Python: Basics

Python is a popular programming language used in in many different domains like AI, Machine Learning, Data Science or web development. Furthermore, as a concise and easy to read language, Python is facilitating the start in programming.

This beginner friendly course is designed for persons without further experience in programming skills who want to learn the Python programming language. Since programming is mainly "learning by doing", the participants write during the course small programs themselves.

General information

Duration	12 hours

Content

Python syntax
Data types (string, float, integer, boolean)
Control flow
Methods
Functions with return value
Data structures (lists, tuples, set, dictionaries)
Basics of Reading and Writing Files
Debugging

Requirements

This is a beginner friendly introduction into Python. You do not need any knowledge of this language prior to this course. However, if you never have used a programming language (e.g. working with variables or control structures), we recommend to have a glance at a short explanation of the fundamentals of programming prior to this course. In this course the focus lies on learning Python as an end and not as a mean to learn programming. Hence, we only touch the basic principles of programming while explaining the syntax of Python.

Target audience

Students and employees of the University of Zurich

Goals

Participants of this course will be able to describe the basics of the Python programming language and know how to work with different data types as well as data structures in this language to store, retrieve and calculate information. Furthermore, participants will be able to use control flow structures and functions to write their own first programs.

Preparation

Course materials are provided online on the day of the course.
Additionally, we recommend the following resources:

Notices

We recommend using your own computer for this course. Please, ensure before the course starts that you have a running environment to write and run Python programs.

If you already have a running Python installation with Jupyter Notebook or an IDE like Atom, PyCharm or Spyder, feel free to use whatever you feel most comfortable with. Please note the information about the IDE used in the comments section of each course.

Dates

Code	Referents	Dates	Available seats	Place
HS24-APPB4	Gloor Philipp	11.01.2025 - 18.01.2025 (09:00 - 16:00 o'clock)	0	Universität Zürich Irchel	register in waiting list
FS25-APPB-02	Brennwald Milena	20.02.2025 - 13.03.2025 (14:00 - 17:00 o'clock)		Universität Zürich Zentrum	Course registration begins on 1 February for the spring semester and on 1 September for the autumn semester.
FS25-APPB-05	Fernandez Fernandez Elena	01.04.2025 - 10.04.2025 (17:00 - 20:00 o'clock)		Online Course	Course registration begins on 1 February for the spring semester and on 1 September for the autumn semester.