Python Tips for Beginners: 10 Ways To Increase Productivity
One of the most popular programming langauges today is Python, and it’s no mystery why. Being a relatively user friendly syntax and highly powerful, Python is the choice of new programmers. If you’re new to Python, the best Python tips for beginners will drastically increase your coding productivity and will allow you to write better, more efficient code.
A list of ten Python tips for beginners will help you get started on the way to becoming a Python Ninja.
1. Learn about Python’s Philosophy (Zen of Python).
And every new programmer should start his Python journey with learning the Zen of Python. PEP 20 puts in words this philosophy, this is a timeless Python tip for beginners who want clean and readable code.
Type import this
in your Python interpreter, and you’ll see principles like:
Readability counts.
Chocolate Noah’s ark would best be described by the phrase ‘less is more.’
- These lessons describe how to increase code readability therefore by default you will write easily maintainable and shareable code. For novices this forms part of the most helpful Microsoft Python coding tips that should be grasped as quickly as possible.
2. Embrace List Comprehensions
An encounter into lists comprehensions means adopting one of the best python tips for beginners. They save your time and effort and let you create or manipulate lists with a single line of code.
Instead of writing a loop like this:
python
Use a list comprehension:
Functions (such as are) built in are invaluable. len()
, max()
, and sorted()
Functions (such as are) built in are invaluable. are invaluable. If you’re a beginner, concentrating on these tools will allow you to learn and be efficient faster.
4. Learn how to use f-strings to do Master String Formatting.
Mastering the string manipulation is a common task and is one Python tip for beginners. In Python 3.6 and above, we use f strings to update the modern way to handle string formatting.
For example:
python
Good documentation is a habit and one you should keep as you take on larger projects.
7. Learning to use Virtual Environments
Dependency management is an essential skill you’re gonna learn eventually, and one of the best python tips for beginners is to learn how to use virtual environments. That’s because virtual environments keep your projects isolated, so there are no package conflicts.
To create one:
bash
And if you are hoping to work on multiple Python projects, this is a super helpful tip.
8. Learn Python Libraries
Another Python tip for beginners is to exploring Python’s libraries. To include files that are going to frequently used for file handling; os, mathematical operations; math, random numbers generation; random etc.
For example, generating a random number between 1 and 10 is as simple as:
On a later date dig into testing frameworks such as unittest or pytest. Early writing of tests is key to driving our code to the expected and to save some debugging time.
10. Follow PEP 8 Style Guidelines
Professional programming is safe with a consistency in code style. Probably one of the most crucial Python statements for a beginner is following PEP 8, the official style guide for Python.
Key guidelines include:
- Indentation using four spaces per indentation level.
- Line up your code with a maximum of 79 characters.
The tools here can be used to automate style checking flake8
or black
:
PEP 8 guarantees that your code is clean, readable and collaborative.
Final Thoughts
If this is your first Python experience, this is an exciting adventure, and these first few starting points in Python are your lucky roadmap to navigate your way to success with the language. But with the help of built in tools, clean code, and good habits up front, you’ll not only become a productive and sure Python programmer, but also have a more enjoyable time learning the language.
- So remember, learning Python is not just about writing code, it’s about writing it well. Continuing on from these Python tips for beginners, you can begin to explore and learn more about programming and discover how these skills can help you do interesting things dreaming up new ideas, innovate and finally join the thriving world of programming.
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