Python Scripting Fundamentals

Students will start with a brief discussion of the programming process and the history of Python, including fundamental rules for authoring Python code and Python syntax. Students will learn about variables, data types, functions, and arithmetic operators. Then they will master core concepts including using conditional statements, logical operators, identity operators, and loops. They will learn to use complex variable types including lists, tuples, sets, ranges and dictionaries. They will write code to process sequences, use nested sequences, and add loop control. Students will learn to structure code for reuse including defining, and calling their own functions, as well as returning data. They will learn to use Python to interact with files and directories, databases, and to create dynamic web content and handle web form data. Students will complete labs to develop four applications from scratch: an age calculator, a word guessing game, a lemonade stand game, and a text-based adventure game. Then students will complete a capstone project to demonstrate mastery of course objectives that includes writing the code to connect a web site to a backend database with code that creates uses, authenticates logins, and displays dynamic content.