Experience is the only teacher we have
Swami Vivekananda
As a self-taught developer with no degree in IT, when I first started exploring python coding I found it extremely hard to navigate the great variety of information on programming available on the Web (I am not even going to mention on this article the vast literature available for purchase)
Into the wild
is not just a great movie, instead it is also the feeling you experience when you first approach the programming world.
So as a first article for this blog I want to give you some useful indications on how to build your own path.
Youtube
- Corey Schafer: one of the best sources on youtube regarding coding imho. I find him extremely clear and skilled.
- Socratica: a very beautiful channel about scientific divulgation. I saw all their videos about Python. It stands out from other by design and clarity.
- Chris Hawkes: another very active and capable developer on youtube.
Websites
- www.programiz.com: This site is a jewel. It doesn't get lost into excessive details and it can shed a light on even the simplest piece of python coding. It is incredibly precise when it comes to fundamental concepts.
- python-forum.io: Simply the best world python forum. Read the Help/Rules section before posting.
- www.hackerrank.com: My favourite site to practise. There are problems/quizzes for any coding language, not only Python, and every problem is labelled based on its complexity. There is even a section about the core of Computer Science (Algorithms, Data structures, Maths). You may watch thousand of videos and tutorials, but with no practice you remain a noob.
- www.w3resource.com/python-exercises: A nice site where you can find useful but still not too complex exercises. It is perfect at the beginner stage.
- docs.python.org: Last but not least, the official documentation. THE source. Those who just approached this world might find it a little hard to understand the technicalities but it is definitely worth consulting.
Online books
- Automate the boring stuff with Python: Great book. It won't be easy to go through it to the end and solve all the exercises in it. The book starts with a beginning-stage-approach and becomes more complex as chapters go by. It is not a book about theory and explanations, instead it looks into automation of practical tasks.
- Problem solving with Algorithms and Data structures: Ok, here's where the game gets tough. The reason? With this book you will dive into the core of the computer science, algorithms and data structures, and you will experience this challenge through Python. There are a lot of videos, courses and books about this matter, but this book is specific for Python implementation. A must have.
Conclusions
I made an effort to stick to the basics and give you an overview of the essential sources. Whoever wants to learn has to find his own way among the wide range of available sources on the Web in order to detect those that are truly worth exploring and digging into.
Now learn and practice ;)