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There are 5 modules in this course
Description: This course focuses on automating tasks and improving efficiency using Python. You'll learn how to write scripts for file manipulation, data extraction, web scraping, and interacting with APIs.
Benefits: Automate repetitive tasks, streamline workflows, and increase productivity in various domains using Python scripting.
By the end of this course, you'll be able to:
• Write scripts to automate file operations and data extraction.
• Perform web scraping using BeautifulSoup and Scrapy.
• Interact with REST APIs using the requests library.
• Integrate with third-party services like email and cloud storage.
• Schedule automated tasks using cron jobs and Task Scheduler.
• Optimize and scale automation scripts for increased efficiency.
Tools/Software: Python, os, shutil, glob, BeautifulSoup, Scrapy, requests, smtplib, imaplib, cron, Task Scheduler
This course is for entry-Level professionals looking to build a foundational understanding and experience with Python, while seeking employment as a Python developer. No prior work experience or degree is required.
This module provides a foundational understanding of automation concepts and their relevance in the context of Python programming. Learners will explore the "why" and "how" of automation, its historical evolution, and its impact on modern workplaces. They will learn to identify tasks suitable for automation, analyze their feasibility, and prioritize automation efforts based on impact and business value. The module also covers the essential tools and techniques for setting up a Python development environment for automation, including virtual environments, command line operations, and IDE automation features. By the end of this module, learners will be able to recognize automation opportunities, set up their development environment, and write basic Python scripts executable from the command line.
What's included
13 videos9 readings5 assignments1 ungraded lab
Show info about module content
13 videos•Total 66 minutes
What is automation? Why automate?•5 minutes
Automation in action: From manual to automated•2 minutes
Automation tools overview•6 minutes
The automation mindset: Identifying opportunities•6 minutes
Your automation detective kit•6 minutes
The automation funnel: From idea to implementation•2 minutes
Automation assessment: Case studies•6 minutes
Prioritizing automation efforts•6 minutes
Virtual environments: Keeping your projects organized•6 minutes
What are command lines?•6 minutes
Command line uses•5 minutes
Demo: Setting up your environment for command line automation•6 minutes
Demo: Writing and executing Python scripts from the command line•5 minutes
9 readings•Total 87 minutes
Automation and scripting with Python syllabus•7 minutes
The evolution of automation in the workplace•10 minutes
The rise of Robotic Process Automation (RPA)•10 minutes
10 questions to ask before automating a task•10 minutes
Easy wins with automation•10 minutes
What are virtual environments•10 minutes
Command Line Interfaces (CLI) in Python•10 minutes
Integrating Python with shell commands•10 minutes
Tips and tricks for automating your IDE•10 minutes
5 assignments•Total 105 minutes
Overview of automation concepts•15 minutes
Identifying tasks for automation•15 minutes
Setting up the development environment•15 minutes
Activity: Setting up the environment for automation•30 minutes
Introduction to automation•30 minutes
1 ungraded lab•Total 10 minutes
Activity: Create a "calculate area" snippet•10 minutes
Basic automation scripts
Module 2•6 hours to complete
Module details
This module delves into the practical application of Python scripting for automating common tasks, with a focus on file manipulation, data extraction, and web scraping. Learners will gain proficiency in using essential Python modules like os, shutil, and glob to automate file operations, improving efficiency in handling and processing data. They will learn to leverage regular expressions for precise data extraction from unstructured text and explore advanced techniques like NLP and machine learning for more complex data extraction scenarios. Finally, the module introduces web scraping with BeautifulSoup and Scrapy, enabling learners to extract valuable information from websites while adhering to ethical considerations. By the end of this module, learners will be able to write Python scripts to automate file operations, extract data from various sources, and perform basic web scraping tasks.
Real-world file manipulation in automation scenarios•7 minutes
Troubleshooting common file manipulation errors•6 minutes
Practical Regex examples for data extraction•6 minutes
Beyond Regex: Advanced data extraction techniques•6 minutes
Demo: Automating data processing with Python scripts•5 minutes
Web scraping: What, why, and how?•2 minutes
Web scraping: Foundations•6 minutes
Tools for web scraping•5 minutes
Demo: Extracting data from web pages with BeautifulSoup•6 minutes
Demo: Building a basic Scrapy spider•6 minutes
Recovering from failure: Interpreting scraping errors•6 minutes
Ethical considerations in web scraping and data extraction•6 minutes
10 readings•Total 100 minutes
Essential Python modules for file operations: os, shutil, and glob•10 minutes
Practical file manipulation examples•10 minutes
Working with text files: Reading, writing, and appending•10 minutes
Introduction to regular expressions•10 minutes
Finding patterns in text with Regex•10 minutes
Cleaning and transforming data for analysis•10 minutes
Reference guide to Regex•10 minutes
Introduction to BeautifulSoup: Parsing and navigating HTML•10 minutes
Introducing Scrapy: A powerful web scraping framework•10 minutes
Web scraping and data processing: A guide•10 minutes
4 assignments•Total 75 minutes
Writing scripts for file manipulation•15 minutes
Automating data extraction and processing•15 minutes
Automating web scraping with BeautifulSoup and Scrapy•15 minutes
Basic automation scripts•30 minutes
1 programming assignment•Total 60 minutes
Activity: Web scraping and data processing•60 minutes
2 ungraded labs•Total 20 minutes
Activity: Organize your downloads•10 minutes
Activity: Creating and updating a to-do list•10 minutes
Advanced automation techniques
Module 3•4 hours to complete
Module details
This module introduces learners to more sophisticated automation techniques, focusing on API interaction, integration with third-party services, and task scheduling. Learners will explore the world of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces), learning how to use Python's requests library to interact with REST APIs, handle authentication, and manage rate limits. They will gain experience integrating their Python scripts with popular third-party services like email providers (using smtplib and imaplib), cloud storage platforms (like Dropbox and OneDrive), and even social media, further expanding their automation capabilities. Finally, the module covers various methods for scheduling automated tasks, including cron jobs (Linux/macOS), Task Scheduler (Windows), and Python's schedule module, empowering learners to automate tasks efficiently and effectively.
What's included
11 videos10 readings5 assignments
Show info about module content
11 videos•Total 52 minutes
APIs: Your gateway to automated services•2 minutes
Interacting with APIs using Python's requests library•5 minutes
Postman: Examining API responses•6 minutes
API rate limiting and error handling•5 minutes
Leveraging third-party services for automation•2 minutes
The power of integrations: Expanding automation possibilities•6 minutes
Security considerations for third-party integrations•6 minutes
Time-based automation: Scheduled tasks•2 minutes
Scheduled tasks: Efficiency in the background•5 minutes
Demo: Scheduling tasks with Task Scheduler (Windows)•6 minutes
Choosing the right scheduling method•6 minutes
10 readings•Total 100 minutes
API reference guide•10 minutes
JSON and Python dictionaries•10 minutes
Understanding REST APIs: The basics•10 minutes
Using Python's requests library•10 minutes
API authentication and authorization: Keeping your data secure•10 minutes
Overview of automation opportunities with third-party services•10 minutes
Email automation with Python: Sending and receiving emails•10 minutes
Automating social media with Python•10 minutes
Scheduling tasks with Cron Jobs (Linux/macOS)•10 minutes
This module focuses on optimizing and scaling automation scripts for improved performance and handling larger, more complex tasks. Learners will explore techniques for ensuring script efficiency, including profiling tools like cProfile and line_profiler to identify bottlenecks and optimize code. They will delve into strategies for scaling automation tasks, such as parallel processing with concurrency and multiprocessing, leveraging Scrapy clusters for efficient web scraping, and utilizing cloud platforms like AWS for scalable infrastructure. The module also emphasizes the importance of monitoring and maintaining automation scripts through logging, error alerts, and best practices for code organization and documentation. Finally, learners will be introduced to testing methodologies like unit testing with pytest, integration testing, and end-to-end testing to ensure script reliability and accuracy.
Logging: Your automation script's diary•10 minutes
Types of testing for automation scripts: Unit, integration, and end-to-end•10 minutes
Test-Driven Development (TDD) for automation•10 minutes
Best practices for automation and scripting with Python•10 minutes
7 assignments•Total 150 minutes
Ensuring script efficiency•15 minutes
Scaling automation tasks•15 minutes
Monitoring and maintaining automation scripts•15 minutes
Testing and validating automation scripts•15 minutes
Activity: Scraping web quotes with Scrapy•30 minutes
Activity: Maintenance best practices in action•30 minutes
Optimization and scaling•30 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 5 minutes
What tasks in your role or past roles would you automate today? How would automation improve your work?•5 minutes
Git collaboration: Essential skills for a team environment
Module 5•5 hours to complete
Module details
This module focuses on equipping learners with essential Git skills for effective collaboration in a team environment. Building upon a basic understanding of Git, learners will explore intermediate concepts like branching, merging, and conflict resolution, emphasizing their importance in managing code changes and collaborating on automation projects. The module highlights best practices for teamwork, including communication, code reviews, and utilizing platforms like GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket for efficient code sharing and version control. Learners will also gain practical experience in showcasing their skills and projects through a well-structured GitHub portfolio, demonstrating their ability to work collaboratively and contribute to a team's success.
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