Python Scripting: Dates, Classes and Collections

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/python-scripting-dates-classes-collections

Introduction

### Course Review: Python Scripting: Dates, Classes and Collections As the second part of a potent programming series, "Python Scripting: Dates, Classes and Collections," offered on Coursera, this course truly stands out for individuals aspiring to enhance their coding skills and immerse themselves in more advanced programming concepts. If you have a foundational understanding of Python and are looking to deepen your expertise, this course is a perfect fit. #### Overview The course is designed with a structured approach to help learners transition from basic programming capabilities to more advanced concepts. It covers four core areas: **Dates and Advanced Strings**, **Modeling Classes**, **Developing Classes**, and **Collections**. The blend of theoretical learning supported by practical laboratories enables students to apply their newfound knowledge directly, reinforcing the material learnt in lectures through hands-on programming tasks. #### Syllabus Breakdown 1. **Dates and Advanced Strings** This module creates a strong foundation by diving into the intricacies of working with dates and advanced string operations. Students learn how to manipulate time values, format them for output, and understand the complexities of string handling. This area is not only essential for data processing but also forms the basis for various applications and scripts that may require time data, making it integral to a programmer's toolkit. 2. **Modeling Classes** Understanding how to model classes is crucial for anyone looking to master object-oriented programming. This module introduces Unified Modeling Language (UML), a standard for visualizing system designs. By not just writing code but modeling how classes interact through diagrams, students gain a robust conceptual framework, which is invaluable when working on larger projects or collaborating in teams. 3. **Developing Classes** Building on the modeling skills acquired previously, this module guides students in implementing class structures alongside establishing one-to-one relationships. Here, theoretical knowledge transitions into practical execution, providing insight into how data relates and how to develop functional classes in Python. This practical approach helps to reinforce learning and cements important programming concepts. 4. **Collections** The final module is an exploration of data structures, allowing students to understand the storage and management of multiple values. Introducing arrays and more complex data structures equips learners with the tools needed to efficiently handle large datasets and implement functionalities like one-to-many relationships. This knowledge plays a crucial role in developing sophisticated applications that require effective data management. #### Hands-On Labs One of the course’s standout features is its hands-on lab component, which allows students to apply what they learn in real-time. These labs are designed to solidify understanding through practice, encouraging students to explore beyond theoretical concepts and tackle common programming challenges. #### Recommendation I wholeheartedly recommend "Python Scripting: Dates, Classes and Collections" for anyone looking to solidify their programming knowledge, especially in Python. The course strikes an excellent balance between theory and practice, making it suitable for students, professionals looking to upskill, or even hobbyists wanting to develop their programming ability. By the end of this course, learners will not only have a deeper understanding of advanced Python functionalities but will also gain confidence in building effective and efficient programs. Anyone ready to advance their programming career should consider enrolling in this course. It's a critical stepping stone for those looking to engage in software development and programming roles in the tech industry. Happy coding!

Syllabus

Dates and Advanced Strings

In this module, we continue our adventure coding! We will build on our skills by working with dates and time values. We will expand our abilities by looking at how to work with advance string operations. Lastly, we will explore was to format values for output.

In this module, we continue building out our programming toolset by adding the ability to abstract code and data. We begin to look at how classes are used to store both data and the operations on the data. In this module, we will not program, but we will model the classes in the Unified Modeling Language (UML). UML is a general-purpose, developmental, modeling language in the field of software engineering that is intended to provide a standard way to visualize the design of a system.

In this module, we continue looking at abstraction utilizing classes. We will implement parts of the models we developed in the previous module. In this module we will implement the individual classes and one-to-one has-a relationships. In future modules we will implement the one-to-many has-a relationships and is-a relationships.

In this module, we add the ability to store multiple values in a single variable. We look at both low-level arrays and a few higher-level data structures used to store multiple variables. We will utilize the collections to implement classes with the one-to-many has-a relationships we discussed in our previous modeling module.