Introducing Python

• What is Python?
• Why Python?
• Running Python interactively
• Python scripts
• Python help
• Modules
• Functions and built-ins

Python Variables

• Python is Object Oriented
• Python variables
• Variable names
• Type specific methods
• Operators and assignments
• Python lists
• Python tuples
• Python dictionaries

Flow Control

• Python conditionals
• Exception Handling
• While loops
• Loop control statements
• For loops
• Conditional expressions
• Unconditional flow control

String Handling

• Strings
• The print function
• String methods
• String tests
• String formatting
• Slicing a string
• String methods - split and join

Collections

• Python types - reminder
• Useful tuple operations
• Python lists
• Tuple and list slicing
• Adding/removing items in a list
• Sorting
• List methods
• Sets
• Dictionary processing
• Dictionary methods

Regular Expressions

• Python regular expressions
• Extended RE meta-characters
• Regular expression objects
• Regular expression substitution
• Regular expression split
• Matching alternatives

Data Storage and File Handling

• New file objects
• Reading files into Python
• Writing to files from Python
• Random access
• Compression
• Database interface overview

Functions

• Python functions
• Function parameters
• Named (keyword) parameters
• Returning objects from a function
• Nested functions
• Variables in nested functions
• Function documentation
• Lamdba functions

Advanced Collections

• Advanced list functions - filter
• List comprehensions
• Set and dictionary comprehensions
• Lazy lists
• Generators
• Copying collections - problem
• Copying collections - slice solution?
• Copying collections - deepcopy solution

Modules and Packages

• What are modules and packages?
• Multiple source files
• How does Python find a module?
• Importing a module
• Importing names
• Directories as packages
• Writing a module
• Module documentation
• Testing a module
• Python debugger
• Python profiler
• Distributing libraries - distutils

Classes and OOP

• Classes and OOP
• Object-Oriented Programming
• Using objects
• Defining classes and methods
• Constructing an object
• Properties and decorators
• Class methods
• Inheritance

Error Handling and Exceptions

• Exception handling
• Exception syntax
• Multiple exceptions
• Exception arguments
• The finally block

Multitasking

• Creating a process from Python
• Waiting for a child
• Using the subprocess module
• Running a basic process
• Capturing the output
• Passing data through a pipe
• Processes and threads
• Very basic threads in Python
• Synchronization objects in threading
• Using the multiprocessing module
• Queue objects

The Python Standard Library

• The Standard Library
• Pretty Printer
• Operating System interfaces - os and friends
• System specific attributes - sys
• Signal handling - signal
• The socket module
• Other modules