---
# System prepended metadata

title: (Part II) Python Fundamentals

---

# (Part II) Python Fundamentals

💻 Topics the next two weeks:

I. Syntax and **readability** (snake_case, indentation, best naming conventions, key words)
II. More on loops
III. More on functions

Note:
- We're ignoring packages and array methods for a little while


### Variables
- scope
- naming

#### Naming

![](https://i.imgur.com/893IQpe.gif)

Different cases and when to use them:

(Differences between, and usages of, snake case, camelcase and all-caps camelcase in Python)

A few standard rules:

- Constants should be represented by all capital letters and separated by underscores when needed 
- Use names that are representative of the meaning of the object rather than meaningless, single-character names
- Names i, j, and k should be reserved for representing index values

### Loops

- for loops
- while loops

### Topic-Related Resources

(Variables)

More on [variables in Python (reading)](https://www.udacity.com/blog/2020/11/how-to-declare-a-python-variable.html)

[Variable Scope - Understanding the LEGB rule and global/nonlocal statements (Video)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVdf0LgmICw)

[Python Scope of Variables (Reading)](https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/python-scope-of-variables/)

[CS50: Variables and Scope (Video)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiFbdVGjF9I&list=PLhQjrBD2T381k8ul4WQ8SQ165XqY149WW)

(Loops)

[Python Tutorial for Beginners 7: Loops and Iterations - For/While Loops](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iF8Xb7Z3wQ)

(Functions)

[Python Tutorial for Beginners 8: Functions](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Os0o3wzS_I)

[CS50: Functions](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1glFqt3g38&list=PLhQjrBD2T381k8ul4WQ8SQ165XqY149WW)

#### Other Resources

- CodeNewbie has a lot of good content/community (Twitter?)
- [dev.to](dev.to)
- Codeacademy Pro is set up (thanks to Zeb Girouard!)
    - [Learn Python 3](https://www.codecademy.com/learn/learn-python-3)
    - [Getting Started Off-Platform for Data Science](https://www.codecademy.com/learn/getting-started-off-platform-for-data-science)
- [Practice problems](https://edabit.com/challenges/python3)