Free Python Programming Course [2022]
Python continues to reign as one of the most popular and fastest-growing programming languages in the world. According to the TIOBE index, Python is currently the #1 language, up from #3 a year ago. It has seen a rapid rise in adoption, with its popularity more than doubling over the past 5 years per Stack Overflow‘s Developer Surveys.
So what makes Python so popular? Its versatility, simplicity, and beginner-friendliness. Python is a high-level, general-purpose language used for everything from web development to data analysis to artificial intelligence. It emphasizes code readability and enables developers to express concepts in fewer lines of code compared to languages like Java or C++.
Tech giants like Google, Facebook, Netflix, Dropbox, and Spotify all make heavy use of Python. It powers the backend stacks of major apps and sites like Instagram, Pinterest, and Uber. NASA uses Python for space exploration and data analysis. Researchers use Python to comb through huge datasets and create machine learning models.
This makes Python an ideal language for beginners to learn programming fundamentals that will serve them well across many domains. And now, you can learn Python for free with freeCodeCamp‘s newly released full-length course on their YouTube channel.
Your Free Beginner‘s Guide to Python
The new "Python Programming for Beginners" course was created by Beau Carnes, a seasoned developer and educator who has previously created one of the most popular JavaScript courses on YouTube as well as many Python tutorials. With his experience and knack for clearly explaining programming concepts, Beau has crafted his most comprehensive beginner‘s course yet.
The best part is that this robust Python course is completely free and accessible to everyone. All you need is a web browser to start coding along with Beau. No prior programming knowledge is necessary – the course is designed to take you from zero to Python programmer.
Over 5 hours of video lessons, you‘ll learn all the essential aspects of Python in a guided, hands-on way. Beau breaks down complex topics to make them easy to understand, while giving you plenty of opportunities to apply what you‘re learning.
As a full-stack developer, I can attest that Python is a valuable language to have in your toolkit. Its simple, expressive syntax makes it great for quick scripts and prototypes. But it also has the power and depth to scale up to large, complex applications.
Python‘s vast ecosystem of libraries and frameworks is a huge part of its appeal. For example, Django and Flask make it easy to spin up full-featured web apps and APIs. NumPy, Pandas, and Matplotlib enable data processing and visualization. TensorFlow and PyTorch power machine learning projects. Whatever you want to build, chances are Python has tools to help.
Course Structure & Features
The course kicks off by jumping right into coding a rock-paper-scissors game in Python. Beau walks you through the process line-by-line, explaining each new concept along the way. This gives you an early win and solid foundation to build on.
After the intro project, the course dives deeper into Python‘s core features and syntax. You‘ll learn about fundamental programming concepts like:
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Variables and Data Types: How to store and work with data in Python. Strings, numbers, booleans, lists, dictionaries and more.
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Control Flow: For loops, while loops, if/else statements. The building blocks of algorithms.
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Functions: How to define and call reusable blocks of code. Variable scope, parameters, return values.
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Object-Oriented Programming: Classes, objects, inheritance, polymorphism. Modeling real-world things in code.
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Working with Files: Reading from and writing to external data sources.
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Modules and Packages: Organizing code into reusable modules. Leveraging the vast ecosystem of 3rd party Python packages.
Beau packs a ton of information into this section while keeping explanations beginner-friendly. You‘ll come away with a thorough understanding of Python‘s capabilities and how its pieces fit together.
After the detailed overview of Python‘s key building blocks, you‘ll put your new skills to the test by coding a more complex project – a console-based Blackjack game. Here Beau guides you step-by-step again while introducing more advanced concepts like complex data structures and object composition.
One thing I like is how the course reiterates core concepts through spaced repetition. Certain key ideas like variables, loops and functions come up again and again, giving you practice and helping the knowledge stick.
By the end, you‘ll have written hundreds of lines of Python code yourself. You‘ll understand not just the fundamentals of Python syntax, but also the fundamentals of programming and software design that apply across all languages.
Python for Full-Stack Development
As a full-stack developer, I‘ve found Python to be an incredibly useful, if not essential, language to know. Its simplicity and expressiveness make it well-suited for all layers of the stack, from backend APIs to frontend web apps to database migrations.
One of Python‘s greatest strengths is its thriving ecosystem of powerful web frameworks. Django is the most popular, known for its "batteries-included" approach – it provides built-in tools for common tasks like user authentication, database management, and admin interfaces. This allows developers to bootstrap full-featured web apps quickly.
Flask is another widely used Python web framework, known for being lightweight and modular. It provides just the basics, giving developers complete flexibility over their stack. Both Django and Flask power major sites – Instagram and Pinterest run on Django, while Netflix and Lyft use Flask.
Python‘s simple syntax also makes it a great choice for building command line tools, processing data, and automating workflows. For example, you can write scripts to grab data from an API, manipulate it with Pandas, then share the results through email or Slack – all with just a few dozen lines of Python.
Compared to other popular languages like JavaScript or Java, I‘ve found Python to be more beginner-friendly while still being just as powerful for real-world tasks. Its emphasis on readability and simplicity reduces cognitive overhead, letting you focus on solving problems instead of navigating language quirks.
That said, Python isn‘t perfect for every task. Its simplicity comes at the cost of performance – Python code generally runs slower than compiled languages like Java or C++. For most applications this isn‘t an issue, but it can matter for really computation-heavy programs like complex machine learning models.
Python also isn‘t ideal for frontend web development. While there are Python-based tools like Pyodide for running Python in the browser, JavaScript and TypeScript are still the standard for interactive web interfaces.
However, a solid understanding of Python is still invaluable for full-stack web development. Its versatility allows you to cross boundaries and contribute up and down the stack. Mastering Python equips you to spin up a backend API, automate a testing pipeline, or crunch data to inform product decisions – all skills that will make you a more well-rounded and valuable developer.
Why Learn With freeCodeCamp
If you‘re looking to learn Python online, you have no shortage of options with Coursera, Udemy, Codecademy and other platforms offering Python courses. However, freeCodeCamp‘s Python course stands out in a few key ways:
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It‘s 100% free. No paywalls, ads or strings attached.
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It‘s comprehensive. At 5 hours, it covers an impressive amount of ground and doesn‘t gloss over explanations. You‘ll gain a thorough understanding of Python basics.
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The instructor is highly experienced. Beau Carnes is a seasoned developer and educator who really knows his stuff and how to explain it.
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The course is very hands-on. You‘ll spend a lot of time actually writing code, which is the best way to learn programming.
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It‘s easy to follow along. All you need is a web browser – no need to install any software or set up your own development environment.
While text-based tutorials can be great for reference, there‘s nothing quite like seeing code being written in real-time and hearing it explained by an expert. freeCodeCamp‘s video format makes it easy to follow in Beau‘s footsteps and solidify your understanding.
As a professional developer, I really appreciate how practical and project-based the course is. It mirrors how real software is developed – by starting with a problem, breaking it down into steps, and implementing the solution piece by piece. You‘ll come away not just with syntax knowledge, but a framework for solving problems with code.
Get Started Learning Python Today
Thanks to the internet and generous folks like Beau, there‘s never been an easier or more affordable time to learn to code. If you‘ve been wanting to learn Python, you can‘t go wrong with freeCodeCamp‘s "Python Programming for Beginners" course.
It‘s a great option whether you‘re an absolute beginner looking to kick start a career in tech, or an experienced developer wanting to add Python to your tool belt. Python‘s versatility makes it a valuable language to know for all sorts of software development roles.
After completing this course, you‘ll be well-equipped to dive deeper into Python and start building your own projects. Some natural next steps could be:
- Practising your skills with coding challenge sites like HackerRank or LeetCode
- Building a personal project like a web scraper or automation script
- Learning a Python web framework like Django or Flask
- Exploring Python‘s data science stack with NumPy and Pandas
- Contributing to open source Python projects on GitHub
Remember, learning to code is a journey and it‘s normal to feel overwhelmed at times. Don‘t hesitate to supplement your learning with other resources like the official Python docs, Stack Overflow, and online communities like the freeCodeCamp forums.
The most important thing is to keep practising and building. The more you code, the more concepts will click into place. With freeCodeCamp‘s Python course under your belt, you‘ll have a solid foundation to grow from.
So what are you waiting for? Dive into the full free course below or on freeCodeCamp‘s YouTube channel. Happy coding!