Coding Fundamentals for Hobbyists

Distinguish the roles of source code, the Python interpreter, a code editor, and the terminal.

Install Python 3, Visual Studio Code, and the VS Code Python extension on macOS; select the Python 3 interpreter and verify the setup.

Navigate to and create project folders in the macOS terminal using pwd, ls, cd, and mkdir.

Create, save, and run a Python script from Visual Studio Code and the terminal.

Use print statements and comments to make a program's behavior clear.

Use Python's interactive shell to evaluate simple expressions.

Correct basic syntax errors involving quotes, parentheses, and indentation.

Create variables with valid, descriptive names and update their values.

Distinguish integers, floating-point numbers, strings, and Boolean values in Python.

Calculate numeric results using arithmetic operators and precedence rules.

Convert values between compatible basic data types.

Capture keyboard input and convert it to the type required by a program.

Construct readable output using formatted string literals.

Access individual characters and substrings using string indexing and slicing.

Transform and inspect text using common string methods.

Create comparison expressions using equality, ordering, and membership operators.

Combine or negate conditions using and, or, and not.

Use if and else to choose between two execution paths.

Use elif to handle several mutually exclusive cases in the correct order.

Trace and test conditional logic with representative and boundary values, then correct misclassified cases.

Create, access, update, and slice lists.

Add, remove, sort, and locate list elements using list operations and methods.

Use tuples to represent ordered values that should not change.

Create, retrieve, update, and remove key-value pairs in dictionaries.

Use sets to remove duplicates and perform efficient membership checks.

Select an appropriate basic collection type for a given data requirement.

Access and update values inside nested lists and dictionaries.

Use a for loop to process each item in a string or collection.

Generate controlled numeric sequences for loops with range.

Use a while loop to repeat work until a condition changes.

Build counters and accumulators that update correctly during a loop.

Use break and continue to control loop execution.

Use enumerate to process collection positions and values together.

Combine loops and conditions to search for or filter collection values.

Diagnose and correct off-by-one errors and non-terminating loops.

Define and call a function that performs one clearly named task.

Pass information into functions through parameters and arguments.

Return a computed value from a function and use it elsewhere in a program.

Distinguish returning a value from printing a value.

Predict how local scope affects access to variables inside and outside functions.

Use default and keyword arguments to make simple functions flexible.

Decompose a short program into cooperating single-purpose functions.

Document a function's purpose, inputs, and result with a concise docstring.

Read a Python traceback to locate the line and category of an error.

Isolate a defect by reproducing it with a small input and inspecting intermediate values.

Handle anticipated failures using specific try and except clauses.

Repeat input requests until the user supplies a valid value.

Read text from a file safely using a context manager.

Write and append text to a file using a context manager.

Import and use functions from Python's standard-library modules.

Serialize basic Python collections to JSON and restore them from JSON.

Translate a small command-line task-tracker brief into explicit inputs, outputs, rules, and edge cases.

Design the task tracker's data representation and divide its behavior into single-purpose functions.

Use a basic Git checkpoint workflow—init, status, diff, add, commit, and log—while developing the project.

Implement a menu loop that dispatches each valid user choice to the appropriate function.

Implement functions to add new tasks and display the formatted task list.

Implement functions to update task status and modify task details.

Write assert-based checks for the task tracker's core functions and boundary cases.

Save and restore the task list with JSON while handling a missing or invalid data file.

Refactor the completed program to improve names, remove duplication, and shorten overly complex functions.