Learning the Basics of Python

Variables

• John Sturtz. Variables in Python. Real Python.
  • Covers variable assignment, types, object references and identity, variable naming, and reserved words.

Strings

• Kyle Stratis. Splitting, Concatenating, and Joining Strings in Python. Real Python.
  • Includes separators, maxsplit, and .join() in addition to above.
• Dan Bader. Python String Formatting Best Practices. Real Python.
  • Covers four different methods of formatting strings including: % Operator, str.format, string interpolation / f-Strings, and template strings.
  • Also provides direction on when to use each method.
• John Sturtz. A Guide to the Newer Python String Formatting Techniques. Real Python, 2/2020.
• John Sturtz. Strings and Character Data in Python. Real Python.
  • Covers string manipulation (operations, built-in functions, indexing, slicing, interpolating variables, modifying strings, and built-in methods) as well as bytes Objects (defining, operations on, and bytearray Objects).

Files

• James Mertz. Reading and Writing Files in Python (Guide). Real Python.
  • Covers paths, line endings, character encodings, opening and closing, text/binary/raw file types, iterating over lines, working with bytes, __file__, etc.
• Vuyisile Ndlovu. Working with Files in Python. Real Python.
  • Covers “with open(…) as …”, directory listings, file attributes, creating directories, filename pattern matching, directory traversal, temporary files/dirs, deleting/copying/moving/renaming, archiving, etc.
• Jon Fincher. Reading and Writing CSV Files in Python. Real Python.
• Yong Cui. A Cheat Sheet on Reading and Writing Files in Python. betterprogramming, 1/2020.
• Shantnu Tiwari. Using Pandas to Read Large Excel Files in Python. Real Python.

Conditionals / Branching / Iteration

• John Sturtz. Python “for” Loops (Definite Iteration). Real Python.
  • Covers numeric range, three-expression, and collection-based or iterator-based loops; iterating through a dictionary, the range function, break/continue statements, and the else clause.
• John Sturtz. Python “white” Loops (Indefinite Iteration). realpython.
• Lisa Tagliaferri. How to Use Break, Continue, and Pass Statements when Working with Loops in Python 3. digitalocean, 1/2017.

Operators

• Leodanis Pozo Ramos. How to Use the Python or Operator. realpython, 2019.
• Jason Van Schooneveld. Python Modulo in Practice: How to Use the % Operator. Real Python, 10/2020.

Operators and Expressions

• John Sturtz. Operators and Expressions in Python. Real Python.*
  • Covers arithmetic, comparison, logical, bitwise, identity, and augmented assignment operators. Also operator precedence.

Python Basic Data Structures

• Python 101: Learning About Lists. Python Library, 3/2020.*
• Dan Bader. Common Python Data Structures. Real Python, 8/2020.*
  • Covers dictionaries, maps, hash tables, arrays (list, tuple, array.array, str, bytes, bytearray), records, structs, and data transfer objects, sets, multisets, stacks (LIFOs), queues (FIFOs), and priority queues.
• Pedro Pregueiro. Linked Lists in Python: An Introduction. Real Python, 4/2020.
• John Sturtz. Dictionaries in Python. Real Python.
• John Sturtz. Sets in Python. Real Python.
• John Sturtz. Basic Data Types in Python. Real Python.*
  • Covers integers, floating-point numbers, complex numbers, strings (escape sequences, raw, and triple-quoted), boolean type/context/”truthiness”, and built-in functions for math, type conversion, iterables and iterators, composite data type, classes, attributes, inheritance, input/output, variables, references, and scope.

Other

• Bartosz Zaczynski. Your Guide to the Python print() Function. Real Python, 8/2019.
  • In-depth guide to print() from the basics to advanced.
• Brad Solomon. Generating Random Data in Python (Guide). Real Python.
• Jaya Zhane. Writing Comments in Python (Guide). Real Python.
• Mike Driscoll. Python sleep(): How to Add Time Delays To Your Code. realpython, 2019.
• Joanna Jablonski. The Python range() Function Guide. Real Python.
• David Fundakowski. How to Use sorted() and sort() in Python. Real Python.
• Alex Ronquillo. The Python Square Root Function. Real Python.