How to start coding Python in 60 minutes

Table of Contents

Python is a powerful and high-level programming language that is competing with C and Java for first place according to the TIOBE Index for July 2021.

This post is for beginners who want to try Python for the first time. If you are already experienced with Python and looking for an awesome remote job, you might want to check Exceptionly open positions.

The ability to use Python for various areas such as web development, operating systems, AI, machine learning, mobile application development, and video games makes it a great choice for beginners and experts.

Given the scope and power of Python, it would not be a bad idea to start coding in 60 minutes (:

The beauty of the Python community is its massive open source project base. You can always try something extremely complex under 60 minutes by using open-source projects and libraries.

Installation

Download Python Executable Installer preferably the latest version from the link and run. 

Verify installation on the terminal;

				
					$ python3 --version
Python 3.8.2

				
			

Writing a simple program in Python

The best way to learn Python is to practice. 

Interactive Mode on Shell

With the interactive mode in the Python interpreter, you can level up your skills easily without needing any additional configuration. 

Run python3 command in terminal 

				
					$ python3
				
			

You should get directed to a prompt sign which looks like “>>>“ you can type your code in interactive mode here.

				
					Python 3.8.2 (default, Apr  8 2021, 23:19:18) 
[Clang 12.0.5 (clang-1205.0.22.9)] on darwin
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>>
				
			

Let’s print screen how Python is awesome for 3 times.

				
					>>> print("Python is awesome!\n" * 3)
Python is awesome!
Python is awesome!
Python is awesome!

				
			

Script Mode

The interactive mode on the Python shell is not the only way to run a program! You can run any program in script mode. You need to create a file with a .py extension, place your program in this file. The example shows how to join two different Strings and print screen the result.

my_first_python_program.py file

				
					string1 = "exceptionly.com "
string2 = "Smart. Tested. Fast."
joined_string = string1 + string2
print(string1 + string2)
				
			

Trigger this file on the shell as below; 

				
					$ python3 my_first_python_program.py
exceptionly.com Smart. Tested. Fast.
				
			

Commitment is one of the most important aspects when you are learning a programming language. Luckily there are plenty of free online courses and code examples to try on your own and level up your skills.

Now that you have your basic development environment ready, you might want to check 10s of different gamified Python coding challenges on Exercism.io.

Enjoyed starting coding in 60 minutes and want to challenge other languages? It’s time to give a try to my other posts then! Check out Python in 60 minutes or ReactJS in 60 minutes!

Python tracks on Exercism.io

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