Learn Enough Python to Be Dangerous

All You Need to Know, and Nothing You Don’t, to Solve Real Problems with Python

Python is one of the most popular programming languages in the world, used for everything from shell scripts to web development to data science. As a result, Python is a great language to learn, but you don’t need to learn “everything” to get started, just how to use it efficiently to solve real problems. In Learn Enough Python to Be Dangerous, renowned instructor Michael Hartl teaches the specific concepts, skills, and approaches you need to be professionally productive.

Even if you’ve never programmed before, Hartl helps you quickly build technical sophistication and master the lore you need to succeed. Hartl introduces Python both as a general-purpose language and as a specialist tool for web development and data science, presenting focused examples and exercises that help you internalize what matters, without wasting time on details pros don’t care about. Soon, it’ll be like you were born knowing this stuff–and you’ll be suddenly, seriously dangerous.

Learn enough about . . .

• Applying core Python concepts with the interactive interpreter and command line
• Writing object-oriented code with Python’s native objects
• Developing and publishing self-contained Python packages
• Using elegant, powerful functional programming techniques, including Python comprehensions
• Building new objects, and extending them via Test-Driven Development (TDD)
• Leveraging Python’s exceptional shell scripting capabilities
• Creating and deploying a full web app, using routes, layouts, templates, and forms
• Getting started with data-science tools for numerical computations, data visualization, data analysis, and machine learning
• Mastering concrete and informal skills every developer needs

Michael Hartl’s Learn Enough Series includes books and video courses that focus on the most important parts of each subject, so you don’t have to learn everything to get started–you just have to learn enough to be dangerous and solve technical problems yourself.

Like this book? Don’t miss Michael Hartl’s companion video tutorial, Learn Enough Python to Be Dangerous LiveLessons.

Register your book for convenient access to downloads, updates, and/or corrections as they become available. See inside book for details.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. Hello, World!

Chapter 2. Strings

Chapter 3. Lists

Chapter 4. Other Native Objects

Chapter 5. Functions and Iterators

Chapter 6. Functional Programming

Chapter 7. Objects and Classes

Chapter 8. Testing and Test-Driven Development

Chapter 9. Shell Scripts

Chapter 10. A Live Web Application

Chapter 11. Data Science

Review

“Just started the #100DaysOfCode journey. Today marks day 1. I have completed @mhartl’s great Ruby tutorial at @LearnEnough and am looking forward to starting on Ruby on Rails from tomorrow. Onwards and upwards.”

–Optimize Prime (@_optimize), Twitter post

“Ruby and Sinatra and Heroku, oh my! Almost done with this live web application. It may be a simple palindrome app, but it’s also simply exciting! #100DaysOfCode #ruby @LearnEnough #ABC #AlwaysBeCoding #sinatra #heroku”

–Tonia Del Priore (@toninjaa), Twitter post; Software Engineer for a FinTech Startup for 3+ years

“I have nothing but fantastic things to say about @LearnEnough courses. I am just about finished with the #javascript course. I must say, the videos are mandatory because @mhartl will play the novice and share in the joy of having something you wrote actually work!”

–Claudia Vizena

“I must say, this Learn Enough series is a masterpiece of education. Thank you for this incredible work!”

–Michael King

“I want to thank you for the amazing job you have done with the tutorials. They are likely the best tutorials I have ever read.”

–Pedro Iatzky

About the Author

Michael Hartl created the legendary Ruby on Rails™ Tutorial that helped jumpstart thousands of web development careers. A cofounder and principal author at Learn Enough, Hartl previously earned a Ph.D. in physics at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), where he received a Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Teaching. He is also an alumnus Harvard University and the world-renowned Y Combinator entrepreneur program.