What You Need

The class is designed for anyone with little to no knowledge of coding. No prerequisite knowledge is required. Unlike other courses, you won't need to install anything on your computer either: All you need is a desktop, internet, and an hour of time.

To avoid installation, we use a website called pytwiddle.com -- it's free, doesn't require an account to use, and allows you to share code easily (by clicking on the "Share" button).

What You’ll Learn

You’ll learn the fundamentals of code using Python. However, unlike most coding courses, this class doesn’t give you an exhaustive list of minutiae; instead, you learn just enough to start using code. The goal is for you to finish the class with (a) a set of nifty tools, (b) the ability to write more nifty tools, and (c) the recognition of code’s value in automating day-to-day functions. You’ll cover the following concepts throughout the course:

Data types, expressions, variables
How to use functions
How to define functions
How to use methods and attributes
If-else statements
While loops
For loops

What You'll Build

Along the way, you’ll create a set of tools to demonstrate these concepts -- a wide set of tools that you can use out-of-the-box or with a small enhancements, to improve your day-to-day:

Currency Converter
Email Reformatter
Name Picker
Location Checker
Birthday Countdown
Bacon Ipsum
Password Generator
Secret Messages

Exclusive Resources

The class will include links to exclusive resources including the following:

All 8 completed nifty tools
70 practice problems with solution walkthroughs (an hour of bonus content!)
Extra 27 practice problems with full working solutions
Downloadable slides, with access to all updated versions in the future
Links for further reading

Want to learn more?

Interested in creative coding? Check out my VR 101 (AFrame Nature Scenes) class.

Interested in data science or machine learning? Check out my SQL 101 (Database Design), Data 101 (Analytics), or Computer Vision 101 (Applied ML) classes.

Follow me on Skillshare to be the first to hear about more courses in these areas!

Acknowledgements: This course roughly follows UC Berkeley’s introductory computer science textbook: composingprograms.com. B-roll used in introductory video CC-0 licensed by Pexels (Karolina Grabowska, Pavel Danilyuk, Nino Souza, Oila Danilevich, Joao Adao, Distill, Mikhail Nilov, Steve Johnson).

Anjana Sundaram

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