What is to be known before you start Python Coding!!

Code Everyday

Consistency is very important when you are learning a new language. We recommend making a commitment to code every day. It may be hard to believe, but muscle memory plays a large part in programming. Committing to coding everyday will really help develop that muscle memory. Though it may seem daunting at first, consider starting small with 25 minutes everyday and working your way up from there.

Write It Out

As you progress on your journey as a new programmer, you may wonder if you should be taking notes. Yes, you should! In fact, research suggests that taking notes by hand is most beneficial for long-term retention. This will be especially beneficial for those working towards the goal of becoming a full-time developer, as many interviews will involve writing code on a whiteboard.

Once you start working on small projects and programs, writing by hand can also help you plan your code before you move to the computer. You can save a lot of time if you write out which functions and classes you will need, as well as how they will interact.

Go Interactive!

Whether you are learning about basic Python data structures (strings, lists, dictionaries, etc.) for the first time, or you are debugging an application, the interactive Python shell will be one of your best learning tools. We use it a lot on this site too!

To use the interactive Python shell (also sometimes called a “Python REPL”), first make sure Python is installed on your computer (Link will be shared in the future updates)

Become a Bug Bounty Hunter

Speaking of hitting a bug, it is inevitable once you start writing complex programs that you will run into bugs in your code. It happens to all of us! Don’t let bugs frustrate you. Instead, embrace these moments with pride and think of yourself as a bug bounty hunter.
When debugging, it is important to have a methodological approach to help you find where things are breaking down. Going through your code in the order in which it is executed and making sure each part works is a great way to do this.
Once you have an idea of where things might be breaking down, insert the following line of code into your script import pdb; pdb.set_trace() and run it. This is the Python debugger and will drop you into interactive mode. The debugger can also be run from the command line with python -m pdb <my_file.py>.

Teach

It is said that the best way to learn something is to teach it. This is true when you are learning Python. There are many ways to do this: whiteboarding with other Python lovers, writing blog posts explaining newly learned concepts, recording videos in which you explain something you learned, or simply talking to yourself at your computer. Each of these strategies will solidify your understanding as well as expose any gaps in your understanding.

Ask “GOOD” Questions

People always say there is no such thing as a bad question, but when it comes to programming, it is possible to ask a question badly. When you are asking for help from someone who has little or no context on the problem you are trying to solve, its best to ask GOOD questions by following this acronym:

• G: Give context on what you are trying to do, clearly describing the problem.
• O: Outline the things you have already tried to fix the issue.
• O: Offer your best guess as to what the problem might be. This helps the person who is helping you to not only know what you are thinking, but also know that you have done some thinking on your own.
• D: Demo what is happening. Include the code, a traceback error message, and an explanation of the steps you executed that resulted in the error. This way, the person helping does not have to try to recreate the issue.

Good questions can save a lot of time. Skipping any of these steps can result in back-and-forth conversations that can cause conflict. As a beginner, you want to make sure you ask good questions so that you practice communicating your thought process, and so that people who help you will be happy to continue helping you.

Contribute to Open Source

In the open-source model, software source code is available publicly, and anyone can collaborate. There are many Python libraries that are open-source projects and take contributions. Additionally, many companies publish open-source projects. This means you can work with code written and produced by the engineers working in these companies.
Contributing to an open-source Python project is a great way to create extremely valuable learning experiences. Let’s say you decide to submit a bug fix request: you submit a “pull request” for your fix to be patched into the code.
Next, the project managers will review your work, providing comments and suggestions. This will enable you to learn best practices for Python programming, as well as practice communicating with other developers.

Go Forth and Learn!

Now that you have these strategies for learning, you are ready to begin your Python journey! We also offer a beginner’s level Python course, which uses interesting examples to help you learn programming and web development.
Happy Coding!