This course is part of the Python 3 Programming Specialization

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Associated with the Master of Applied Data Science degree
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Python 3 Programming SpecializationUniversity of Michigan

About this Course

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This course introduces the dictionary data structure and user-defined functions. You’ll learn about local and global variables, optional and keyword parameter-passing, named functions and lambda expressions. You’ll also learn about Python’s sorted function and how to control the order in which it sorts by passing in another function as an input. For your final project, you’ll read in simulated social media data from a file, compute sentiment scores, and write out .csv files. It covers chapters 10-16 of the textbook “Fundamentals of Python Programming,” which is the accompanying text (optional and free) for this course.
The course is well-suited for you if you have already taken the "Python Basics" course and want to gain further fundamental knowledge of the Python language. Together, both courses are geared towards newcomers to Python programming, those who need a refresher on Python basics, or those who may have had some exposure to Python programming but want a more in-depth exposition and vocabulary for describing and reasoning about programs.

This is a follow-up to the "Python Basics" course (course 1 of the Python 3 Programming Specialization), and it is the second of five courses in the specialization.

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Course 2 of 5 in the

Python 3 Programming Specialization

Beginner Level

Approx. 31 hours to complete

English

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Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 2 of 5 in the

Python 3 Programming Specialization

Beginner Level

Approx. 31 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructors

Instructor rating

4.81/5 (701 Ratings)

Paul Resnick

Michael D. Cohen Collegiate Professor

School of Information

409,652 Learners

9 Courses

Steve Oney

Assistant Professor

School of Information

402,987 Learners

8 Courses

Offered by

University of Michigan

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This course is related to the 100% online Master of Applied Data Science from University of Michigan. It will provide you with a preview of the topics, materials and instructors so you can decide if the full online degree program is right for you.

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating97%(20,623 ratings)

Week1

Week 1

6 hours to complete

Files and CSV Output

6 hours to complete

14 videos (Total 88 min), 15 readings, 3 quizzes

14 videos

Introduction to the Specialization11mWelcome to Python Functions, Files, and Dictionaries2mHow to Use the Interactive Textbook14mIntroduction: Files1mReading a File9mFinding a File in Your File System6mWriting to a File7mUsing With to Open Files5mConclusion: Files1mIntroduction: .csv Format3mReading a .csv File8mWriting Data to a .csv File10mTips on File Naming2mConclusion: .csv Format1m

15 readings

Syllabus10mHelp Us Learn More About You!10mSyllabus10mIntroduction: Working with Data Files10mReading a File10mAlternative File Reading Methods10mIterating Over Lines in a File10mFinding a File in your File System10mWriting to a File10mUsing With to Open Files10mRecipe for Reading and Processing a File10mCSV Format10mReading a .csv File10mWriting Data to a .csv File10mTips on Handling Files10m

1 practice exercise

Optional - What Did You Use to Practice This Week?4m

Week2

Week 2

6 hours to complete

Dictionaries and Dictionary Accumulation

6 hours to complete

10 videos (Total 77 min), 9 readings, 4 quizzes

10 videos

Dictionaries8mDemonstration: Dictionary Basics4mDictionary Operations7mDictionary Methods12mDemonstration: Dictionary Methods3mAliasing and Copying with Dictionaries3mDictionary Accumulation13mDemonstration: Dictionary Accumulation5mAccumulating Results From a Dictionary12mDemonstration: Accumulating Results From a Dictionary7m

9 readings

Introduction: Dictionary Learning Goals10mIntroduction: Dictionaries10mDictionary Operations10mDictionary Methods10mAliasing and Copying10mIntroduction: Accumulating Multiple Results in a Dictionary10mAccumulating Results From a Dictionary10mAccumulating the Best Key10mWhen to Use a Dictionary10m

1 practice exercise

Optional - What Did You Use to Practice This Week?4m

Week3

Week 3

8 hours to complete

Functions and Tuples

In week three you will be introduced to the construction of functions. Up to this point, you have used functions in the programs before, but have not had a chance to write your own functions, including how to define a function, how to incorporate parameters, how to return data from a function, the local or global scope of variables, and potential side effects that could occur from function execution. Finally, we look at tuples more in depth, and how automatic packing and unpacking of tuples can be used in functions and in for loops.

8 hours to complete

16 videos (Total 81 min), 19 readings, 4 quizzes

16 videos

Introduction: Functions58sDefining Functions5mPositional Parameter Passing6mReturning Values12mWay of the Programmer: Decoding a Function4mA Function that Accumulates8mConclusion: Functions59sIntroduction: Variable Scoping and Side Effects48sLocal and Global Variables9mFunction Composition10mMutable Objects and Side Effects5mConclusion: Variable Scoping and Side Effects1mIntroduction: Tuple Packing and Unpacking40sTuple Packing3mTuple Assignment with Unpacking8mConclusion: Tuple Packing and Unpacking39s

19 readings

Introduction to Functions10mFunction Definition10mFunction Invocation10mFunction Parameters10mReturning a Value from a Function10mDecoding a Function10mA Function that Accumulates10mLocal Variables10mGlobal Variables10mFunction Composition10mFlow of Execution Summary10mPrint vs. Return10mPassing Mutable Objects10mSide Effects10mIntroduction10mTuple Packing10mTuples as Return Values10mTuple Assignment with Unpacking10mUnpacking Into Iterator Variables10m

1 practice exercise

Optional - What Did You Use to Practice This Week?4m

Week4

Week 4

6 hours to complete

More Iteration and Advanced Functions

In week four the video lectures and the Runestone textbook will outline a more advanced iteration mechanism, the while loop. You will be introduced to using it when getting feedback from users, as well as applying it to the turtle module to draw images. Additionally, you will also be exposed to more advanced function concepts such as the idea of parameters being optional, not required, and anonymous functions using lambda.

6 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 49 min), 10 readings, 4 quizzes

7 videos

The While Statement14mThe Listener Loop7mBreak and Continue5mWay of the Programmer: Infinite Loops4mOptional Parameters4mKeyword Parameters7mAnonymous Functions with Lambda Expressions5m

10 readings

Introduction10mThe While Statement10mThe Listener Loop10mRandomly Walking Turtles10mBreak and Continue10mInfinite Loops10mIntroduction: Optional Parameters10mKeyword Parameters10mAnonymous Function with Lambda Expressions10mProgramming With Style10m

1 practice exercise

Optional - What Did You Use to Practice This Week?4m

Reviews

4.8

801 reviews

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TOP REVIEWS FROM PYTHON FUNCTIONS, FILES, AND DICTIONARIES

by EDJan 7, 2020

Very nice course, it could be a little bit challenging if you have no programming experience, but if you have done the past course and you put your attention you will definitely be able to pass it.

by SDJun 24, 2020

Good course, had a great hands on practice with the Runestone Notebook Environment.

Appreciate the efforts of the instructors and whoever has designed in making the course and helped delivering it.

by NSJul 15, 2020

Concept clarity provided by the amazing faculty is very good. The only areas of improvement would be in increasing the no of questions and also raising the difficulty of assessments.

by AIMay 16, 2020

The course content and the instructions was awesome and the step by step approach of guidance in the project helped me a lot in the fact that I have learned how to approach any problems statements.

View all reviews

About the Python 3 Programming Specialization

This specialization teaches the fundamentals of programming in Python 3. We will begin at the beginning, with variables, conditionals, and loops, and get to some intermediate material like keyword parameters, list comprehensions, lambda expressions, and class inheritance.

You will have lots of opportunities to practice. You will also learn ways to reason about program execution, so that it is no longer mysterious and you are able to debug programs when they don’t work. By the end of the specialization, you’ll be writing programs that query Internet APIs for data and extract useful information from them. And you’ll be able to learn to use new modules and APIs on your own by reading the documentation. That will give you a great launch toward being an independent Python programmer. This specialization is a good next step for you if you have completed Python for Everybody but want a more in-depth treatment of Python fundamentals and more practice, so that you can proceed with confidence to specializations like Applied Data Science with Python. But it is also appropriate as a first set of courses in Python if you are already familiar with some other programming language, or if you are up for the challenge of diving in head-first.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

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Python Functions, Files, and Dictionaries

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