Volume 2 — Python Programming¶

The language, properly

The core language taught from first principles: values, control flow, functions, data structures, errors, files and objects. Every construct is introduced by the problem it solves, not by its syntax.

What you will be able to do¶

• Write idiomatic, typed Python that a reviewer would approve
• Choose the right container by instinct
• Use generators, decorators and context managers deliberately
• Explain the GIL and when async, threads or processes are correct

Chapters¶

1. Why Python, and how it runs
2. Values, variables and expressions
3. Control flow
4. Functions and the functional toolkit
5. Data structures that carry real work
6. Files, errors and the outside world
7. Object-oriented Python
8. Concurrency, parallelism and performance

Lessons available now¶

These lessons come from the Version 1 course and are complete.

Why Python, and How It Runs

• Why Python Eats the World (and Your Career)
• Setting Up: Python 3.13, uv & the Modern Toolchain
• How Python Actually Runs: Interpreter, Bytecode & the REPL

Values, Variables & Expressions

• Variables, Objects & Dynamic Typing
• Numbers, Strings & Operators
• Type Hints: Python That Documents Itself

Making Decisions: Control Flow

• Conditionals & Boolean Logic
• Loops & Iteration
• Structural Pattern Matching (match/case)

Functions & the Functional Toolkit

• Functions, Arguments & Scope
• Comprehensions, Lambdas & the Iterator Protocol
• Closures & Decorators
• Generators & Lazy Evaluation

Data Structures That Carry Real Work

• Lists & Tuples
• Dictionaries & Sets
• Strings & Text Processing
• Choosing the Right Container

Files, Errors & the Outside World

• Files, pathlib & Context Managers
• Exceptions & Defensive Code
• Data Formats: JSON, CSV & Serialization

Object-Oriented Python

• Classes, Objects & State
• Inheritance, Composition & Dunder Methods
• Pythonic Design: Protocols, ABCs & SOLID

All volumes