Python…The world’s fastest-growing and most popular programming language not just amongst software engineers but also amongst mathematicians, data analysts, scientists, accountants, network engineers, and even kids! because it’s a very beginner-friendly programming language. It is used by many different disciplines for a variety of different tasks, such as data analysis and visualization, artificial intelligence, machine learning, automation, etc.

You can write Python scripts to automate a lot of boring tasks such as copying files and folders, renaming them, and uploading them to a server. So Python is not just used by software developers but also it is used by other professionals to automate their tasks and make their life easier. Python is a multi-purpose language, you can use Python to build web apps, mobile apps, and desktop applications as well as software testing and even hacking.

All the above reasons are enough to convince you that Python is the most popular language among programmers and that you should learn it. However, the question is where to begin? How long will it take me to learn Python? what topics you should cover? what Python libraries or frameworks should I know about? Here's what it takes to become a Python developer.

Learn Syntax and Basics

Begin by installing Python on your system. Install the latest version by visiting Python's official website and downloading it. As soon as the installation is complete, you can use IDLE to write and run Python code. Let's go through some topics to start learning Python.

Data Types

Python has a hefty variety of data types which has some different variables. It assigns a memory byte set to every single type and for every data type-particular set of operations is permitted. They include:

• Python Lists
• Python Tuples
• Slicing in Python
• Python Sets
• Python Dictionaries

Typecasting

You need to convert one data type into another in Python by employing the typecasting method. Various functions can be employed to transform strings into integers, numeric values, or float, into string types.

Operators

These are the main symbols that assist the compiler to run some particular logical or mathematical operations.

Data Structure

A data structure is a concept that assists in writing dynamic programs in any program. Certainly, Python is a high-level programming language with the basics of data structure as compared to other programming languages.

Conditional statement

There reaches a point where some statement is to form in a way if some conditions are true. The conditional statement assists to run such sort of job. You will find several conditional statements such as nested if, if-elif, if, if…else, etc.

Loops

These are the conditional statement that is formed as long as the conditional statement come back true. You will see 3 different types of loops in a Python programming language which are nested loop, loop, and for a loop.

Functions

These functions can be described as a whole group of statements in a program that runs a particular task. It is the reusable code employed to run a solely related task. Employing function lessens any error in code as it is possible to test a certain function at a time and also assists in deducting the size of code as not writing the same code again in a program. Moreover, you can make a function and call that function to perform some sort of task.

Object-Oriented Programming(OOP) Concepts

This section will be a bit tough especially if you don’t know about object-oriented programming concepts. Take the help of some resources which we have mentioned and with some practice, you will be able to understand the concepts. These concepts will be widely used in making complex applications so understand these topics very well.

Classes:

These are the focal point of OOP and assist well to define the object in a view of its description however it divides the object itself.

Objects:

These in OOP are data types made by the software developer itself. It has various properties, objects, and methods.

Lambda:

The function which is not well described employing the basic format of function mentioning def keyword is called lambda function.

Inheritance:

It’s the procedure of sharing the functionality within different classes. Moreover, it assists to describe a class completely based on another class.

Reflection:

It’s the basic ability for a specific code to be able to find out specific attributes about various objects that may be passed as basic measures to a function.

Once you mastered the above topics and practised enough for every topic, it’s time to build something out of it. Python has a good collection of modules, packages, libraries and frameworks which you may use for various applications. So instead of building everything from scratch use frameworks & libraries available in this language. It will be easier for you to build something using these frameworks and libraries. Pick up the framework or libraries as per your end goal (Web development, desktop-based applications, etc.)

Major applications of python are:

Web Development

There are so many frameworks for web applications in Python some of them are Django, Flask, Bottle, Tornado, and Pyramid.

• Django: A high-level web framework mostly used in startups and enterprises for web development. It follows the MVC pattern and you can use multiple databases such as PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, and Oracle. If you are a complete beginner and not aware of the terminology authentication, URL routing, API and models then you will feel a lot of pain while learning Django but take your time, have patience, go through some more resources and understand each line of code. Slowly and gradually you will understand everything.
• Flask: Flask is one of the easiest microframeworks to learn in Python. If you wish to develop a simple and lightweight web application then Flask is suitable for that. It is not as powerful and extensive as Django still provides features such as support for unit testing and building REST APIs.

Building Desktop Applications

Tkinter, PyQT, Kivy, WxPython or PyGUI libraries are very good for building desktop-based applications.

• Tkinter: Tkinter is an open-source library and it allows you to build desktop GUI applications using Python. Learning Tkinter is simple and provides a graphical interface. It will take around 1 week to learn Tkinter.
• PyQT: PyQt is one of the most powerful cross-platform GUI libraries owned by Nokia. It combines Python programming and the Qt library. It can be used to design graphical user interfaces for a desktop application.
• Kivy: It can be used to create desktop applications also it supports platforms like Android, iOS, Linux & Raspberry Pi.

Data Analysis

Numpy, Pandas, Seaborn, Bokeh, SciPy, and Matplotlib these libraries are good for data analysis. These libraries are helpful for those who want to become data analysts/ data scientists.

• Numpy: It is an array-processing package and provides high-performance array objects. It is widely used for scientific computing with Python and provides essential features.
• Pandas: Pandas is also a very good open-source library that is used for data analysis. It provides high-level data structures (such as DataFrame) and a vast variety of tools for analysis. It also can translate complex operations into a few commands. Using this library, data manipulation becomes a much easier task.

Machine Learning

• TensorFlow: Most popular deep learning library developed by Google. It is a computational framework used to express algorithms that involve numerous Tensor operations.

• Scikit-Learn: A machine learning library for Python, designed to work with numerical libraries such as SciPy & NumPy.
• PyTorch: It can handle dynamic computation graphs on the go. It also provides easy to use API.

A common mistake beginners make is that they start learning a language just for the sake of learning it and do not have a specific goal in mind. Remember that learning a programming language is one thing but using it to build something real-world is another. As a programmer, your purpose should be to be able to build things, not just learn new languages.

Also, remember that the best way to test your programming skills is by working on a complex project which solves a problem. Building a complex project is not an easy task for beginners so start something small. Make a simple project first and then gradually move along. If you want to build a complex project start with a small and simple module then keep adding features to it. You will see your progress along with your project and you will understand how programmers solve real-world complex problems.

Projects are really helpful in sharpening your skills. While working on a project you will face frustration, multiple hurdles, challenges, and difficulties. When you work on these challenges and difficulties you gain a good amount of skills. Solving these challenges gives you enough experience in problem-solving using Python.

Now there are multiple projects you can make using Python. Simple interest/ EMI calculator, Weather application, Simple Crawler these all are simple projects which you can make. If we talk about some complex project then you can make a fully functional E-commerce site, a Web-based crawler that dynamically crawls a specific webpage, Online CV generator which generates a CV in PDF format from raw text.

Tips

• Have patience, it’s not just in the case of learning Python but also it’s in the case of learning another language. Learning a first language always requires more effort and time so understand that it will take time to sink everything.
• Stick with your goal and language. Don’t just learn the syntax and jump to a new programming language.
• Frustration and pain are a part of the learning process, embrace them instead of avoiding them.
• Due to some complex terms, errors, and issues, you will feel like giving up. Don’t do that, it happens with everyone in programming. Give some time to yourself and understand the topic using some other resource and with a focused mind.
• Be consistent, if you are not consistent in learning it will take a lot more time and effort.
• Building projects are always helpful in building confidence so don’t ignore its importance.

For more information, visit roadmap.sh