Lecture 1: "Refresh your Python knowledge!

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Before we start

-We will be using python 2.6 / 2.7

If you want to use Python 3.x, go ahead, but in that case I can´t promise any troubleshooting.

Otherwise, Download and install Python 2.7.

As an IDE, Python Idle is fine. Personally I use Spyder, which is included in Python x,y

System requirements: OS is not important, though in my experience, Linux is more efficient (up to
100%) when it comes to processing the data. Other than that, a fast CPU (core duo, i-series or
equivalent) and RAM (2-4GB) are helpful but by no means necessary. We will eventually bring any
hardware to its limits, and faster processing is only good for only a little bit better solutions.

General Resources for solving encountered problems

Some literature for general reference, once you encounter specific problems. Of course, google
"python" plus a keyword usually brings up a good solution to your problem.

1. Discover python
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/views/opensource/libraryview.jsp?search_by=Discov
er+Python
2. Dive into Python http://diveintopython.org/toc/index.html
3. Python docs http://docs.python.org/release/2.6.6/tutorial/index.html
4. other resources http://wiki.python.org/moin/BeginnersGuide/Programmers

Your first Assignment:

Is to refresh your Python Knowledge. Refresh all the basics (the tutorials above give you a good
starting point) and then focus on following topics:

1) Lists and Lists of Lists, and their built-in functions

a. http://www.brpreiss.com/books/opus7/html/page82.html
b. http://diveintopython.org/native_data_types/lists.html
c. http://love-python.blogspot.com/2008/04/how-to-copy-list-in-python.html (bad
link, see discussion)

d. http://henry.precheur.org/python/copy_list
2) List Comprehensions
a. http://www.secnetix.de/olli/Python/list_comprehensions.hawk
b. http://www.network-theory.co.uk/docs/pytut/ListComprehensions.html
c. http://diveintopython.org/power_of_introspection/filtering_lists.html
3) Strings and String processing
a. http://docs.python.org/library/string.html
4) Built in types
a. http://docs.python.org/library/stdtypes.html
5) Objects and classes
6) Input and file Input
a. http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Python_Programming/Input_and_output
b. http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/opensource/library/os-python8/
7) Recursion
a. http://www.freenetpages.co.uk/hp/alan.gauld/tutrecur.htm
8) Errors and Exceptions
9) Readable Coding through PEP8
10) Debugging