Blog
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Last chance to join Weekly Python Exercise in 2019!
Over the last year, I’ve taught in-person Python classes to companies in the US, Europe, Israel, India, and China. I’ve taught people from a variety of backgrounds, from absolute beginners to seasoned Pythonistas who want to improve their skills in new areas. And I’ve taught everything from intro Python to data science. For all of…
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Quick Python tip: “int” strips strings of whitespace
Let’s say you’re writing a Python program that asks the user to enter a number, so that you can double it: >>> n = input(“Enter a number: “) Enter a number: Just doubling what we get is a bad idea, though. If the user enters “123”, then we’ll get this: >>> print(n*2)123123 What’s going on?…
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Want to improve your Python fluency? Join Weekly Python Exercise!
A new cohort of Weekly Python Exercise, my family of courses to improve your Python fluency, starts on November 5th. This time, it’s an advanced-level cohort. We’ll explore topics such as iterators, generators, decorators, objects, and threads. The course’s structure is simple: Every Tuesday, you get a new question, along with “pytest” tests to check…
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Early-bird pricing for Weekly Python Exercise ends tomorrow
My native language is English: I grew up speaking it at home and school, and it’s my preference when reading, writing, and speaking. I studied in US schools through 12 grade, and then got both a bachelor’s degree and a PhD at American universities. I’ve been writing for years, including 20 years as a columnist…
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Level up your coding skills with Weekly Python Exercise
Most days, I’m on-site at companies around the world, teaching various Python courses. And by far, the most common question that I get from students is: Once the course is over, how can I keep improving my Python skills? The answer is simple: Practice. Just as you have to practice using a language in order…
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Looking for Python podcast co-hosts
As you might know, I’m a panelist on the weekly “Freelancers Show” podcast, which talks about the business of freelancing. The good news: The same company that’s behind the Freelancers Show, Devchat.tv, is putting together a weekly podcast about Python, and I’m going to be on that, too! We’ll have a combination of discussion, interviews…
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Last change to join Weekly Python Exercise: Beginner objects
If you have been using Python, but don’t quite understand how and when to write and use the language’s object-oriented facilities, then I have good news and bad news: Good news: The new cohort of WPE: Beginner objects starts tomorrow, and includes 15 weekly exercises about classes, objects, instances, methods, attributes, and other Python object…
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LEGB? Meet ICPO, Python’s search strategy for attributes
When it comes to variables, Python has a well-known search strategy, known by the acronym “LEGB.” Whenever you mention a variable — and by “variable,” I mean a name that could be referencing data, a function, or a class — Python tries to find it in four different places: The local (function) scope, the enclosing…
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Learn and understand Python objects — with Weekly Python Exercise, starting September 17
I’ve found that many Python developers are confused by object-oriented programming in the language: Newcomers to programming are confused by object-oriented ideas and terminology, while Veteran programmers are surprised and confused by how Python objects work No matter which camp you’re in, I have good news for you: Weekly Python Exercise will be starting a…
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“Python Workout” is today’s Manning “Deal of the day”
Want to improve your Python fluency? There’s no better way than doing exercises, practicing your Python skills and ensuring you understand how to solve problems in the best possible way. My book, “Python Workout,” not only contains 50 of my favorite exercises from my Python training business (at some of the world’s best-known companies), but…