Phase 3 — Python
Phase 3: My Journey Learning Python
Week 1: Python
The first week of learning Python was a fresh start and quite an exciting one. Coming off of phase 2 with working heavily with React, I initially was not looking forward to moving on to Python. However, Python’s simplicity and straightforward syntax made the transition smoother than expected. The language is designed to be easy to read and write, which helped me quickly get up to speed. I spent the week learning about Python’s basic concepts, writing simple scripts, and understanding how its dynamic typing works. By the end of the week, I felt more comfortable and began to understand Python’s more clean and readable code structure.
Week 2: SQL and ORM
Week two introduced us to SQL and Object-Relational Mapping (ORM), adding a new layer of complexity to our learning journey. This week was a bit more challenging for me. SQL, with its structured approach to database management, required a different way of thinking compared to the flexibility of Python. The ORM concept, which bridges the gap between object-oriented programming and relational databases, was particularly tricky. It took some time to wrap my head around how Python interacts with databases through ORM. Additionally, we had our first code challenge this week, which was a real test of our understanding and ability to apply what we had learned so far. Despite the difficulties, this week was instrumental in building a solid foundation for handling data in Python.
Week 3: Project Week
Project week arrived with a mixed feelings. It’s time to put everything we had learned into practice by creating a project of our own. My group members and I decided to build out a banking system. The experience has been both fun and challenging. On one hand, it’s incredibly rewarding to see how far we’ve come and to apply our knowledge to create something tangible. On the other hand, the project has presented its own set of challenges, from debugging code to ensuring all components work seamlessly together. Balancing creativity with problem-solving has been a significant part of this week. While there have been moments of frustration, the overall experience has been a fantastic opportunity to deepen our understanding and skills in Python.
What is Python and what does it do?:
Python is a powerful, programming language that excels in versatility and ease of use. As an object-oriented language, it features high-level data structures and dynamic typing, which makes it perfect for rapid application development. Its straightforward syntax emphasizes readability, reducing the complexity and cost associated with maintaining code over time. Python supports modules and packages, promoting modularity and code reuse. Additionally, Python and its extensive standard library are freely available across all major platforms, allowing for wide distribution. Python can be used to develop web applications, command line interfaces (CLI’s) games and more.
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Python was created by Guido van Rossum in 1989 while at Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI) in the Netherlands, Python was designed as a successor to the ABC programming language. Van Rossum aimed to retain the best features of ABC while addressing its shortcomings. Naming his creation after Monty Python’s Flying Circus, van Rossum released the first version of Python to the public in 1991. Since then, Python has grown into one of the most popular programming languages in the world, renowned for its simplicity and efficiency.
Object-Oriented Programming:
Object-oriented programming (OOP) in Python is a paradigm that organizes code by bundling properties and behaviors into individual objects. For instance, an object can represent a person with attributes like name and age, and behaviors such as walking and talking. OOP allows for modeling real-world entities as software objects that contain both data and functions. This approach helps structure programs in a way that mimics real-life relationships, making the code more modular, reusable, and easier to understand. In Python, you create these objects using classes, which define the properties and behaviors that the objects will have.
I’m eager to learn more and improve my skills in Python. The journey so far has been both challenging and rewarding, and I can’t wait to see what comes next.
