Why Python?
Python is a very powerful high level, general purpose language. This means you can write powerful programs with very few lines of code. Python is similar to Java in that the code is compiled to a low level language and then executed on a virtual machine. For this reason Python is available on literally every OS, including Windows, Mac, Linux and Unix.
It’s not just the language that is useful, but also the libraries and packages that it comes with. A whole universe of extra libraries and tools has been written for Python. This allows you do just about anything with it, ranging from simple tasks like extracting data from spreadsheets and making plots, through to more advanced things like prototyping algorithms, mathematical modelling and machine learning. You can read on some Python success stories here. Python is now the world’s fifth most popular programming language and the language of choice for introductory computer science courses at top-ranked computer science departments in the US.
Why these workshops?
These workshops are unique in that they are taught almost purely by example, by a scientist with nine years of real-world STEM experience. There are a large number of Python courses out there, a majority of which are online. Nothing however, beats being able to learn in-person from someone who is able to help guide you through the nuances of Python. The workshops are also a great way to take a step back from work and enjoy some great networking over the fully-provided catering.
Why now?
The world is moving towards a knowledge based economy. Companies and individuals with specialist skills in STEM fields will be at the forefront of innovation and in increasing demand. Investing in a good high level language like Python will place you in a good position to ride the coming wave of innovation – investing in this course will give you a significant headstart.
Available workshops
I have a number of full-day workshops available to get you and your staff up to speed with being productive in Python. The beginner courses assume no prior programming knowledge. More advanced courses show how Python can be used for specific purposes, such as getting information out of relational databases. I can either deliver these courses in-person at your company premises, or at the purpose-built Saxons training facilities in the Perth CBD.
Workshop 1 – Getting started with Python – for beginners
Getting started with Python is designed to provide an introduction to the basic syntax and feature set of Python. No prior programming experience is assumed, however an appetite to learn and work with computers will certainly help! In the course we cover the following topics:
- Introduction to Python, where it came from and why
- Using Jupyter notebooks for easy program development
- All essential Python functionality such as:
- All the essential data types such as numbers, strings, lists, tuples and dictionaries
- Making decisions with if statements and other flow control structures
- Reading and writing to files
- Making functions that do useful things within programs
- Putting functions together into Python modules
If we have time we will do a challenging and fun exercise that is designed to solidify your knowledge.
Workshop 2 – Number crunching with Python – for intermediate and advanced users
This course is also designed for intermediate Python users and those have registered for the basic course Getting started with Python. The course imparts a set of really useful skills for number crunching with Python, such as:
- Process data in multi-dimensional arrays using Numpy
- Explore the limitless capability of Matplotlib to Visualise 2D and 3D data
- Delve into the advanced science capabilites of the Scipy module, with examples in:
- Integration and interpolation
- Signal processing
- Linear algebra and optimisation
- Statistics
If there is time we will attempt a selection of advanced STEM-based exercises to offer students an opportunity to hone their craft.
Workshop 3 – Python for spreadsheets and databases – for intermediate users
This is course is designed for intermediate Python users and those who have registered for the basic course Getting started with Python. We will explore the Pandas and SQLAlchemy libraries and how they can be useful for:
- Getting data in and out of Excel spreadsheets
- Processing data by row and column in a Pandas dataframe
- Plotting time-series data
- Connecting to relational databases in a way that transcends the myriad of SQL dialects
- Building and dropping tables
- Running SQL queries and filtering results
- Getting information in to and out of relational databases using the SQLAlchemy Object Relational Mapper
If you would like to know more
If you’d like to explore options for any of these workshops at your company, or to express interest in the next available workshop, then please give Pelagos a call on +61 437 454 750 or get in touch through the Contact page.