Python Crash Course, 2nd Edition

Second edition of the best-selling Python book in the world. A fast-paced, no-nonsense guide to programming in Python. Updated and thoroughly revised to reflect the latest in Python code and practices.

Python Crash Course is the world's best-selling guide to the Python programming language. This fast-paced, thorough introduction to programming with Python will have you writing programs, solving problems, and making things that work in no time.

In the first half of the book, you'll learn basic programming concepts, such as variables, lists, classes, and loops, and practice writing clean code with exercises for each topic. You'll also learn how to make your programs interactive and test your code safely before adding it to a project. In the second half, you'll put your new knowledge into practice with three substantial projects: a Space Invaders-inspired arcade game, a set of data visualizations with Python's handy libraries, and a simple web app you can deploy online.

As you work through the book, you'll learn how to:
  •  Use powerful Python libraries and tools, including Pygame, Matplotlib, Plotly, and Django
  •  Make 2D games that respond to keypresses and mouse clicks, and that increase in difficulty
  •  Use data to generate interactive visualizations
  •  Create and customize web apps and deploy them safely online
  •  Deal with mistakes and errors so you can solve your own programming problems

If you've been thinking about digging into programming, Python Crash Course will get you writing real programs fast. Why wait any longer? Start your engines and code!

Eric Matthes is a high school math and science teacher living in Alaska who teaches an Introduction to Programming class in Python. He has been writing programs since he was five years old.

Preface to the Second Edition
Introduction

PART I: Basics
Chapter 1: Getting Started
Chapter 2: Variables and Simple Data Types
Chapter 3: Introducing Lists
Chapter 4: Working with Lists
Chapter 5: if Statements
Chapter 6: Dictionaries
Chapter 7: User Input and while Loops
Chapter 8: Functions
Chapter 9: Classes
Chapter 10: Files and Exceptions
Chapter 11: Testing Your Code

PART II: Projects

Project 1: Alien Invasion
Chapter 12: A Ship that Fires Bullets
Chapter 13: Aliens!
Chapter 14: Scoring

Project 2: Data Visualization
Chapter 15: Generating Data
Chapter 16: Downloading Data
Chapter 17: Working with APIs

Project 3: Web Applications
Chapter 18: Getting Started with Django
Chapter 19: User Accounts
Chapter 20: Styling and Deploying an App

Afterword

Appendix A: Installing Python
Appendix B: Text Editors
Appendix C: Getting Help
Appendix D: Using Git for Version Control