Core Python Language Tutorials

This page features all of our “pure Python” tutorials that focus on the core language features.

What is Python?

Python, named after the British comedy group Monty Python, is an interpreted, interactive, object-oriented programming language. Its flexibility allows it to do many things, both big and small. Python can be used to write simple programs, but it also possesses the full power required to create complex, large-scale enterprise solutions. Some of the ways in which Python is used includes:

  • Desktop graphical application development, including games;
  • Mathematical and scientific analysis of data; and
  • Web and internet development.

Python’s presence in the world of computer programming can be found everywhere. For example, Python is used in some of the largest internet sites on earth - like Reddit, Dropbox, and Youtube, to name a few. The popular Python web framework Django powers both Instagram and Pinterest. LucasFilms’s award winning visual effects company, Industrial Light & Magic, uses Python to make help make their magic come to life.

It’s easy to forget just how powerful Python is because it’s so easy to learn.

Free Bonus: Python Cheat Sheet

Get a Python Cheat Sheet (PDF) and learn the basics of Python 3, like working with data types, dictionaries, lists, and Python functions:

Python Cheat Sheet
Generate Images With DALL·E 2 and the OpenAI API

Generate Images With DALL·E 2 and the OpenAI API

api data-science intermediate python

Operators and Expressions in Python

Python's "in" and "not in" Operators: Check for Membership

basics best-practices python

How to Build Command Line Interfaces in Python With argparse

Build Command-Line Interfaces With Python's argparse

Dec 07, 2022 intermediate python

Python Basics: Dictionaries

Python Basics: Dictionaries

Dec 06, 2022 basics python

Python 3 "pathlib" Module: Taming The Filesystem

Using Python's pathlib Module

Nov 29, 2022 intermediate python

Getters and Setters: Manage Attributes in Python

Getters and Setters: Manage Attributes in Python

Nov 09, 2022 intermediate python

Refactoring: Prepare Your Code to Get Help

Refactoring: Prepare Your Code to Get Help

Nov 08, 2022 intermediate python

Should You Update to the Latest Python Bugfix Version?

Should You Update to the Latest Python Bugfix Version?

Nov 02, 2022 advanced best-practices python

Python Basics: Scopes

Python Basics: Scopes

Nov 01, 2022 basics python

Python's doctest: Document and Test Your Code at Once

Python's doctest: Document and Test Your Code at Once

Oct 31, 2022 intermediate python testing

Python 3.11: Cool New Features for You to Try

Cool New Features in Python 3.11

Oct 25, 2022 intermediate python

Python 3.11: Cool New Features for You to Try

Python 3.11: Cool New Features for You to Try

Oct 24, 2022 intermediate python

Build a Tic-Tac-Toe Game Engine With an AI Player in Python

Build a Tic-Tac-Toe Game Engine With an AI Player in Python

Oct 19, 2022 advanced best-practices gamedev gui projects python

Python Basics: Numbers and Math

Python Basics: Numbers and Math

Oct 18, 2022 basics python

ChatterBot: Build a Chatbot With Python

ChatterBot: Build a Chatbot With Python

Oct 12, 2022 intermediate projects python

Providing Multiple Constructors in Your Python Classes

Providing Multiple Constructors in Your Python Classes

Oct 11, 2022 intermediate python

Python Basics: Strings and String Methods

Python Basics: Strings and String Methods

Oct 04, 2022 basics python

Build Enumerations of Constants With Python's Enum

Build Enumerations of Constants With Python's Enum

Oct 03, 2022 intermediate python

Custom Python Strings: Inheriting From str vs UserString

Custom Python Strings: Inheriting From str vs UserString

Sep 28, 2022 intermediate python

How to Add Python to PATH

How to Add Python to PATH

Sep 26, 2022 basics python

Build Your Python Project Documentation With MkDocs

Building Python Project Documentation With MkDocs

Sep 20, 2022 intermediate projects python

Python Basics: Conditional Logic & Control Flow

Python Basics: Conditional Logic and Control Flow

Sep 13, 2022 basics python

Custom Python Lists: Inheriting From list vs UserList

Custom Python Lists: Inheriting From list vs UserList

Sep 12, 2022 intermediate python

How Can You Install a Pre-Release Version of Python?

How Can You Install a Pre-Release Version of Python?

Aug 31, 2022 advanced docker python tools

Python Basics: Functions and Loops

Python Basics: Functions and Loops

Aug 30, 2022 basics python

Python's exec(): Execute Dynamically Generated Code

Python's exec(): Execute Dynamically Generated Code

Aug 24, 2022 intermediate python

How to Find the Absolute Value in Python

How to Find an Absolute Value in Python

Aug 17, 2022 basics python

Caching in Python Using the LRU Cache Strategy

Caching in Python With lru_cache

Aug 16, 2022 intermediate python

GitHub Copilot: Fly With Python at the Speed of Thought

GitHub Copilot: Fly With Python at the Speed of Thought

Aug 15, 2022 intermediate python tools

Exploring Special Function Parameters

Exploring Special Function Parameters

Aug 09, 2022 intermediate python

Python Constants: Improve Your Code's Maintainability

Python Constants: Improve Your Code's Maintainability

Aug 03, 2022 intermediate python

Python Basics: Finding and Fixing Code Bugs

Python Basics: Finding and Fixing Code Bugs

Aug 02, 2022 basics python

Python's property(): Add Managed Attributes to Your Classes

Managing Attributes With Python's property()

Jul 26, 2022 best-practices intermediate python

Your Python Coding Environment on Windows: Setup Guide

Your Python Coding Environment on Windows: Setup Guide

Jul 25, 2022 basics python tools

Custom Python Dictionaries: Inheriting From dict vs UserDict

Custom Python Dictionaries: Inheriting From dict vs UserDict

Jul 20, 2022 best-practices intermediate python

Using the "not" Boolean Operator in Python

Using the Python not Operator

Jul 19, 2022 basics python

Using the "and" Boolean Operator in Python

Using the Python and Operator

Jul 05, 2022 basics best-practices python

Python 3.11 Preview: TOML and tomllib

Python 3.11 Preview: TOML and tomllib

Jul 04, 2022 intermediate python

Python Stacks, Queues, and Priority Queues in Practice

Python Stacks, Queues, and Priority Queues in Practice

Jun 29, 2022 intermediate python

Build a Site Connectivity Checker in Python

Building a Site Connectivity Checker

Jun 28, 2022 intermediate projects python

Effective Python Testing With Pytest

Effective Python Testing With Pytest

Jun 22, 2022 intermediate python testing

Python mmap: Improved File I/O With Memory Mapping

Python mmap: Doing File I/O With Memory Mapping

Jun 21, 2022 intermediate python

How Can You Emulate Do-While Loops in Python?

How Can You Emulate Do-While Loops in Python?

Jun 20, 2022 basics best-practices python

Build Your Python Project Documentation With MkDocs

Build Your Python Project Documentation With MkDocs

Jun 15, 2022 basics projects python

LBYL vs EAFP: Preventing or Handling Errors in Python

LBYL vs EAFP: Preventing or Handling Errors in Python

Jun 01, 2022 best-practices intermediate python

Exploring Scopes and Closures in Python

Exploring Scopes and Closures in Python

May 24, 2022 community intermediate python

Python Class Constructors: Control Your Object Instantiation

Using Python Class Constructors

May 17, 2022 intermediate python

Pandas GroupBy: Your Guide to Grouping Data in Python

pandas GroupBy: Your Guide to Grouping Data in Python

May 11, 2022 data-science intermediate python