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Introductory Python courses can cover everything from the fundamental programming principles to advanced data structures and algorithms. Learn more about this popular coding language and its many uses.
What is Python?
Python is a dynamically-typed, object-oriented, high-level programming language.Footnote 1 Its built-in data structures make it useful for data analysis tasks. Python is considered readable and easy to learn, because its syntax mimics plain English.Footnote 2
Python is popular among programmers. In Stack Overflow’s 2021 Developer Survey, almost half of all respondents used it extensively in the last year.Footnote 3 According to the same survey, Python is also the language most people are interested in learning and working with more in the future.
Its popularity and ease of application means that Python has a large community of users, ready to supplement resources and provide advice. Altogether, this makes Python coding a powerful tool in today’s software development world.
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What is covered in a Python tutorial?
For those who want to learn Python programming, a typical introductory course will cover the fundamentals of object-oriented programming and Python syntax. Some of the Python trainings likely covered will include concepts such as “hello world,” variables, data types, basic algorithms, and debugging Python code.
Once comfortable with Python basics, more experienced programmers can progress to intermediate or advanced Python instruction. A more in-depth Python course can include:
Data analysis with packages such as pandas and NumPy
Data visualization using matplotlib or Seaborn
Machine learning with Scikit-Learn, Keras, SciPy, PyTorch and TensorFlow
Natural language processing using nltk
Other advanced Python programming courses will cover topics such as decorators, regular expressions, interfacing with web applications using Django and Flask, and conducting statistical analysis.
Explore Python jobs
Python skills can lead to many different careers, from the tech industry to data roles in other industries. Python jobs exist in areas such as analytics, marketing, research, communications and more.
Jobs that use Python include:
Python Developer
Data Scientist
Machine Learning Engineer
Full Stack Developer
Data or Quantitative Analyst
Technical Writer
Entry-level Python jobs may seek applicants with a few years of coding experience, but open-source contributions and short course work may be alternative options to traditional experience.
For those interested in pursuing a Python career that requires formal training, a coding boot camp or bachelor’s degree in computer science or data science might be a good fit. Additionally, a master’s degree in computer science, analytics or data science could be an option for a student looking to switch fields or become an expert.
How to become a Python developer online
A Python developer is an expert in the language, and is usually responsible for coding, designing and deploying back-end web applications for an organization in Python.Footnote 4 While a data scientist or machine learning engineer may use Python as a means to complete a project, a Python developer will be creating Python code to power other tools.
To learn Python programming, programmers should work on acquiring deep knowledge of the language. Some of the core aspects of Python for a developer to learn include:
Python libraries: a collection of pre-written code that can be reused by developers to achieve complex tasks, such as pandas or NumPy.
Python frameworks: modules or packages that help developers while creating a web application, such as Django, Flask, and CherryPy.
Object-relational Mapper (ORM) libraries: abstraction on a relational database that allows a programmer to write in Python instead of SQL, such as SQLAlchemy or Django ORM.
A Python developer may also be able to achieve these skills in formal learning environments, such as a boot camp. However, more extended knowledge may be gained from a bachelor’s in computer science or even a master’s degree.
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Python FAQ
Why learn Python programming online?
Whether you're a software development beginner or an experienced programmer looking to pivot to web development, data science, or software engineering, Python is a useful language to learn.
The official Python Package Index, PyPI, hosts millions of Python projects for download, such as pandas, a library that allows for data analysis and working with SQL databases; Django, a framework that allows for rapid development of web applications using Python; and more. This massive library of packages makes Python useful across academia and industry.Footnote 5
What can you do with Python?
Python’s general-purpose and object-oriented nature make it widely applicable. One common use is for data analysis, with built-in packages such as pandas and NumPy. Libraries help programmers format, process and clean large datasets. Data visualization packages in Python make it possible to create charts that showcase trends and insights.
Advanced model building is also possible in Python tutorials. For example, Keras is a deep learning API in Python that includes documentation to help programmers build recurrent neural networks, build training loops from scratch and put a model through transfer learning.Footnote 6
How long does it take to learn Python?
Starting to code in Python does not take long; Ben Welsh’s First Python Notebook is an example of an introductory Python tutorial that has users programming within a few steps.Footnote 7 However, gaining a robust understanding of data structures, data types and syntax will take consistent time and practice.
From there, coders who want to create complex object-oriented programs, build algorithms and perform data analysis will have to invest more time in learning the language. While Python is considered easy to learn, users can always continue building on their knowledge.
Should you learn Python 2 or Python 3?
Although some services continue to use Python 2, Python 3 is the most up-to-date version and offers more powerful features across a wide range of domains. For example, the values of variables never change in Python 3, whereas in Python 2 they can change inside a loop, and strings are stored as UNICODE instead of ASCII.
Additionally, features of Python 2 are not forward-compatible, meaning it does not support future versions of itself. Most online Python courses will teach you Python 3.
Should you learn JavaScript or Python?
Python and JavaScript are dynamically typed programming languages, but serve different purposes. JavaScript is known as the scripting language for the web. It is responsible for many of the web-based applications on the client side and determines how a web page looks and behaves.Footnote 8
Python focuses on back-end development and can help drive how the webpage operates. Python can be used to add models to a website or build web applications. Ultimately, the decision between JavaScript or Python will depend on an individual’s programming goals and interests.
Can I get a discount if I enroll 10+ employees in Python courses?
Yes! edX For Business offers subscription packages and volume discounts to cost-effectively upskill your employees and support your company culture of learning. An edX For Business curriculum advisor can curate online learning experiences to meet your workforce learning and development challenges. Click here to begin your custom curation and learn about volume discounts.
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