Modern Python: A Practical Guide

Preface

1. Who This Book Is For
   • Target audience and prerequisites
2. How to Use This Book
   • Reading paths and suggested progressions
3. What You’ll Learn
   • Primary takeaways and learning outcomes

Part I: Getting Started with Modern Python

Chapter 1: The Python Landscape

1. Engaging Introduction
   • Python’s history, philosophy, and guiding principles
2. Python Versions
   • Differences between major 3.x versions, focusing on 3.12+
3. Ecosystem Overview
   • Key libraries, frameworks, and the Python Package Index
4. Why Python?
   • Popular use cases and real-world examples

Chapter 2: Python Syntax and Data Types

1. Basic Syntax and Structure
   • Indentation, comments, and line statements
2. Variables and Naming Conventions
   • Snake_case vs. CamelCase; best practices
3. Core Data Types
   • Numbers, strings, booleans, None, lists, tuples, sets, and dicts
4. Working with Type Annotations
   • Overview, benefits, and simple examples

Chapter 3: Classes

1. Object-Oriented Programming in Python
   • Defining classes, __init__, and instance attributes
2. Duck Typing and Polymorphism
   • How Python focuses on behavior over inheritance