As a recent graduate from the Flatiron program, I spend a large portion of my day in the job search grind. However, I want to keep my technical skills sharp, so I put aside a few hours each day to continue to program. Mostly I have been working on projects with JavaScript, React, and some Ruby, but I have also just started learning Python. I have seen so many job postings looking for candidates with Python experience and almost every blog I read mentions Python. So, I decided to try it out for myself.
Python is very popular because it is considered to be easy-to-learn and highly efficient. It is primarily used for data analysis and web development, but also machine learning. The critics of python dislike it because it is thought to be a slower language. The official programming language of the Raspberry Pi is Python; as a device used to teach youth coding, I think it conveys that Python is an accessible language. There are many Python libraries you can utilize to make your application development easier and faster. You have probably heard of Django – this is one of the most popular Python web frameworks, and it is allows you to write clean code (and less code overall) with a simple, pragmatic design.
Python is similar to many other programming languages in that is it object-oriented, case sensitive, utilizes loops, variables, and recursion. Python has mutable and immutable data types. It uses class-based inheritance, similar to Ruby. Python is used for server-side programming and is not used for mobile development. Not only is it efficient, accessible, and has a plethora of awesome libraries, it has great support within the tech community. As such, you can find tons of information on Python including free tutorials, blogs, and thorough documentation (that is well-maintained).
I started learning Python by first reading the documentation and practicing Python code challenges via the CheckIO website. Then I watched a few YouTube tutorials explaining Python with detailed examples. I found the “Python Tutorial from Beginners” from Programming with Mosh to be very helpful. I use the PyCharm IDE (integrated development environment) as my coding environment, and found it easy to use. I previously used the Flatiron Learn IDE (when starting this program), and Atom for all of my other projects. You can use Atom with a Python application, but not many would recommend that as your best option.
Overall, I have enjoyed learning the Python basics and I am excited to continue to develop my Python knowledge and create applications in the future with Python. If you are interested in learning Python, I would highly recommend it as it is easy-to-learn and there is a vast pool of resources for you to turn for help when needed. And yes, Python is named after Monty Python. Pretty neat!
