Python: Beginner to Expert
If you ask developers about Python, those who love it may tell you that it’s a powerful, object-oriented, multi-purpose language. They’ll also say it supports many use cases, including back support for back-end web development, data science, cloud programming, and more. On the other hand, those who hate it may tell you it’s “just a … Read more
This is an article about Git and GitHub, in which we’ll also tell a story about a dinosaur and his yellow floppy disks. We begin with Git and GitHub, lest we get too interested in the story and forget the real subject of this article. Git and GitHub are critical tools to know. For example, … Read more
C++ and Python are two of the most popular programming languages in the world. C++ is known for its high performance, while Python is beloved for its ease of use and readability. However, many people don’t realize that C++ and Python can be integrated to create powerful applications. Not only is CPython, the standard Python … Read more
JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is perhaps the most popular data-interchange format. Python has a built-in JSON package that lets you conveniently and quickly encode and decode JSON to and from Python dictionaries, which share a similar key/value structure but are much easier to manipulate in Python. This tutorial will show you how to work with … Read more
As a Python developer and blogger, I have worked with and reviewed many different Python development tools. I tend to pick my favorite tool based on the task at hand: PyCharm for professional work that may involve other languages, Jupyter Lab for exercise for this blog, and VS Code for quick scripts and terminal work. … Read more
I firmly believe that every software developer should know how to use the command line. At the same time that this is my position, it feels strange to have to advocate for it since the alternative of ignoring the command prompt altogether is a very recent development. For us dinosaurs born in the last century, … Read more
In what Buddhists consider to be the first teaching the Buddha gave after he achieved enlightenment, he counseled his listeners to adopt a middle way, between the extremes of sensual indulgence on the one hand, and severe asceticism on the other. Of course, I’m definitely no buddha, but this idea of charting a middle course … Read more
Since Python is a very accessible language, many developers learn it as a first language. If you’re new to programming and Python, you may be working to gain confidence in the language. At the same time, you’re ramping up on basic programming skills. While finding your footing, you may also be wondering if you made … Read more
Developers make all sorts of mistakes. We wouldn’t have debuggers, QA engineers, code review, automated unit testing, and the rest if we were perfect. One mistake many developers make early in their career is applying the label “Junior Developer” to themselves. Move over, “heartbreak of psoriasis”. For real beginner pain, nothing tops the heartbreak of … Read more
You probably know that the best way to practice Python is to build it into a daily habit — the same way you get good at anything. Continuing a daily practice is much easier if you learn a little about how habits form. The trick is to do things that enable the same processes that … Read more
