Advanced Python Programming

Course subjects

Python Refresher

• Data types

• Sequences

• Mapping types

• Program structure

• Files and console I/O

• Conditionals

• Loops

• Builtins

OS Services

• The os module

• Environment variables

• Launching external commands

• Walking directory trees

• Paths, directories, and filenames

• Working with file systems

• Dates and times

Pythonic Programming

• The Zen of Python

• Common idioms

• Lambda functions

• List comprehensions

• Generator expressions

• String formatting

Modules and Packages

• Initialisation code

• Namespaces

• Executing modules as scripts

• Documentation

• Packages and name resolution

• Naming conventions

• Using imports

Classes

• Defining classes

• Instance methods and data

• Properties

• Initialisers

• Class and static methods/data

• Inheritance

Metaprogramming

• Implicit properties

• globals() and locals()

• Working with attributes

• The inspect module

• Decorators

• Monkey patching

Programmer Tools

• Analysing programs

• Using pylint

• Testing code

• Using unittest

• Debugging

• Profiling and benchmarking

Distributing Modules

• Distribution concepts

• setuptools

• creating setup.py

• building installers

• running installers

Database Access

• The DB API

• Available Interfaces

• Connecting to a server

• Creating and executing a cursor

• Fetching data

• Parameterised statements

• Metadata

• Transaction control

• Other DBMS modules

GUI Programming with PyQT4

• About QT4

• Getting started with the designer

• Widget properties

• Predefined dialogs

• Generating the UI

• Wiring up events

• Advanced Topics

Network Programming

• Sockets

• Clients

• Servers

• Application protocols

• Forking servers

• Binary data

• The struct module

Threads

• When to use threads?

• The Global Interpreter Lock

• The threading module

• Simple threading

• Sharing variables

• Threaded servers

• The queue module

• Debugging threaded programs

• Alternatives to threading

XML and JSON

• Working with XML

• DOM and Sax

• Introducing ElementTree and lxml

• Parsing XML

• Navigating the document

• Creating a new XML document

• JSON

• Parsing JSON into Python

• Converting Python into JSON

Extending Python

• About non‐Python modules

• Overview of a C extension

• Writing C by hand

• Loading modules with ctypes

Subprocesses

• Running external commands with subprocess

• Getting command status

• Managing STDOUT, STDERR, and STDIN

• The sh module (non‐Windows systems only)

• Creating a simple command

• Keyword arguments

• Running commands in the background

• Piping and redirection

• Working with STDIO

• Exit codes

• Advanced features