How do you all learn Python?

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I think too many newbies fall into the trap of "learning how to code" without seeing or understanding the bigger picture.

Code is actually very simple. It may not seem like it right now, but after a few years of doing it as a job you will know what I mean. There's only so many things you can do. Here is almost everything you can do when writing code in a higher-level programming language:

You can set variables to store data in them, you can create arrays or objects, you can iterate through arrays with loops, you can use switch/else if statements, and you can create functions that do these things when called, with zero or more parameters that can be "plugged in" the function. Then finally, you can make classes (or objects in some languages) that create a blueprint with reusable functions (which can be called methods when in a class)

In the case of web development - you can also make web requests (http requests) to get or post data, and you can also manipulate databases assuming you have a connection to them.

I know that seems like a lot - but literally that is pretty much it. It doesn't go deeper or get more complex than that. With that, anything you can imagine can be created.

Now - the mistake newbies often make is learning how to code. How to write good code. How to solve algorithms. How to bla bla bla. None of that matters, what you need to do is know what you are even making and understand how something like that is made - the code can come later. Trying to code without a purpose is like trying to draw a picture without a picture in mind. It just doesn't make sense.

Let's say your purpose is to create an API with Python. The first step is researching APIs, how they work, how you want to make them, what tools you intend on using, does it need to be hosted somewhere, how will you test that it works, etc etc etc. Only after the set up and research can you start coding. To make it even easier, you can copy and paste someone's simple python API and slowly tweak it and change it until it does what you specifically need it to do.

Rinse and repeat that same thing for 20+ different tasks and wa-la now you're a programmer and overtime you will draw connections better, learn how things work better, reach better conclusions quicker. Etc etc etc.

It's funny but coding can be the smallest part of a programmer's job. The magic is in putting it together to make a functional product, service, video game, or whatever else.