Promotional Information

A fast-paced, no-nonsense guide to programming in Python. This book teaches beginners the basics of programming in Python with a focus on real projects.

Table of Contents

Preface to the Second Edition
Introduction

PART I: Basics
Chapter 1: Getting Started
Chapter 2: Variables and Simple Data Types
Chapter 3: Introducing Lists
Chapter 4: Working with Lists
Chapter 5: if Statements
Chapter 6: Dictionaries
Chapter 7: User Input and while Loops
Chapter 8: Functions
Chapter 9: Classes
Chapter 10: Files and Exceptions
Chapter 11: Testing Your Code

PART II: Projects

Project 1: Alien Invasion
Chapter 12: A Ship that Fires Bullets
Chapter 13: Aliens!
Chapter 14: Scoring

Project 2: Data Visualization
Chapter 15: Generating Data
Chapter 16: Downloading Data
Chapter 17: Working with APIs

Project 3: Web Applications
Chapter 18: Getting Started with Django
Chapter 19: User Accounts
Chapter 20: Styling and Deploying an App

Afterword

Appendix A: Installing Python
Appendix B: Text Editors
Appendix C: Getting Help
Appendix D: Using Git for Version Control

About the Author

Eric Matthes is a high school math and science teacher living in Alaska who teaches an Introduction to Programming class in Python. He has been writing programs since he was five years old.

Reviews

Recommended reading for a "shining tech career" by Techradar India Python Crash Course was selected as one of the best books for learning Python by Real Python
"It has been interesting to see, over the last few years, No Starch Press, which produces this book, growing and producing future classics that should be alongside the more traditional O'Reilly Press programming books. Python Crash Course is one of those books."
--Greg Laden, ScienceBlogs

"All of these projects are well thought out and presented in such a way that learning the subject matter and implementing it is much more an enjoyable pastime rather than an onerous task that must be completed. Eric took the time to deal with some rather complex projects and lay them out in a consistent, logical and pleasant manner that draws the reader into the subject willingly, which unfortunately, many authors fail to do."
--Full Circle Magazine

"The book is well presented with good explanations of the code snippets. It works with you, one small step at a time, building more complex code, explaining what's going on all the way."
--FlickThrough Reviews

"Learning Python with Python Crash Course was an extremely positive experience! A great choice if you're new to Python."
--Mikke Goes Coding