Introduction to Programming

Phase 1: Understanding the Basics

Topics:

1. What is Programming?
   • Definition of programming.
   • Importance and applications of programming in various fields.
2. Introduction to Python
   • Overview of Python as a programming language.
   • Reasons for choosing Python as a beginner-friendly language.
3. Setting Up the Environment
   • Installing Python on your computer.
   • Configuring the Python environment and PATH.
4. Python Interactive Shell (REPL)
   • Understanding the Python REPL and its benefits.
   • Practicing basic calculations and expressions in the shell.
5. Writing and Running Python Scripts
   • Using Replit for Beginners
   • Creating a Python script using a text editor.
   • Executing Python scripts from the command line.
6. Variables and Data Types
   • Introduction to variables and their purpose.
   • Different data types in Python: integers, floats, strings, booleans, lists, tuples, and dictionaries.
7. Basic Input and Output
   • Using input() to get user input.
   • Printing output with print().
8. Arithmetic Operations
   • Understanding arithmetic operators: +, -, *, /, %, **, etc.
   • Performing mathematical calculations with Python.
9. String Manipulation
   • Concatenating strings with +.
   • Using string methods like .upper(), .lower(), .replace(), etc.
10. Control Flow - If Statements
    • Introduction to conditional statements (if, else, elif).
    • Making decisions based on conditions.
11. Control Flow - Loops
    • Using the while loop for repetitive tasks.
    • Using the for loop to iterate over collections.
12. Comparison, Logical, and Membership Operators in Python
    • Understanding comparison operators.
    • Understanding logical operators: and, or, not.
    • Combining conditions using logical operators.
    • Understanding membership operators.
13. Functions
    • Defining and calling functions in Python.
    • Passing arguments to functions and returning values.
14. Comments and Documentation
    • Writing comments to document code.
    • Generating function and code documentation using docstrings.
15. Troubleshooting and Debugging
    • Common errors in Python and how to fix them.
    • Using print statements and debugging tools.
16. Best Practices
    • Following coding conventions and style guidelines (PEP 8).
    • Writing clean, readable, and maintainable code.
17. Project: Simple Calculator
    • Building a simple calculator program using Python concepts learned so far.