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Learn Python programming online

Introductory Python courses can cover everything from the fundamental programming principles to advanced data structures and algorithms. Learn more about this popular coding language and its many uses.

What is Python?

Python is a dynamically-typed, object-oriented, high-level programming language.Footnote 1 Its built-in data structures make it useful for data analysis tasks. Python is considered readable and easy to learn, because its syntax mimics plain English.Footnote 2

Python is popular among programmers. In Stack Overflow’s 2021 Developer Survey, almost half of all respondents used it extensively in the last year.Footnote 3 According to the same survey, Python is also the language most people are interested in learning and working with more in the future.

Its popularity and ease of application means that Python has a large community of users, ready to supplement resources and provide advice. Altogether, this makes Python coding a powerful tool in today’s software development world.

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What is covered in a Python tutorial?

For those who want to learn Python programming, a typical introductory course will cover the fundamentals of object-oriented programming and Python syntax. Some of the Python trainings likely covered will include concepts such as “hello world,” variables, data types, basic algorithms, and debugging Python code.

Once comfortable with Python basics, more experienced programmers can progress to intermediate or advanced Python instruction. A more in-depth Python course can include:

  • Data analysis with packages such as pandas and NumPy

  • Data visualization using matplotlib or Seaborn

  • Machine learning with Scikit-Learn, Keras, SciPy, PyTorch and TensorFlow

  • Natural language processing using nltk

Other advanced Python programming courses will cover topics such as decorators, regular expressions, interfacing with web applications using Django and Flask, and conducting statistical analysis. 

Explore Python jobs

Python skills can lead to many different careers, from the tech industry to data roles in other industries. Python jobs exist in areas such as analytics, marketing, research, communications and more.

Jobs that use Python include:

  • Python Developer

  • Data Scientist

  • Machine Learning Engineer

  • Full Stack Developer

  • Data or Quantitative Analyst

  • Technical Writer

Entry-level Python jobs may seek applicants with a few years of coding experience, but open-source contributions and short course work may be alternative options to traditional experience.

For those interested in pursuing a Python career that requires formal training, a coding boot camp or bachelor’s degree in computer science or data science might be a good fit. Additionally, a master’s degree in computer science, analytics or data science could be an option for a student looking to switch fields or become an expert.

How to become a Python developer online

A Python developer is an expert in the language, and is usually responsible for coding, designing and deploying back-end web applications for an organization in Python.Footnote 4 While a data scientist or machine learning engineer may use Python as a means to complete a project, a Python developer will be creating Python code to power other tools.

To learn Python programming, programmers should work on acquiring deep knowledge of the language. Some of the core aspects of Python for a developer to learn include:

  • Python libraries:  a collection of pre-written code that can be reused by developers to achieve complex tasks, such as pandas or NumPy.

  • Python frameworks: modules or packages that help developers while creating a web application, such as ​​Django, Flask, and CherryPy.

  • Object-relational Mapper (ORM) libraries: abstraction on a relational database that allows a programmer to write in Python instead of SQL, such as SQLAlchemy or Django ORM.

A Python developer may also be able to achieve these skills in formal learning environments, such as a boot camp. However, more extended knowledge may be gained from a bachelor’s in computer science or even a master’s degree.

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