Thanks to Dr. Alan McLeod for the content of this page.
Most on-line resources are designed for experienced coders, but there are some good electronic documents written for novice programmers too. These free, on-line resources tend to be succinct and are not reviewed as critically as a printed textbook. If you feel that you would benefit from more description and want a resource that can always be with you, then you should get the textbook.
The Beginners Guide page at python.org gives many links for beginning programmers. Here are a few from this page:
- The Non-Programmer's Tutorial for Python 3 is particularly well done. It is a concise Wiki-format document that has many examples and exercises with initially hidden solutions. It has been recently updated to Python 3.
- A Byte of Python by Swaroop C.H. is also good. The on-line version does not seem to display as well now as the HTML version that you can download. You can also download a PDF version if you wish to have a printed copy. He also has a version that has been updated to Python 3.
- If you are in a hurry, Instant Python is a very short introduction to version 2 of the language.
- How to Think Like a Computer Scientist is a nice intro to Python with more discussion than some of these electronic resources. The book refers to Python 2.
- One Day of IDLE Toying is a simple tutorial on IDLE with many screen shots. It is a bit dated now and refers to Python 2.
- PyQT is another increasingly popular and extensive GUI development module which is a binding of the QT toolset to Python.
Similarly, there is a page of links for more experienced programmers. Here is a small selection from this page:
- The python.org Tutorial written by Guido van Rossum is a good starting point for anyone who has coded before and is up-to-date with Python 3. You can access the tutorial on-line and it is part of the installed documentation.
- Dive Into Python is a more advanced text that can be purchased in print, viewed online or downloaded in various formats.
- Wxpython stands out as a GUI development module.
Other links are provided in the Iwanna Learn Python wiki.