Knapp - Python: Programming for Intermediates: Learn the Fundamentals of Python in 7 Days

Python Programming for Intermediates

Learn the Fundamentals of Python in 7 Days

By Michael Knapp

Copyright 2019 - All Rights Reserved Michael Knapp

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any informational storage or retrieval system without express written, dated and signed permission from the author.

Other Books By Michael Knapp

Introduction

T his book is going to go more in depth than the previous beginners book did in showing you how you can use Python to its fullest advantage.

In the beginners book, you learned some of the basic functions of Python and the various pieces of code that you are going to be able to input into Python so that you can make that function work properly. However, in this book, you are going to learn about other functions and pieces of the code that will work with the functions that you already know.

It is here that you are going to be taking another step towards being able to program your own applications, websites, and anything else that you could possibly want to program all with simple blocks of code that you learned from a beginners book.

Do not rush into thinking that you are going to be able to write your own computer application just yet. That is going to require that you get through this book and the next one to get a complete understanding of how Python works.

The intermediate level is going to be a level that you may think does not need to be explored because some of it may end up being completely irrelevant to what it is that you are going to do with Python. However, you never know what you are going to find in this book that may just make or break the code that you are completing. So, please do not skip over this book thinking that you are not going to learn something new because I assure you, there is always something new for you to learn even if it is something simple.

You may see some of the same functions that you saw in the previous book; there is no information is going to be repeated between the two books. Instead, you are going to see a new use for that particular function or string of code that you have seen before. This is done because, just like Python, most of what is placed into the program is going to be versatile and not only work in one way for one data type, but a different way for another data type should it be able to be passed between the different types. Some scripts and functions must stick to one specific type so that they work the way that they are supposed to work.

Each section in this book is going to contain examples that are going to show you what the code should look like when you insert it into your own Python program. Do not be upset if your code does not work properly the first time, some of what you are going to learn in here is going to take a moment for you to be able to learn and the more practice that you get, the easier it is going to be for you to understand fully what is going on.

Do not be afraid to go to the Python website if you are in need of some extra help or to have someone explain it to you in a different way. There are plenty of volunteers who work with Python who are willing to help because they are not only trying to get Python to become the chosen programming language, but they want to make sure that it is efficient and user-friendly. What better way to do this than to be available to answer questions and discover what problems the users are having?

Once again, I must reiterate that this book was written for educational purposes only in an effort to help those who would like to learn how to code with Python for personal or professional reasons. While Python has many purposes such as hacking, it is not recommended that you use Python for this purpose unless it is part of your job legally, such as with the government or a company that has hired you to do ethical hacking for them.

In the event that you are doing ethical hacking, keep in mind that you have gotten the proper certification that allows for you to hack without getting into trouble, and with that being said, you should not take any sensitive information that you may get your hands on and use it for your own personal gain. You are being trusted with this information, and you should not break the trust that you have created with your employer.

Those who use hacking for their own gain, no matter what sort of methods you are using, it is highly illegal, and this book is going to stand behind saying that you should not do it. While knowing how to hack is a valuable skill, it is not one that should be used in an effort to sell other people's personal information. Should you get caught by law enforcement, the system administrator, or the government of the area in which you are currently residing, then you are going to be punished according to the laws and regulations that they have set forth. Many times, this is going to include some sort of jail time, a fine, and a mark on your permanent record.

So, once again, please do not use the lessons that are in this book for anything that could be considered illegal. Everything was written with the hopes of making it easier for you to advance in your personal or professional life as well as enable you to have knowledge that a lot of people are not going to possess due to the fact that they believe learning a programming language is too hard or because they do not find it helpful.

With that being said, you are going to be placing yourself above these people and learning something that could assist you in changing the world!

Chapter 1: Objects in Python

A n object in Python is considered to be the abstraction that is over any data that you insert into Python. This means that every value is going to have an object attached to it inside of Python. With every object comes an identity, a value, and a type. The identity of the object is never going to change after you have created it. The function id (obj) is going to give you an integer which will then be the representation of that object's identity.

Your is operator will take that identity and compare it to another objects identity effectively returning a Boolean to you. Should you be using the CPython version, then the id () method is going to return an integer that will give you the location as to where the object is located on the memory of Python which will be how you uniquely identify your objects.

This is thought to be an implementation detail that Python is allowed to return any value that it deems fit that will identify the object in a unique way within the interpreter.