What is Python?

Python was the first programming language I ever learned. I fell in love with it because of how straightforward the language was. With Python being an open-source language, there are a multitude of resources available to learn and practice the language.

I stumbled upon the following website years ago: https://learnpythonthehardway.org/ . At the time, the resource was free, but even now, at $30, I still think it is a fantastic value.

The philosophy was adamant on learning using a notepad and terminal to perform everything. On one hand, it was brutal; I had to hand-pick every error out and determine why the code was not working. On the other hand, it helped me to develop great debugging habits.

How can you practice Python?

After getting through the course, I found Project Euler. This website provided hundreds of challenges with nothing but the challenge presented and a textbox to enter the answer. It was exhilarating to use Python to figure out these problems and even more exhilarating to get the answer correct. I still recommend Project Euler today to my friends when practicing a new programming language and even to others for sharpening their skills and developing new perspectives that may arise from thinking about solutions to these challenges.

Okay, but….what do I do with Python?

You can use Python to assist you in quite a variety of tasks! Python is fantastic for automation: using technology and systems to perform tasks or processes with minimal human intervention. Automation can help with increasing efficiency and accuracy in many tasks.
Python can be used to:

• automate the collection of data from text files or web pages

• to create reports based on data you have collected

• to post automatically to your social media

• run a script to check for a security vulnerability

• and much more!

The possibilities are limited only by your imagination. Sometimes, you'll even discover a new way to use Python by accident, and that can be where the fun begins :)