Python 3 Crash Course for Newbies
Introduction
Python is a dynamically typed, interpreted programming language adopted by many to use for Data Analytics today.
Dynamically typed: In many languages, when you declare a variable, you must specify the variable’s type (e.g., int, double, Boolean, string). Python does not require this
Interpreted: Unlike compiled languages (e.g., C/C++ or Java) that require a separate build step, interpreted languages run code directly through an interpreter, statement by statement. This allows for immediate execution and greater simplicity, though typically with slower performance than compiled programs.
Python syntax is considered simple and intuitive. Entry level learners find programming easy when they start with Python!
If you want to quickly learn Python with the aim of being an effective Data Analyst in the future, then this book is for you. This book also works as a starter (newbie) book for anyone who wants to take a debut into Python programming or just programming in general.
Python is an open-source programming language developed in the 1990s by Guido van Rossum as an easy-to-use, general-purpose programming language. Today, Python is used for web applications, desktop applications, and data analytics.
For data analytics, a few essential Python data structures provide everything needed to produce high-quality analysis. Learning a language in its entirety may be good from an academic standpoint, but not for a budding data analyst who wants to be productive quickly. There is no point in learning concepts like object-oriented programming when you rarely get a chance to use them as a junior data analyst. Save that for the future. With this belief, this book presents the essential building blocks of Python 3 without compromising on depth where it matters.
How is this book different from the umpteen number of resources available on the web on the same topic?
This book is written with three main goals which makes it unique:
- Concise and Focused: We value your time by reducing verbosity. This book is as short as possible, focusing only on the essentials you need to succeed.
- Simple and Interactive: Engagement is key. We use simple examples and interactive code blocks that you can run right here to understand concepts better through immediate feedback.
- Practical and Effective: Despite its simplicity, this book is designed to build the confidence required to solve real-world problems in Python.
You learn the eight most important concepts in Python. With easy to understand examples, students can quickly gain enough knowledge to write simple programs.
This book is the first of the eBook Series, being written to smoothly take anyone with basic algebra background, to be a confident junior level data analyst. If you are programming in another language like Java, C++ etc., you could even jump to Revision section to quickly understand Python. Then based on your need to understand certain topics better, you can dive into the specific sections to learn more.
The most effective way to learn any programming language is by solving problems hands-on.
Practice makes you perfect!
Students are encouraged to solve Quiz and Exercises given for enrichment in each chapter to achieve mastery. Once you finish this book you will be ready to start the next book in the series: NumPy and Pandas Crash Course for Data Analysts; covering the most popular Python modules that are used in data analytics.