April Speight - Bite-Size Python: An Introduction to Python Programming

APRIL SPEIGHT

Copyright 2020 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

ISBN: 978-1-119-64381-4
ISBN: 978-1-119-64383-8 (ebk)
ISBN: 978-1-119-64382-1 (ebk)

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April Speight is a Python developer with a passion for helping beginners get started with programming. She believes that by providing programming instruction that is equal parts approachable, relatable, and fun she can truly foster a welcoming learning experience. Considered a true creator at heart, April enjoys programming AI assistants and chat bots, creating experiences with mixed reality, and discovering new ways to teach technical concepts to nontechnical audiences. Curious about what she's currently learning or creating? Follow her on Twitter @VogueandCode.

Kraig Brockschmidt has worked on technical developer content for over 30 years, publishing books, articles, sample code, and documentation for multiple languages and platforms. He currently works on developer documentation at Microsoft, specializing in developing with Python on Microsofts cloud computing platform, Azure.

When I began my journey to learn Python, there were few to no resources available online. The programming books in bookstores were less than beginner friendly. The platforms to which we often refer beginners were either nonexistent or within their infancy stage. In summation, the journey to learning foundational programming concepts included a lot of heavy lifting for beginners who did not come from technical academic backgrounds.

Today, as I look at the endless number of resources available both physically and digitally for learners, I can say that I am eternally grateful for each and every content creator who has contributed to such a vast number of resources for learning how to code.

As for the book that you're currently reading, I would be remiss if I did not give thanks to the many individuals involved in creating Bite-Size Python: An Introduction to Python Programming. To everyone at Wiley, thank you for contributing to a dream of mine, but most important thank you for the opportunity.

To my acquisitions editor, Devon Lewis, not a moment goes by where I share my publishing journey without mentioning your name. Thank you for watching my YouTube videos and believing in my ability to share my content on a larger scale. Furthermore, thank you for fostering the inclusion of diverse voices in the technical publishing world.

To my technical editor, Kraig Brockschmidt, I'm forever grateful for connecting with you professionally. I knew that I could trust you to take on a project that meant the world to me after the first time I saw your edits on a research assignment for work.

To my family and friends who have checked in on me, supported me, and promoted the heck out of this book since day one, I appreciate and love each and every one of you.

Finally, to the 20132014 IT department at CEA (now CTA), thank you for welcoming me into the tech industry with open arms. If it weren't for you all, who knows where I'd be today. Shell, Sterling, Winson, Jay, Jonathan, Ahmed, Tony, Chris, and Kyle, I'm forever indebted to you all.

Welcome to the world of Python programming! By opening this book, you've opened your world to infinite possibilities in creating with code. Python is a beginner-friendly programming language, and its structure is often compared to the English language.

So, what can you do with Python? Python can be used to instruct robots how to behave or to give commands to artificial intelligence (AI) assistants. With Python, you can automate everyday processes, such as receiving daily reminders to walk the dog or sending a weekly e-newsletter to the community. You can use it to create a blog, build a social media app like Instagram, or even make your own adventure games. In addition, learning Python is the stepping-stone to exploring advanced concepts in web development, data integration with application programming interfaces (APIs), blockchain technology, data science, and AI (such as computer vision, machine learning, and natural language processing to name a few). The possibilities are endless!