1.0 — Why Python?
Python is a free, open-source programming language designed to be readable, friendly, and powerful. It runs everything from small scripts that rename files to massive systems at Google, Netflix, NASA, and OpenAI.
For a beginner, three things matter: (1) the syntax looks almost like English, (2) you can see results in seconds, (3) the community is enormous, so for any question you ever have, somebody has already written a clear answer.
1.1 — What you'll be able to do after this diploma
By the end of this program you'll be able to write small useful tools end to end — not toys.
- Read and write text files, CSVs, and JSON.
- Pull data from public web APIs and turn it into a report.
- Build simple command-line utilities your friends and coworkers can actually run.
- Understand other people's Python code well enough to fix bugs in it.
- Be ready to learn data analysis, web back-ends, or AI/LLM tooling next.
1.2 — Installing Python
Download the latest stable Python from python.org (Windows / macOS) or use your distribution's package manager (Linux). On Windows, check the box 'Add Python to PATH' during install — this is the single most common mistake beginners make.
Verify the install by opening a terminal and running `python --version`. You should see something like `Python 3.12.x`.
1.3 — Your first editor
You can write Python in any text editor, but a real editor saves you hours.
- VS Code (free, recommended) with the official Python extension.
- PyCharm Community (free) — heavier but very polished.
- Replit or Google Colab — zero install, run in the browser.
1.4 — Hello, World
Create a file called `hello.py` containing one line:
print("Hello, world!")
Run it from the terminal with `python hello.py`. If you see `Hello, world!` printed, your environment works.
