Fundamentals Part 1

Overview

This module covers several fundamental aspects of Python: statements, expressions, variables, conditionals, loops, functions, and exceptions.

After completing this module, students should understand

What statements and expressions are and the differences between them
The difference between simple and compound statements and the elements of a compound statement
Common operators in Python, including the various division-related operators
How to declare and modify variables in Python
What a boolean context is and how common values are treated in boolean contexts
How to write conditional statements and conditional expressions and how they are different
How to write while loops and for loops and when to choose one over the other
How to alter the normal flow of control in a loop
How to call a function
The difference between positional arguments and keyword arguments and how to use each of them
How to write a function
The difference between required parameters and optional parameters and how to declare each of them
The difference between return and print()
What function docstrings are and how to write them
What an exception is
How the Python call stack works and how to read a stack traceback
How to raise exceptions
How to handle exceptions with try/except statements

You may find it helpful to refer to the following resources: