Python Illustrated: Not another boring Python book, learn programming the fun way

Cover....1

Title Page....2

Copyright Page....3

Contributors....4

Table of Contents....8

Preface....20

Free benefits with your book....27

Introduction....30

Chapter 1: Get Your Computer Ready to Code Python....34

Exploring Python features....34

Technical requirements....35

The terminal....36

Opening a terminal....38

Speaking the terminal’s language....38

Is Python already purring on your system?....40

Understanding the response if Python is found....41

Understanding the response if Python isn’t found....42

Windows users: a tiny hiccup....42

Installing Python....42

Writing our first program....45

Running your first Python program....46

Working with an IDE....47

Introducing Visual Studio Code (commonly called VS Code)....48

What’s where?....48

Creating and running a program with an IDE....51

Alternatives for when you can’t use a computer....53

Quiz....54

Exercises....55

1.1 Getting familiar with VS Code....55

1.2 A chat with the terminal....56

Summary....56

Chapter 2: Understanding Variables and Data Types....58

What are variables?....58

Naming variables....62

Basic data types....64

Variable assignment and reassignment....65

Working with numbers....66

The int type....66

The float type....67

Operations on numbers....67

Working with text (strings)....75

Strings (str)....75

Concatenation....77

String methods....79

Boolean values....80

Comparison operators....80

Comments in code....82

Quiz....83

Exercises....84

2.1 Creating variables....84

2.2 Escape characters in action....84

2.3 How long will Wiesje’s food supply last?....84

2.4 Adventure time for Wiesje....85

2.5 Manipulating strings....85

Summary....86

Chapter 3: Working with Conditional Statements....90

The if statement....91

Comparison operators....92

The else atatement....94

The elif statement....96

Nested if statements....98

Logical operators....99

Logical and operator....100

Logical or operator....101

The not operator....102

The match statement....103

The ternary operator....106

Common mistakes and how to avoid them....107

Using = instead of ==....107

Incorrect indentation....107

Forgetting the colon....107

Quiz....108

Exercises....109

3.1 Even or odd?....109

3.2 Dachshund weight classification....110

3.3 Password checker....110

3.4 Grading system....111

3.5 Fun activities for humans per weekday....112

Summary....112

Chapter 4: Using Lists, Tuples, and Dictionaries....114

Lists....115

Creating lists....115

List with items....115

Accessing list items....116

Accessing by positive index....116

Accessing by negative index....117

Modifying lists....118

Adding items....118

Removing items....119

Changing items....121

More list actions....121

Slicing lists....121

List length....123

Checking item existence using in....124

Tuples....125

Creating tuples....126

Accessing tuple items....127

Immutability....127

Why use tuples?....128

Tuple unpacking....128

Dictionaries: key-value pairs....128

Creating dictionaries....129

Accessing values....130

Modifying dictionaries....132

Adding or updating entries....132

Removing entries....133

Dictionary methods....134

Getting all keys....134

Getting all values....135

Getting all key-value pairs....135

Checking for key existence....136

Choosing between lists, dictionaries, and tuples....137

Lists....137

Tuples....137

Dictionaries....137

Combining different data types....138

Common mistakes and how to avoid them....143

IndexError with lists and tuples....144

KeyError with dictionaries....145

Quiz....146

Exercises....148

4.1 Favorite animals....148

4.2 Favorite nap spots....148

4.3 Phone book....149

4.4 Combining data types for a library database....149

Summary ....151

Get this book’s PDF version and more....153

Chapter 5: Iterating with Loops....154

The problem with repetitive code....155

Introducing loops....156

The while loop....156

Avoiding infinite loops....159

Using while loops in practical examples....160

Introducing the for loop....162

Using range() with for loops....163

Looping over collections....166

Looping through a list....166

Looping through a tuple....167

Looping through a dictionary....168

Nested loops....170

Loop control statements....171

The break statement....171

The continue statement....173

For else....173

Common mistakes and how to avoid them....175

Infinite while loops....175

Modifying a list while looping over it....175

Off-by-one errors....178

Quiz....179

Exercises....180

5.1 Summing numbers....180

5.2 Greeting a list of friends....180

5.3 Infinite squirrel chasing?....180

5.4 Team up for game night....181

5.5 Factorial calculation....182

5.6 Secret pet gym....182

Summary....184

Chapter 6: Writing Functions and Using Built-In Functions....186

Understanding functions....186

Writing functions....187

Parameters versus arguments....188

Return values....192

Function parameters in detail....195

Default parameters....195

Keyword arguments....195

Variable-length arguments....196

Scope of variables....197

Local scope....197

Global scope....197

The global keyword (and why to use it sparingly)....199

Built-in functions overview....200

Common Python built-ins for data types....201

Exploring the standard library....201

Creating modules....202

Working with modules....202

The math module....203

The random module....205

The datetime module....206

Documentation and docstrings....208

Writing good docstrings....208

Quiz....210

Exercises....212

6.1 Temperature conversion....212

6.2 Tricky treat tracker....212

6.3 Packing lunch boxes....213

6.4 Sorting hat....213

6.5 Dachshund fetch simulator....214

6.6 Shopping cart checkout tool....215

6.7 Rock-paper-scissors against the computer....216

Summary....217

Chapter 7: Handling Files and Exceptions....220

Different types of files to handle....220

Opening and closing files....221

File path considerations....222

Basic file handling....224

Different read modes....225

Different write modes....225

The with statement....226

Reading files....226

read() versus readline() versus readlines()....226

Using read() to read a file....227

readline() to read the file one line at a time....228

readlines() to get all lines as a list....228

Iterating over a file object....229

Writing to files....229

Working with different file formats....230

CSV files....230

JSON files....232

Handling errors and exceptions....236

try-except blocks....238

Ensuring data integrity....241

Quiz....242

Exercises....244

7.1 Reading a personal letter....244

7.2 Adding your name to the list....244

7.3 Note to self....245

7.4 Wiener dog races....245

7.5 Wood type catalog....248

Summary....249

Chapter 8: Creating and Using Classes....252

Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)....252

Understanding classes and objects....253

Benefits of working with classes and objects....255

Coding classes and objects....257

Class syntax in Python....257

Instance methods....257

The __init__ method (constructor) and attributes....258

Creating an instance....259

Class attributes (shared data)....262

Encapsulation in Python....263

Public versus private naming conventions....263

Getters and setters (when and why)....264

Decorators (Not as scary as they sound! Also, not related to parties as much as they sound)....266

The @property decorator....268

Dunder (magic) methods....270

__str__ dunder method....270

__len__(self) for counting ....271

__eq__(self, other) for comparing objects....272

__add__(self, other) for adding objects....274

Final notes on working with classes....276

Built-in classes and objects....276

Keep classes focused (single responsibility principle)....278

When to use classes versus other structures....278

Quiz....279

Exercises....281

8.1 Smoothie blender....281

8.2 Dress code: classy....282

8.3 Building a Plant class....282

8.4 Logging logins....284

Summary....285

Chapter 9: Understanding Inheritance....290

Why inheritance?....291

Duplicate code and reusability....291

Basic syntax of inheritance....294

Adding methods to the child classes....296

Adding attributes and calling the parent constructor with super()....298

Overriding methods....298

Demonstrating polymorphism....299

Types of inheritance....302

Single inheritance....302

Multilevel inheritance....303

Multiple inheritance....305

Inheritance best practices....309

Is-a versus has-a....309

Avoiding deep inheritance chains....312

Quiz....316

Exercises....318

9.1 Practicing inheritance with vehicles....318

9.2 Superheroes fighting crime with composition....319

Summary....320

Chapter 10: Debugging Our Code....322

Why debugging matters....323

Common types of bugs....323

Understanding error messages....323

Common errors in Python....324

Tools and techniques for debugging....325

Print statements....326

Using a debugger in your IDE....329

The code editor (middle panel)....332

Breakpoints (bottom-left panel)....332

Call stack (left panel above the breakpoints)....333

Variables (top-left panel)....333

Debugger controls (top center, above the code)....334

Terminal (bottom-middle panel)....334

What’s happening right now....334

The pdb module....336

Debugging workflow....339

Quiz....341

Exercises....343

10.1 Buggy cat naps....343

10.2 Museum tickets....343

10.3 How much does your cat meow?....344

10.4 Trailing bugs....345

10.5 None to say....346

Summary....347

Chapter 11: Next Steps....350

General good advice....351

Hands-on experience....351

Topics everybody benefits from....352

Git and GitHub....352

Writing tests....353

Working with APIs....353

Using virtual environments and pip....354

Path-specific advice....354

Software developer....354

Data analyst or data scientist....356

Machine learning/AI engineer....356

DevOps or automation engineer....357

Cybersecurity specialist or ethical hacker....357

QA engineer/tester....358

Researcher/academic....358

Python as a gateway language....359

Final words....359

Appendix A: Exercise Files....362

Appendix B: Quiz Answers....364

Appendix C: Exercise Solutions....368

Unlock Your Exclusive Benefits....416

Packt Page....420

Other Books You May Enjoy....422

Index....426

Learn Python coding concepts the fun way through humour, storytelling, and beginner-friendly examples that make your first step into the world of Python programming enjoyable

Key Features

• Follow an adorable, illustrated teaching cat with sharp coding instincts as your guide
• Build confidence and coding skills with step-by-step explanations that gradually increase your understanding
• Reinforce your learning through mini-projects and exercises at the end of every chapter
• Purchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBook

Book Description

This is not your average Python programming book, because the world doesn’t need another one of those. Instead, it’s an illustrated, fun, and hands-on guide that treats learning Python like the adventure it should be. It’s designed especially for beginners who want to understand how code works without getting overwhelmed.

You’ll be guided by a cheeky, know-it-all cat who’s surprisingly good at teaching Python from scratch. Don’t worry about going through it alone; a slightly moody dachshund dog is your study buddy, learning right alongside you. Each chapter introduces a core programming concept, explains it with a playful twist, and reinforces it through human-friendly examples, analogies, and exercises. Whether you’re a software professional or someone who’s never written a single line of code, this book will help you build real Python coding skills… and even enjoy the process (shocking, right?).

Forget dry tutorials and walls of text. Python Illustrated speaks to visual learners, creative thinkers, cat lovers, dog lovers, and anyone who prefers their learning with a dash of humor. From writing your first function to understanding object-oriented programming, you’ll build a solid foundation in Python (without the usual headaches).

What you will learn

• Set up Python and write your first program
• Understand variables, data types, and conditional statements
• Use loops, lists, dictionaries, and tuples to handle data efficiently
• Write and use functions to create reusable code
• Manage files and understand object-oriented programming and inheritance
• Debug your Python code to ensure it works flawlessly
• Discover how you can keep learning and building beyond this book

Who this book is for

This book is ideal for anyone with a sense of humour who’s new to Python or programming in general. It takes a step-by-step hands-on approach that will work for anyone with a practical mindset. Whether you're a student or a professional developer looking to expand your skill set, this book offers a comprehensive and enjoyable learning experience.