This is a technical lab that introduces the Python 3 programming language. Python has enjoyed popularity in a variety of fields for its large scope of application and its ease of use. With Python 2 having moved to end of life status on January 1, 2020 there are also large amounts of legacy code that needs porting to Python 3.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this lab you will be able to:

• Use the Python interactive interpreter to write and run Python 3 programs
• Understand Python 3 language elements
• Exploit the rich library of Python libraries and modules
• Appreciate the differences between Python 2 and Python 3
• Recognize simple and complex variable types and select appropriately
• Use Python 3 operators and built-in functions
• Understand procedural control flow in Python 3
• Program file input/output, including persistent data objects.
• Create well organized and efficient code using functions and modules
• Use Object Oriented programming techniques in Python 3.
• Build robust applications with error trapping and reporting
• Run and control other programs from Python
• Take advantage of multi-core processors with multiprocessing

Intended Audience

This lab is intended for:

• This course is suitable for programmers starting new projects in Python 3, or for those porting existing applications from Python 2.

Prerequisites

No previous knowledge of Python is assumed, although delegates should be familiar with at least one programming language.

Experience of another scripting language, such as Perl or PHP, will be an advantage, as will previous experience of object-oriented programming.