How to Learn Python for Beginners

**Collaborative post**

Python is one of the most powerful and user-friendly programming languages. For anyone looking to get into software design and software development, Python is a great language which allows programmers to write code quickly which can be scaled into application development for any purpose! Whether you are interested in writing software tools, developing games, creating animations, or anything else in the digital domain, Python can be used as the language to build and create. In this tutorial, we will outline the steps involved with getting started learning Python programming!

If you are a beginner looking to get into programming, Python is a great choice of language. This is because compared to other programming languages, Python was designed with simplicity and code readability in mind. While other programming languages require more precise understanding of rules and syntax and memory management and specifications, Python as a language seeks to simplify coding so that programmers can focus solely on development and implementation. Operations such as reading user input, printing to output, reading from a file, and more may take dozens of lines of code in C++, Java, or other languages but can often be implemented in just a few lines of code in Python. Additionally, reading and writing Python code is simpler and more intuitive, removing many of the other barriers and rules imposed by other languages. Finally, Python is fully cross-platform and can run on any operating system which has the language installed.

The first step involves downloading Python onto your operating system. The Python binaries can be downloaded directly from https://www.python.org/downloads/, selecting the latest version and correct operating system. Installing this binary will make it so that you can execute Python scripts on your operating system and unlock the powerful tools available in Python to write and execute code. Following installing Python, any text-based files with the .py file type will be recognized as Python scripts and can be executed using the Python binary. Additionally included in this installation is the Integrated Development and Learning Environment (IDLE), which is Python’s built-in code editor for writing and running Python code.

With Python now installed, the next step would be to run our very first Python program. Following beginner programming tradition, this would be our “Hello World” program, which involves executing code that prints a greeting to the screen. Create a text file helloworld.py. In a Windows-based operating system, right click the file and click “Edit with IDLE,” which will open up the Python code editor. In the file, add the following single line of code:

print(“Hello World!”)

With this file, run it one of two different ways. In the Python code editor IDLE, select Run 🡪 Run Module to execute the code. Alternatively in a terminal-based operating system such as linux, open the terminal and navigate to the directory containing the file, and execute the file by issuing the following command:

python helloworld.py

If your execution of the program is successful, the words “Hello World” will be printed to the output, and you have run your first program in the Python programming environment!

With your first Python program successfully under your belt, the next step to learn how to program in Python would be to follow a structured tutorial to progress through Python programming content in a methodical manner, starting from foundational topics such as variables and operators, expanding to intermediate topics involving loops and functions and classes, and finally tackling more advanced content including Python modules. One fantastic resource for Python tutorials is W3Schools (https://www.w3schools.com/python/), which covers topics in Python starting from fundamentals, expanding in scope throughout. Another great resource to learn Python through tutorials is Programiz (https://www.programiz.com/python-programming), which presents Python programming topics in order, each supplemented by interactive code snippets to demonstrate code for each topic.

In addition to tutorials, there are many online courses which can help guide you through Python topics in a structured, organized manner with video lectures. MIT OpenCourseware publishes a highly recommended introductory course in Python, geared towards those with an interest in computer science topics: https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/6-0001-introduction-to-computer-science-and-programming-in-python-fall-2016/.

For those who prefer to learn Python through reading books, the Python Software Foundation also recommends a set of introductory books to assist introductory Python learners: https://wiki.python.org/moin/IntroductoryBooks

Learning Python independently requires consistency and dedication – for each topic learned, it is important to write code and example programs to practice applying concepts. Programming is an applied skill which is developed through learning and through working on programming projects and building software! I recommend setting goals of programs that you think could be useful, and as you learn topics, practice making programs which apply these concepts. Set bigger goals as well—what do you ultimately hope to create with your newly developed Python skills?—and work towards that goal!

As you embark upon your journey learning programming in the Python programming language, if you ever need help or guidance, consider help from experienced programming and computer science tutors to help guide your progress. 24HourAnswers.com is a fantastic platform offering online tutoring, homework help, and a homework library to help you learn Python!