What’s in a Software Dev degree anyway? Course 1 – Information Structures

This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by DEV Community

This is a continuation of https://dev.to/vickilanger/what-s-in-a-software-dev-degree-491o. If you haven't read that, no worries. This post is just a cumulative of topics and concepts that were covered in my first course of my Software Dev degree.

Okay, I did it. First class of this degree is done. Here's everything we covered in the class.

As of now, I'd still consider myself self-taught. It's rough not knowing what you should learn next. I have a lot of gaps in my knowledge. That's why I decided to go to school. And also why I'm hoping sharing this will help someone else.

MET CS 521 O1 Information Structures with Python (2021 Fall 1)

Jump to:

Wait! I just wanna test myself on the exercises you had in class. Glad you asked, here's the repo: Exercises for first class

Input (Learning Objectives)

Week 1

Data Types
- primitives vs collections
- primitives: int bool float complex char
- collections: list tuple set dictionary string
Namespaces
Input/Output
Variable Scopes (legb)
Importing modules
statements dog_age = 6 vs expressions dog_age + 1
- statement returns nothing
- expression returns something, also called a side effect
Functions that can be applied to different data types are polymorphic

Unrelated to the curriculum, I also learned:

the professor has a preference for explaining Python in relation to C++ instead of explaining in ways everyone can understand.

Vicki Langer

@vicki_langer

Am I in the wrong class?! I swear I’ve learned more about C++ than what I actually signed up for

22:21 PM - 09 Sep 2021

use RateMyProfessors.com to look up before registering for future courses. I was watching Netflix series “The Chair” and learned about this.

Week 2

Data Types
- complex numbers
  - totally new to me. Guess they’re used in things like electromagnetics, chemistry, and economics.
fractions module is super neat
Hashing hash() for quick comparisons (still confused on this)
Mutability
Python Ranges
Copying Objects
- shallow copy makes copy but points to other object
- deepcopy() makes new object
== vs is
- == checks values
- is checks id to see if same exact object

Week 3

UTF - 8 numbering for alphanumeric characters
- chr() and ord()
Strings
- immutable, but there are work arounds
  - range(start, stop, step)
  - half-open range: does not include stop number
  - slicing [start:stop:jump]
  - string reversal string[-1]
  - out of bound slicing will not error, but give you whatever is in bounds
  - string formatting {:[alignment][width][decimal precision][type descriptor]}
Control Flow
- if-elif-else
- try - except
Iterations
- while and for
Files
- open,read, readlines, write, writelines
- importance of close
Lists
- list comprehensions
  - can have multiple conditions
  - works for mutable objects (lists & sets, not tuples & strings)

numbers = [13, 72, 11, 43, 66, 82]

# iterate to get even numbers
evens_from_nums = []
for num in numbers:
    if num % 2 == 0:
        evens_from_nums.append(num)

# list comprehension to get even numbers
# same as above, just shorthand
odds_from_nums_again = [num for num in numbers if num % 2 == 0]

list reversal with slicing or .reverse()
enumerate() for indexed collections
- returns a list with an index number
sort() vs sorted()
- sort() changes things in place
- sorted() orders things and creates a new list

Week 4

Lists
- See above, went over some list stuff in week 3
- indexing a nested list list[1][2] would give index 1 of main list then index 2 of the nested list
- sorting list of list sorts on the index [0] of nested lists
- some methods that modify a list: append() pop() extend() insert() remove() sort() reverse()
- reversing a list list[::-1] (gives no start or stop and a -1 step)
- Exercise: check if words are anagrams
- create a copy slice using [:] (shallow copy?)
- when list appends itself as an element, infinite regress occurs
Tuples
- single element tuple tuple = ("cat",) note the trailing comma, otherwise this would not be a tuple
- can use the same set up for a list comprehension
- immutable but can contain mutable objects
- tuples use most of the same methods as lists, except the ones that would change a list (eg append())
Dictionaries
- can use a similar set up for a list comprehension
- keys are not arranged in a specific order, they are in an order to efficiently search
- Exercise: count words or letters in a string
- namespaces are implemented with dictionaries
- items() all key-value pairs as a list of tuples
- keys() all keys as a list of list
- values() all values as a list of list
- zip() 2 or more lists together. Tuples by default
- can merge dicts with update() (note: for keys that already exist, values will be replaced)
Sets
- mutable, not ordered, only unique values
- subset small_set <= big_set vs superset big_set >= small_set
- frozen sets are possible to make sets immutable
- Methods
  - & or intersection() creates new set of all elements that are the same
  - | or union() creates new set of all elements of both lists
  - - or difference() creates new set of all elements in 1st set but not 2nd set
  - ^ or symmetric_difference() creates new set of all elements that are different
  - Link to Python Tutor with examples (with animals) of these set methods
- split() returns a list
- data type is the actual use of data structures, where data structures are more the theory or idea of
- efficiency refers to time, space, and algorithm
- Implementing other data structures with the types we have
- stacks can be made with lists
- Ternary if basically an if-else but jammed onto one line

true_thing if condition else false_thing  # ternary syntax
throw_ball() if dog_wants_play else pet_dog()  # ternary example

Week 5

Error Handling
- interupts vs Exceptions
- Allows us to watch code for errors
  - useful for things like user inputs ("All user input is evil")
- Try - Except
  - can handle multiple exceptions
- can do except IndexError as e to later use e (the error)
- If you use finally it runs every time, not required though
Functions
- functions are objects and have their own namespace (reminder: everything is an object)
- function docstring can include inputs, outputs, what the function does
- Parameters != arguments
  - parameters are in the function definition def feed_dog(dog_weight):
  - arguments are in the function call/invocation feed_dog(25.5)
- functions return None if there is no return statement
- can pass functions as arguments
- possible to have different function "signatures". same name === same function
- default parameters def pet_cat(time="now"): if you don't give a different time, cat will be pet now
- variable positional args def func(*args): this requires a tuple as input
- Mutable parameters as args/params, avoid if possible. Can cause issues
- parameter names as keywords feed_dog(dog_age=5, dog_weight = 25.5)
- annotation of params to document/suggest what type the param should be def feed_dog(dog_weight: float, dog_age: int):

 #syntax
 def function_name(param1, param2):
     '''what it does, inputs, and outputs'''
     # code for your function to do
 function_name(arg1, arg2) 

 # example
 def feed_dog(dog_weight: float, dog_age: int):
     '''calculate/output how much to feed dog with given dog weight arg'''
     pass
 feed_dog(25.5, 5)

 # -----other ways to call/invoke-----
 # how to invoke with out of order args
 feed_dog(dog_age=5, dog_weight = 25.5)  # also useful when there are a lot of params
 # use a dictionary for function args
 dog_dict = {"dog_weight":25.5, "dog_age":5} # same names as params
 feed_dog(**dog_dict)  # using ** to pass a dict

generators functions
- use yield instead of return
- allows you to start where you pick up as opposed to the beginning like a return
- yield give results and wait until next time function is called
- __iter__() __next__()
Lambda Function
- lambda args: expression
map() filter() reduce()
Recursion
- must have a base case and the base case must be first in the function
- can be slower than a non-recursive function
- Advantage: less code, may be easier for some problems
- Disadvantage: inefficient on memory and processing time, harder to read and follow
  - Calls by...
  - if you pass a mutable param -> call by reference
  - create a new object -> call by values
  - if you pass a immutable param -> call by value ### Week 6
Classes
- can be used to make new data structures. (Classes were used to build dict(), set(), list() etc)
- defining a class:
- self allows an object to keep it's own data (like this in js/c++/java)

import copy
class Dog():
    __stomach = 1  # a static variable w/ name mangling
    # define a constructor
    def __init__(self, name):
        self.__name = name  # w/ name mangling

    def __copy__(self):  # shallow copy 
        return Dog(self.__name)  # w/ name mangling

    def __str__(self):
        '''give a string when you print(instance_variable)'''
        return 'dog with name: ' + str(self.__name)  # w/ name mangling
    def add(a,b):  #
        return Dog(a.__name + b.__name)
    def get_stomachs(self):  # getter/accessor
        return self.__stomach

    def eat_dinner(self):  # self is like `this` in js/c++/java
        '''a class method for the dog to eat dinner'''
        # use Class_Name.variable to get the static variable
        print(f"{name} reports for dinner with their {Dog.stomach} stomach")

dog_one = Dog("wiley")  # makes a Dog just like list() makes a list
dog_one_come = dog_one.eat_dinner()
dog_copy = copy.copy(dog_one)
print(dog_one)  # prints return of __str__

Static vs. Instance Variables
- better to have static variables vs instance variables
- better to have 1 copy of a variable as opposed to 1 copy per instance
- static vars are before the methods defined in a class
- instance var or non-static would have the var in a method and each instance would have it's own copy of the var making it not so efficient
- __repr__() "official" object description (example: <__main__.Dog object at 0x7f545b6db8d0>)
Data Encapsulation
- no private like java
- all methods and variables are public
- name mangling provides minimum protection
  - give __ before name like __stomach to prevent accidental changing.
  - Though you could still change Dog._Dog__stomach = 4 it would just be less of a chance to do it by accident
Overloading
- Could write a method to use +,-,<,>,==,!=,&,! in a way they weren't already built to do by using "magic methods"
- magic methods are just overwritten methods that overload operators?

    def add(self, other):  # 
        return Dog(self.__name + other.__name)

Inheritance and Polymorphism
- can derive classes from new classes.
- In real life, mammals could be a parent class and cats could be a child class. Cat has some similarities, but some stuff is different
- if child class doesn't have a str() defined, python will look in the parent class
- functions like print() and len() can be used across different classes and functions
- if inheriting a parent class, include in the constructor/__init__
Multiple Inheritance
- python allows classes to have multiple parent classes. not all languages allow this (like Java and C)
- one problem
Abstract Classes
- Link to Python Tutor with examples (with animals) of abstract classes
Unit Tests
- run your function and use assert statements to test the expected output

Output (Projects and Work)

Week 1

assignment

quiz

The quiz had some ridiculous questions on it. Oh well.

Vicki Langer

@vicki_langer

Bombed that first quiz.

Python is interactive? Sure. I guess that’s important enough to have 2 questions on it.

When are sytax errors given? On compile or runtime? Who cares? They’re automatic!

Now I’m being childish, I guess I missed these in the book 😩

15:11 PM - 10 Sep 2021

Week 2 (data types, casting, mutability)

assignment

Homework 2 Assignment PDF

Week 3 (strings, control flow, loops, files)

assignment

Homework 3 Assignment PDF

Week 4 (lists, tuples, dictionaries, sets)

assignment

Homework 4 Assignment PDF

Week 5 (error handling, functions, recursion, generators)

assignment

Homework 5 Assignment PDF

Week 6 (classes, overloading, ecapsulation)

assignment

Homework 6 Assignment PDF

Week 7

Final Project

Final Project Requirements
Final Project

Final Exam

15 questions and 30 minutes later.
Covered:

generators
nested list/tuple indexing
function syntax
slicing
hashable and immutable data types
break and continue
classes and inheritance

Documentation (References)

This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by DEV Community

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Input (Learning Objectives)

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Output (Projects and Work)

Week 1

assignment

quiz

Week 2 (data types, casting, mutability)

assignment

Week 3 (strings, control flow, loops, files)

assignment

Week 4 (lists, tuples, dictionaries, sets)

assignment

Week 5 (error handling, functions, recursion, generators)

assignment

Week 6 (classes, overloading, ecapsulation)

assignment

Week 7

Final Project

Final Exam

Documentation (References)

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