python-basics-checklist.md

name	about	title	labels	assignees
Python basics checklist	A checklist to monitor your understanding of Python basics	Python basics checklist	python_checklist

Python part one

Running Python | Tutorial | Quick test questions

• Open and save a Jupyter Notebook
• Use basic Markdown in a notebook
• Run Python cells in a notebook

Variables and assignment | Tutorial | Quick test questions

• Write a program that assigns scalar values to variables
• Use valid and meaningful variable names
• Perform calculations with the values
• Correctly trace value changes in programs that use scalar assignment
• Use the print function to print out values

Data types and type conversion | Tutorial | Quick test questions

• Explain the difference between integer numbers and floating point numbers
• Explain the difference between numbers and character strings
• Find the type of a value using the type function
• Manipulate strings using * and + operators
• Select a single character from a string using indexing
• Select a substring using slicing
• Find the length of a string using the len function
• Use built-in functions to convert between integer numbers, floating point numbers and strings

Built-in functions, help and errors | Tutorial | Quick test questions

• Expain the difference between built-in functions, library functions and custom-made functions
• Explain the purpose of functions
• Correctly nest calls to built-in functions
• Use the round function to round a float to a given number of significant figures
• Use help to display documentation for built-in functions
• Describe situations in which SyntaxError and NameError occur

Lists | Tutorial | Quick test questions

• Give examples where programs need collections of values
• Create a Python list
• Explain the difference between 'indexing from one' and 'indexing from zero'
• Select an item from a list using indexing
• Assign new values to items in a list
• Explain the difference between mutable and immutable types
• Use the append method to add items to a list
• Explain the difference between a method and a function
• Use del to remove an item from a list

Programming good practice

• Use # to add in-line documentation to programs
• Use docstrings to provide help documentation for custom functions
• Use markdown to describe program behaviour and design decisions
• Use assert statements for testing
• Use .__version__ to print library version numbers
• Use consistent and appropriate whitespace