.. meta::
   :description: Python basics: could be that you find yourself
                 programming useful things on day two
   :keywords: schulung, training, raspberry, programming, python,
              introduction, einführung, datatype, dictionary, list,
              tuple, mutable, immutable, function, class, exception,
              batteries, string, encoding, file


Python: The Language Fundamentals
=================================

.. contents::
   :local:

.. image:: /_images/python-logo-master-v3-TM.png
   :alt: Python logo
   :align: right
   :scale: 50%

.. sidebar::

   .. list-table::
      :align: left

      * * **Duration**
	* 2-3 days
      * * **Language**
	* Trainer language is English or German
      * * **Material**
	* * :doc:`/trainings/material/soup/python/basics/group`
	  * :doc:`Complete Python material
            </trainings/material/soup/python/group>`
      * * **Related**
	* * :doc:`advanced`
	  * :doc:`swdev`
	  * :doc:`misc`
      * * **Booking**
	* :doc:`/trainings/booking`

Course Outline
--------------

Python's strengths are ...

* It is taught in no time (you'll find yourself writing useful
  programs on day two)
* It is powerful
* It comes with a huge toolkit (the *standard library*)

This course gives a thorough but easy introduction to Python. With the
help of many small exercises, you'll learn how to write Python
programs, get an overview of the functionality in the standard
library, and get an idea :doc:`what else <advanced>` Python can do. 

Here is an outline of the course; see the :doc:`course material
</trainings/material/soup/python/basics/group>` for more detailed
information.

* **Intro**

  * Installation of the Python interpreter ("the language")
  * What's a program? Program structure, syntax, and how programs are
    run

* **Variables and Types**

  * What's a variable? What's a type?
  * Some simple datatypes
  * Associative (e.g., ``dict``) and sequential (e.g., ``list``)
    datatypes, and their access methods

* **Control flow**

  * Conditional: ``if``
  * Loops: ``while`` and ``for``
  * ``range``, and related helpers

* **Functions and Modules**

  * What's a function? (Type annotations)
  * Modularization, and the ``import`` statement

* **Files and Directories**

  * File I/O
  * The ``os`` module, and related functionality

Prerequisites
-------------

Attendees should have a little programming experience from other
languages. Python is easy to learn, but complete computer noobs demand
a different focus than this course has.