Python for Beginners: A
Core Syllabus Outline
FOR SIRAAT!
Module 0: Getting Started (Pre-Requisites & Setup)
0.1 Why Python?
o Brief overview of Python's popularity and applications (web development, data
science, automation, AI, etc.)
o Key features: readability, versatility, large community.
0.2 Setting Up Your Environment
o Installing Python (using python.org installer or Anaconda/Miniconda for data
science focus).
o Understanding the Python Interpreter.
o Choosing an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) or Text Editor:
IDLE (comes with Python)
VS Code (recommended for versatility)
Jupyter Notebooks (recommended for interactive data exploration)
PyCharm Community Edition
o Running your first "Hello, World!" program.
Module 1: The Absolute Basics
1.1 Comments:
o Single-line (#) and multi-line ("""Docstrings""").
o Importance for code readability and documentation.
1.2 Variables and Data Types:
o What are variables? (Containers for data)
o Naming conventions (PEP 8).
o Fundamental Data Types:
int (Integers: whole numbers)
float (Floating-point numbers: decimals)
str (Strings: text) - basic operations (concatenation,
f-strings for
formatting)
bool (Booleans: True/False)
o Type conversion (casting): int(), float(), str(), bool().
o type() function to check data type.
1.3 Basic Operators:
o Arithmetic Operators: +, -, *, /, // (floor division), % (modulo), **
(exponentiation).
o Assignment Operators: =, +=, -=, *=, /=, etc.
o Comparison Operators: ==, !=, >, <, >=, <=. (Return Booleans)
o Logical Operators: and, or, not.
Module 2: Control Flow (Making Decisions & Repetitions)
2.1 Conditional Statements (if, elif, else):
o Understanding indentation (Python's way of defining blocks).
o Writing simple if statements.
o Using elif for multiple conditions.
o Implementing else for default cases.
o Nested if statements.
2.2 Loops:
o for loops:
Iterating over sequences (strings, lists, tuples, ranges).
range() function.
break and continue statements.
o while loops:
Looping based on a condition.
Infinite loops and how to avoid them.
break and continue statements.
Module 3: Data Structures (Organizing Data)
3.1 Lists:
o Definition, creation, and accessing elements (indexing, slicing).
o Mutability.
o Common List Methods: append(), extend(), insert(), remove(), pop(),
sort(), reverse(), len().
o List comprehensions (brief introduction).
3.2 Tuples:
o Definition, creation, and accessing elements.
o Immutability (key difference from lists).
o When to use tuples.
3.3 Dictionaries:
o Definition, creation (key-value pairs).
o Accessing, adding, modifying, and deleting elements.
o Common Dictionary Methods: keys(), values(), items().
o Iterating through dictionaries.
3.4 Sets:
o Definition, creation.
o Unordered collections of unique elements.
o Set operations: union, intersection, difference.
o When to use sets (e.g., for fast membership testing, removing duplicates).
Module 4: Functions (Code Reusability)
4.1 Defining and Calling Functions:
o def keyword.
o Function parameters (arguments).
o Return values (return keyword).
4.2 Function Arguments:
o Positional arguments.
o Keyword arguments.
o Default argument values.
o *args and **kwargs (brief introduction for more advanced usage).
4.3 Scope of Variables:
o Local vs. Global variables.
o Understanding the LEGB rule (Local, Enclosing, Global, Built-in).
4.4 Lambda Functions (Anonymous Functions):
o Brief introduction to lambda for simple, one-line functions.
Module 5: Input/Output and File Handling
5.1 User Input:
o input() function for getting user input.
o Converting input data types.
5.2 Printing Output:
o print() function.
o Using f-strings for formatted output.
5.3 Basic File Operations:
o Opening files: open() function (modes: 'r', 'w', 'a').
o Reading from files: read(), readline(), readlines().
o Writing to files: write(), writelines().
o Closing files (close() or using with statement for automatic closing).
o Handling FileNotFoundError.
Module 6: Error Handling (Being Robust)
6.1 Introduction to Errors and Exceptions:
o Common built-in exceptions (e.g., NameError, TypeError, ValueError,
IndexError, ZeroDivisionError).
6.2 try, except, else, finally Blocks:
o Handling specific exceptions.
o Handling multiple exceptions.
o else block (code runs if no exception occurs).
o finally block (code runs regardless of exception).
6.3 Raising Exceptions:
o raise keyword (brief mention).
Module 7: Modules and Packages (Organizing Code)
7.1 What are Modules?
o Python files containing code.
7.2 Importing Modules:
o import module_name.
o from module_name import function_name.
o import module_name as alias.
7.3 Exploring Common Built-in Modules:
o math (e.g., sqrt, ceil, floor, pi).
o random (e.g., randint, choice).
o datetime (basic usage).
o os (basic file system interaction).
7.4 Introduction to pip (Package Installer for Python):
o Installing external libraries (brief demonstration with a simple library like
requests).
Module 8: Object-Oriented Programming (OOP - Basic Concepts)
8.1 Classes and Objects:
o What are classes (blueprints) and objects (instances)?
o Defining a class.
o Creating objects.
8.2 Attributes and Methods:
o Instance attributes.
o __init__ method (constructor).
o Instance methods (self keyword).
8.3 Basic Principles (Brief Mention/Intuition):
o Encapsulation.
o (Inheritance and Polymorphism can be left for an intermediate course).
Module 9: Practical Application & Next Steps (Beyond the Basics)
9.1 Debugging:
o Using print() statements effectively.
o Brief introduction to using a debugger in your IDE.
9.2 Basic Project Ideas:
o Simple Calculator.
o To-Do List Application (text-based).
o Guess the Number Game.
o Basic Text Analyzer (word count, character count).
9.3 Where to Go Next?
o Web Development (Flask, Django)
o Data Science & Machine Learning (Pandas, NumPy, Scikit-learn)
o Automation (scripting with os, shutil)
o Game Development (Pygame)
o GUI Development (Tkinter, PyQt)
