Python had become one of, if not the, most popular software platforms in use. Powering both server-side Web applications, artificial intelligence engines, and data science models, Python has positioned itself as the logical inheritor to the title of "write once, run everywhere". Python's approachable syntax, it's dynamic (optionally strongly-typed) nature, and its object-oriented model make it easy for most developers to pick up in a day or two, and its wide range of packages make it applicable to just about any problem a developer will ever encounter.

In this two-day training seminar, we will take a "from the beginning" look at Python, going over its syntax, semantics, and details. You will learn not only about its syntax, but also about the Python execution environment (virtual machine).

We will explore the syntax in depth, starting from the basics of variable declarations and Python's various flow control constructs. From there, we'll see Python's functions, and the various features Python offers that act like functional languages. Then, examine Python's object-oriented nature, classes and objects and methods and how the virtual machine manages them.

After we have the syntax under our belt, we can start exploring "under the hood" of Python, starting with its execution model--how code gets loaded into the virtual machine, how it gets transformed into bytecode, and how we can tap into that to do some interesting things at runtime. Then we'll explore Python's garbage collection, and how the virtual machine manages other memory-type resources (like files or socket connections). By the time we call a halt to the end of day two, you'll have learned a great deal about Python's internal execution model, which will help you debug and optimize your Python code regardless of where it's being used.

During this seminar, we will:

• Get a Python environment up and running.
• Explore how to use some Python packages, both interactively and as standalone programs.
• Learn the Python syntax, from variables and flow control, through functions, classes, and metaprogramming.
• Dive into the construction of a Python module and how it loads from disk.
• Discover how garbage collection works inside Python.
• Explore how Python loads and builds classes and objects at runtime.

Seminar Prerequisites:
Attendees should have experience programming with an object-oriented programming language such as C#, Java, Ruby, JavaScript, etc., but have little to no experience with Python.

Attendee Workstation Requirements:
You must provide your own developer-capable computer (Windows or Mac) for this hands-on lab workshop with a camera, reliable Internet connection, speakers, and a microphone.

The following technologies must be installed on the computer prior to the start of the Seminar on Thursday, October 31st:

• Zoom
• Visual Studio Code