Python 3: Introduction for Those with Programming Experience

Prerequisites

This course is part of the Scientific Computing series.

This full-day course introduces the Python programming language to those who are already familiar with another high level programing language such as C/C++, Fortran, Java, Perl or Visual Basic. The aim of this course is to give such programmers sufficient familiarity with Python that they can attend any of the more advanced Python courses organised by the Computing service and easily follow any of the widely available Python tutorials on the more complex aspects of the language.

This course covers all the material contained in the "Programming: Python for Absolute Beginners" course, but in a more abbreviated fashion suitable for those who already have significant programming experience. This course does NOT cover the more complex aspects of the language (for such topics see the other Computing Service Python courses), nor is there much explicit discussion of the object oriented features of Python.

If you are an accomplished and experienced programmer you may find this course too slow, you may prefer to self-teach the course rather than attend in person, the full set of notes can be downloaded.

• All current University members (departments and colleges)
• Further details regarding eligibility criteria are available

• Attendees must already have significant programming experience in another high level programming language (e.g. C/C++, Fortran, Java, Perl or Visual Basic).
• Those attending should be able to use a plain text editor (e.g. emacs, gedit, pico, vi) on a Unix system as might be obtained from the Emacs or Vi introductory courses.

Number of sessions: 3

• Interactive and batch use of Python
• Common Python data types
• Control flow statements
• Functions
• Reading from files
• Processing input
• Writing to files
• Using external modules
• Structuring programs

Presentations, demonstrations and practicals.

Python v. 3.x on MCS Linux

• Note that this is a full-day course, starting at 10:00 and ending at approximately 17:00. There will be a break for lunch (not provided).
• This course is only suitable for those with significant programming experience in another high level programming language such as C/C++, Fortran, Java, Perl or Visual Basic.
• The course notes as well as the exercises and solutions will be made available in due course.
• As this course is part of the Scientific Computing series, the examples chosen are of most relevance to scientific programming.
• Those interested in writing more complex Python programs than those covered in this course may also be interested in the other courses in the Python series: "Further Topics", "Operating System Access", "Regular Expressions", "Checkpointing" and "Numerical Programming".

Three sessions of half a day

• C++: Programming in Modern C++
• Programming Concepts: Introduction for Absolute Beginners
• Python 3: Advanced Topics (Self-paced)
• Python 3: Introduction for Absolute Beginners

• Programming and Scripting
• Research
• Scientific Computing
• Techlinks & IT Support Staff