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Quick Look Course Summary:Python Short Course: Introduction to Programming with Python (2 days)
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Length: 2 day(s)
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Price (at your venue): 1 Person R 14,642 EX VAT 3 Person R 9,476 EX VAT 10 Person R 6,472 EX VAT
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Certification Type:Non-Accredited
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Locations & Venues: Off-site or in-house. We train in all major city centres throughout South Africa.
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Python Short Course: Introduction to Programming with Python (2 days)
In two days, delegates write and run their own Python programs and understand the building blocks well enough to keep learning on their own.
More and more teams need people who can read and write a little code – to automate a file task, clean up a system export or follow what a developer is proposing. This Python short course gives delegates a practical introduction in two days, from setting up Python to writing small programs that read, process and save real data.
Day one covers the essentials: setting up a development environment, writing and running statements, avoiding common errors, and processing numbers, strings and data structures such as lists, ranges, tuples, dictionaries and sets. Day two moves on to program logic and reuse: conditional statements and loops, functions, classes and modules, working with files and folders from code, and handling errors so a program stops cleanly instead of crashing.
Each delegate receives a course guide, and every topic is followed by a short hands-on exercise. No programming experience is required.
Why this course
For your organisation
- Staff who can automate small file and data tasks
- Better conversations between business staff and developers
- A short first step that shows who should go further with Python
- Two days away from work instead of a full week
For your delegates
- Your own working Python programs by the end of day two
- A clear picture of how Python code is structured
- Habits that prevent common beginner errors
- A course guide to keep for reference
What delegates will be able to do
- Install Python, choose an editor and write, save and run a simple program
- Work with integers, floats, decimals and strings, and convert between types
- Store and use data in lists, ranges, tuples, dictionaries and sets
- Control a program with if statements and for and while loops
- Write functions, create simple classes and import modules
- Read and write text files and manage files and folders from code
- Catch built-in exceptions and raise custom ones
Who should attend
Beginners with no programming background, analysts and administrators who want to automate simple tasks, IT support staff, and managers who work with developers and want to understand the basics. Delegates should be comfortable using a computer and working with files and folders.
Course outline
Day 1 – Python foundations and data
Setting up Python
- Installing Python 3 and choosing an editor
- The interactive shell and script files
- Writing and running Python statements
- Comments, indentation and naming
A first application
- Getting input and displaying output
- Building a small program step by step
- Reading error messages and tracebacks
- Habits that prevent common errors
Numbers and strings
- Integers, floats and decimals
- Arithmetic, rounding and mixing number types
- String indexing, slicing and methods
- Formatting output with f-strings
Data structures
- Lists and ranges: indexing, slicing and changing items
- Tuples and when to use them
- Dictionaries for key-value data
- Sets and removing duplicates
Day 2 – Logic, reuse, files and errors
Decisions and loops
- Comparison and logical operators
- if, elif and else
- for loops over lists, ranges and dictionaries
- while loops, break and continue
Structuring code for reuse
- Defining and calling functions with parameters and return values
- Creating classes and instances
- Importing standard-library modules and your own
Files and folders
- Writing and appending to text files
- Reading files line by line
- Listing the contents of a folder
- Creating, renaming, moving and deleting files and folders
Handling exceptions
- Common built-in exceptions
- try, except, else and finally
- Raising and defining custom exceptions
Wrap-up and next steps
- A short project that combines both days
- Python style conventions (PEP 8)
- What to watch for in older Python 2 code
- Next steps: the five-day course, data analysis and automation
How it is delivered
Two days, 08:30-16:00. In person at your offices anywhere in South Africa, at a BOTI venue, or live online. One delegate or a group of up to 20; every delegate codes hands-on throughout. Laptops with the software can be supplied on request; Python is free to install. Each delegate receives a course guide and exercise files. We deliver it at your offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and anywhere else in South Africa, at a BOTI venue in Johannesburg, or live online for teams in different places.
What our clients say
“We were particularly impressed by the quality of facilitation and the practical relevance of the content presented. The programme was delivered with professionalism, clarity, and a strong emphasis on real-world application.”
“The facilitator effectively encouraged participation and used practical examples, discussions and interactive activities to ensure that the concepts were understood and could be applied in the workplace.”
“Business Optimization Training Institute facilitated Microsoft Excel Training for our company. The course was efficiently scheduled and planned around our timetable. We were impressed by the quality of training.”
Frequently asked questions
Do delegates need programming experience?
No. The course starts with installing Python and writing a first statement.
How is this different from the five-day Python course?
This two-day course covers the core language. Python Programming Training (5 days) goes much further: object-oriented design, pandas for data, automating Excel and files, web APIs, testing and a capstone project.
Which version of Python is used?
Current Python 3 on Windows. Delegates on macOS or Linux can follow along with minor differences.
Can you run this course at our offices?
Yes – on-site anywhere in South Africa, at a BOTI venue or live online, for one delegate up to groups of about 20. Laptops with the software can be supplied on request.
Is it accredited?
No – it is a non-accredited short course and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance.
Can you run this course in Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban?
Yes. We train on site at your offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and across South Africa, at a BOTI venue in Johannesburg, or live online so a team spread over several offices can attend together.
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