========================
 Python Training Agenda
========================

This document provides an agenda for a four-day course in beginning
Python programming.

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Day 1 AM:

- Introductions, administrative matters.

- Agenda and outline of the course.  Goals for the course.

- Introduction to Python: (1) description of Python; (2) comparison
  and differences between Python and other scripting languages (Perl,
  Tcl, etc); (3) comparison with other languages (C, C++, Java, etc);
  (4) comparison of Python and Jython.

- Guidance to available on-line resources: http:/www.python.org, the
  standard Python documentation, SIGs (special interest groups), etc.

- Lexical matters: (1) variables and names, (2) line structure, (3)
  comments, (4) block structure, (5) operators.

Day 1 PM:

- Preview of Python execution model: (1) how Python evaluates
  and runs code; (2) the Python object model.

- Preview of selected statements, for example assignment, print, and
  for statements.

- Built-in data types and operations on built-in types: numerical
  types, lists/arrays, dictionaries, strings, etc.

- Practical exercises: (1) creating and using tuples and lists; (2)
  creating and using dictionaries; (3) creating strings, string
  operations, and formatting strings.


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Day 2 AM:

- Built-in data types, continued.

- Introduction to structured Python: (1) functions, (2) classes,
  (3) modules, (4) packages.

- Practical exercises: (1) functions; (2) simple classes; (3)
  modules.

- Python statements: (1) assignment, (2) import, (3) print,
  (4) if-then-else.

Day 2 PM:

- Python statements, continued: (1) for; (2) while; (3) continue and
  break; (4) try-except; (5) raise.

- Practical exercises -- statements.


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Day 3 AM:

- Statements continued: (1) del, (2) exec and eval().

- Structured Python -- functions.

- Practical exercises: statements and functions.

Day 3 PM:

- Structured Python, continued -- Object-oriented programming,
  classes, and instances.

- More structured Python -- modules and packages.

- Review of Python execution model.

- Iterators and generators.

- Practical exercises: (1) functions; (2) classes and object-oriented
  programming; (3) iterators and generators.


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Day 4 AM:

- Object-oriented Python -- Implementing and using classes.

- The Python standard libraries -- A review of some significant
  modules.

- Practical exercises -- Using the Python standard library.


Day 4 PM:

- Advanced topics -- (1) Embedded Python. (2) Extended Python;
  extending Python in other languages (SWIG, Pyrex, etc).  Comparison
  with equivalent tasks for Jython.

- Practical exercises: (1) functions; (2) classes; (3) modules.

- Practical exercises -- Application related tasks and problems
  suggested by class members.  Possible topics: (1) XML processing in
  Python; (2) database access with Python; (3) more text processing;
  (4) etc.