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.

Python 3.12 Preview: Ever Better Error Messages

Python 3.12 Preview: Ever Better Error Messages

intermediate python

Python's del: Remove References From Scopes and Containers

Python's del: Remove References From Scopes and Containers

basics best-practices python

Python's sum(): The Pythonic Way to Sum Values

Summing Values the Pythonic Way With sum()

Mar 21, 2023 basics python

Python's Mutable vs Immutable Types: What's the Difference?

Python's Mutable vs Immutable Types: What's the Difference?

Mar 08, 2023 intermediate python

Python's zipfile: Manipulate Your ZIP Files Efficiently

Manipulating ZIP Files With Python

Mar 07, 2023 intermediate python

What's a Python Namespace Package, and What's It For?

What's a Python Namespace Package, and What's It For?

Mar 06, 2023 advanced python

Iterators and Iterables in Python: Run Efficient Iterations

Iterators and Iterables in Python: Run Efficient Iterations

Mar 01, 2023 intermediate python

Write Pythonic and Clean Code With namedtuple

Writing Clean, Pythonic Code With namedtuple

Feb 28, 2023 intermediate python

How to Flush the Output of the Python Print Function

How to Flush the Output of the Python Print Function

Feb 15, 2023 intermediate python

Getters and Setters: Manage Attributes in Python

Getters and Setters in Python

Feb 14, 2023 intermediate python

How to Split a Python List or Iterable Into Chunks

How to Split a Python List or Iterable Into Chunks

Feb 08, 2023 intermediate python

Python Basics: Building Systems With Classes

Python Basics: Building Systems With Classes

Feb 07, 2023 basics python

Python Basics: Object-Oriented Programming

Python Basics: Object-Oriented Programming

Jan 24, 2023 basics python

Python Basics: File System Operations

Python Basics Exercises: File System Operations

Jan 17, 2023 basics python

Python's Assignment Operator: Write Robust Assignments

Python's Assignment Operator: Write Robust Assignments

Jan 16, 2023 best-practices intermediate python

Python Basics: File System Operations

Python Basics: File System Operations

Dec 20, 2022 basics python

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

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

Dec 19, 2022 basics best-practices python

Context Managers and Python's with Statement

Context Managers and Python's with Statement

Dec 13, 2022 intermediate 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

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

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

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

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

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

Managing Attributes With Python's property()

Jul 26, 2022 best-practices intermediate python

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 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

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