Tuples....125 Creating tuples....126 Accessing tuple items....127 Immutability....127 Why use tuples?....128 Tuple unpacking....128 Dictionaries: key-value pairs....128 Creating dictionaries....129 Accessing values....130 Modifying dictionaries....132 Adding or updating entries....132 Removing entries....133 Dictionary methods....134 Getting all keys....134 Getting all values....135 Getting all key-value pairs....135 Checking for key existence....136 Choosing between lists, dictionaries, and tuples....137 Lists....137 Tuples....137 Dictionaries....137 Combining different data types....138 Common mistakes and how to avoid them....143 IndexError with lists and tuples....144 KeyError with dictionaries....145 Quiz....146 Exercises....148 4.1 Favorite animals....148 4.2 Favorite nap spots....148 4.3 Phone book....149 4.4 Combining data types for a library database....149 Summary ....151 Get this book’s PDF version and more....153 Chapter 5: Iterating with Loops....154 The problem with repetitive code....155 Introducing loops....156 The while loop....156 Avoiding infinite loops....159 Using while loops in practical examples....160 Introducing the for loop....162 Using range() with for loops....163 Looping over collections....166 Looping through a list....166 Looping through a tuple....167 Looping through a dictionary....168 Nested loops....170 Loop control statements....171 The break statement....171 The continue statement....173 For else....173 Common mistakes and how to avoid them....175 Infinite while loops....175 Modifying a list while looping over it....175 Off-by-one errors....178 Quiz....179 Exercises....180 5.1 Summing numbers....180 5.2 Greeting a list of friends....180 5.3 Infinite squirrel chasing?....180 5.4 Team up for game night....181 5.5 Factorial calculation....182 5.6 Secret pet gym....182 Summary....184 Chapter 6: Writing Functions and Using Built-In Functions....186 Understanding functions....186 Writing functions....187 Parameters versus arguments....188 Return values....192 Function parameters in detail....195 Default parameters....195 Keyword arguments....195 Variable-length arguments....196 Scope of variables....197 Local scope....197 Global scope....197 The global keyword (and why to use it sparingly)....199 Built-in functions overview....200 Common Python built-ins for data types....201 Exploring the standard library....201 Creating modules....202 Working with modules....202 The math module....203 The random module....205 The datetime module....206 Documentation and docstrings....208 Writing good docstrings....208 Quiz....210 Exercises....212 6.1 Temperature conversion....212 6.2 Tricky treat tracker....212 6.3 Packing lunch boxes....213 6.4 Sorting hat....213 6.5 Dachshund fetch simulator....214 6.6 Shopping cart checkout tool....215 6.7 Rock-paper-scissors against the computer....216 Summary....217 Chapter 7: Handling Files and Exceptions....220 Different types of files to handle....220 Opening and closing files....221 File path considerations....222 Basic file handling....224 Different read modes....225 Different write modes....225 The with statement....226 Reading files....226 read() versus readline() versus readlines()....226 Using read() to read a file....227 readline() to read the file one line at a time....228 readlines() to get all lines as a list....228 Iterating over a file object....229 Writing to files....229 Working with different file formats....230 CSV files....230 JSON files....232 Handling errors and exceptions....236 try-except blocks....238 Ensuring data integrity....241 Quiz....242 Exercises....244 7.1 Reading a personal letter....244 7.2 Adding your name to the list....244 7.3 Note to self....245 7.4 Wiener dog races....245 7.5 Wood type catalog....248 Summary....249 Chapter 8: Creating and Using Classes....252 Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)....252 Understanding classes and objects....253 Benefits of working with classes and objects....255 Coding classes and objects....257 Class syntax in Python....257 Instance methods....257 The __init__ method (constructor) and attributes....258 Creating an instance....259 Class attributes (shared data)....262 Encapsulation in Python....263 Public versus private naming conventions....263 Getters and setters (when and why)....264 Decorators (Not as scary as they sound! Also, not related to parties as much as they sound)....266 The @property decorator....268 Dunder (magic) methods....270 __str__ dunder method....270 __len__(self) for counting ....271 __eq__(self, other) for comparing objects....272 __add__(self, other) for adding objects....274 Final notes on working with classes....276 Built-in classes and objects....276 Keep classes focused (single responsibility principle)....278 When to use classes versus other structures....278 Quiz....279 Exercises....281 8.1 Smoothie blender....281 8.2 Dress code: classy....282 8.3 Building a Plant class....282 8.4 Logging logins....284 Summary....285 Chapter 9: Understanding Inheritance....290 Why inheritance?....291 Duplicate code and reusability....291 Basic syntax of inheritance....294 Adding methods to the child classes....296 Adding attributes and calling the parent constructor with super()....298 Overriding methods....298 Demonstrating polymorphism....299 Types of inheritance....302 Single inheritance....302 Multilevel inheritance....303 Multiple inheritance....305 Inheritance best practices....309 Is-a versus has-a....309 Avoiding deep inheritance chains....312 Quiz....316 Exercises....318 9.1 Practicing inheritance with vehicles....318 9.2 Superheroes fighting crime with composition....319 Summary....320 Chapter 10: Debugging Our Code....322 Why debugging matters....323 Common types of bugs....323 Understanding error messages....323 Common errors in Python....324 Tools and techniques for debugging....325 Print statements....326 Using a debugger in your IDE....329 The code editor (middle panel)....332 Breakpoints (bottom-left panel)....332 Call stack (left panel above the breakpoints)....333 Variables (top-left panel)....333 Debugger controls (top center, above the code)....334 Terminal (bottom-middle panel)....334 What’s happening right now....334 The pdb module....336 Debugging workflow....339 Quiz....341 Exercises....343 10.1 Buggy cat naps....343 10.2 Museum tickets....343 10.3 How much does your cat meow?....344 10.4 Trailing bugs....345 10.5 None to say....346 Summary....347 Chapter 11: Next Steps....350 General good advice....351 Hands-on experience....351 Topics everybody benefits from....352 Git and GitHub....352 Writing tests....353 Working with APIs....353 Using virtual environments and pip....354 Path-specific advice....354 Software developer....354 Data analyst or data scientist....356 Machine learning/AI engineer....356 DevOps or automation engineer....357 Cybersecurity specialist or ethical hacker....357 QA engineer/tester....358 Researcher/academic....358 Python as a gateway language....359 Final words....359 Appendix A: Exercise Files....362 Appendix B: Quiz Answers....364 Appendix C: Exercise Solutions....368 Unlock Your Exclusive Benefits....416 Packt Page....420 Other Books You May Enjoy....422 Index....426