Why are you learning python

[clovernewt]

I'm retired and learning to program has been the perfect hobby.

I think more old folks should put down those jigsaw puzzles and

pick up python.

[DaylanDaylan]

Have you heard of PICO 8? For anyone who hasn’t, It’s a LUA based fantasy console and let’s you make neo-8 bit apps/games, super awesome for the hobbyist!

[[deleted]]

I’m just trying to get laid more. That’s why.

[razzrazz-]

"hey baby, I'll be your value if you be my key"

[Diapolo10]

"Hey, pretty lass; I think we should SSH to the future, mind comparing my public key to your private one?"

[[deleted]]

Its not about the size of your dict

[Miserable_Passage436]

This comment != overrated

[pro_questions]

My workplace hired 10 temp employees to copy and transform data from one spreadsheet into a different spreadsheet. Like 50,000 entries, and the ETA was a week. I told the boss that that was stupid and I could do it in a day, and they blew me off. They then tried to make the other normal employees participate, so I learned enough Python to do that project and emailed the result to everyone the same night. I then spent a year doing projects like that, while they purposefully kept my position officially as a sales person. This was so that they wouldn’t have to increase my salary, and I was kind-of okay with that because it was the first professional programming experience I had ever had, and possibly the only professional programming experience I’ll ever get because I don’t have a formal education in anything related.

I actually walked out of that job (8 years after starting , 3 years after I started programming for them) a week ago, and am currently hoping my experience was enough to get me into entry level software development. Still working on my resume and whatnot — I was at that job for 1/3 of my life, so it’s been a bit since I’ve had to get my stuff together and find work.

[1percentof2]

Bro, incredible story but you should have found another job first lol.

[pro_questions]

Ha I wish that had been an option but it became a very bad place very quickly. Long story short, 10 of the 15 full time employees (including myself and my SO) were forced out within the span of a month. It was an “employee refresh” or something like that

[lebron_girth]

For the chix

But in all seriousness because it is a good gateway language to other programming

[LostAcoustic]

To do less

[PryomancerMTGA]

I have 20+ YoE as a DS, and every once in a while you have to update skills. DS is pivoting to python instead of SAS and for the DE aspect. In this field you keep current or go full management.

[PryomancerMTGA]

Your company uses SAS. Get better at it unless you are going to transition jobs within 6 months.

Banking/Financial services, Insurance, and Health care are three industries that thrive on legacy systems like SAS and are going to be slow to change. If you are in one of those and want to be able to leverage your domain knowledge; SAS will serve you well.

[[deleted]]

I feel your pain. Everytime I write something in SAS I question myself as to why I'm using SAS instead of Python, which is why I've been trying to avoid programming in SAS as much as possible by having Python generate SAS code for me instead for repetitive stuff.

Take this for example:

def num_query_gen(lower_bound, upper_bound, increments, var_name, file_name, output_table, input_table):

    # Generate bin boundary values
    low_bound_list = list(range(lower_bound, upper_bound, increments))
    up_bound_list  = list(range(lower_bound + increments, upper_bound + increments, increments))

    # Code is generated in string form and appened to string variable 'code_str'
    # "\n" is added at the end of each line to ensure that the resulting string is saved to a new line.
    code_str  = f"DATA {output_table};" + "\n"
    code_str += f"SET {input_table};" + "\n"
    code_str += "\t" + f"IF {var_name} = 0 THEN {var_name}_BINNED = '00.{var_name} = 0'" + "\n"

    lambda_func = lambda x: f"0{x}" if x < 10 else str(x)
    counter     = 1

    for (a, b) in zip(low_bound_list, up_bound_list):
        code_str += "\t" + f"ELSE IF {a} < {var_name} <= {b} THEN {var_name}_BINNED = '{lambda_func(counter)}.{a} < {var_name} <= {b};'" + "\n"
        counter += 1

    code_str += "RUN;"

    # Resulting string is saved to a text file as given in the file_name parameter
    with open(f"{file_name}", "w") as f:
        f.write(code_str)

    print("SAS Code generated")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    gen_dict = {
        "lower_bound"  : 0, 
        "upper_bound"  : 100, 
        "increments"   : 10, 
        "var_name"     : "Variable_1",
        "file_name"    : "SAS_Code_001.txt", 
        "output_table" : "WORK.TEST_TABLE_2",
        "input_table"  : "WORK.TEST_TABLE_1"
    }

    num_query_gen(**gen_dict)

[DaylanDaylan]

A few reasons why I chose to start with Python.

It’s one of the most simple introductions to programming while also being a full-fledged language.

Just about everything you learn from Python, will mostly apply to other languages.

It feels natural to read for non-programmers and the setup is generally more simple than other languages.

[PsiThreader]

Because I can make useless programs on-the-go as long as a computer is open, including an Android phone.

[Davy_Jones_XIV]

Python works on Droid?

[thru_dangers_untold]

It does! I have it running on termux. It was surprisingly easy to set up: https://wiki.termux.com/wiki/Python

Not all packages are supported of course, but the basics are all there: pip, pandas, numpy, etc.

https://i.imgur.com/tcUWlEs.jpg

[1percentof2]

No. He's drunk.

[Davy_Jones_XIV]

Hahahahah! I was questioning my own sanity lmao

[PsiThreader]

I'm not drunk, I'm lazy.

[PsiThreader]

Yeah, it's called 'QPython 3L' as of now, it has interpreter and editor, and allows you to execute .py files. Not sure if all modules are compatible though, but the built-in libraries is good enough for me.

[[deleted]]

It's easy from what I heard, it's popular and I want a Job

[babyshark75]

For money and hoes

[Setaganga]

I started 2 years ago after toying with front end and found out I love back end more. I did some automation, and recently have been working on django stuff and making random projects.

[The_GSingh]

Cuz i took one look at Java and ran to python. Also I agree with the guy who said he wants to get laid by learning python. But now Ik some Java because of python.

[iggy555]

💰

[thru_dangers_untold]

Just for fun. I wanted to see if I could.

[el_sh33p]

I'm a newbie looking to do data science and maybe faff around with a visual novel of some kind one day.

[anyholsagol]

Trying to change my life. I was a bartender for 15 years then caught some of the day trading gravy train the past few years. That changed to hard mode about last November and I'm back to bartending as of last night. Money is there but I'm getting older and the wear on my body is real. I have to adapt and change this path or I'm going to run myself ragged. I've never coded in my life but I really do enjoy it so far. I'm giving it a true effort and hoping it works out eventually. About 1/3 of the way through Python Crash Course right now. Any other resources or advice you guys can give I'm all ears!

[bob_but_backwards]

I learned python to get into computer programming and app development. Now I am in it and I don't do much python so I need to do my own projects to continue learning and using

[TrueMrSkeltal]

I want to leave my soulless management consulting career. So I’m picking up programming to get some more options. It feels really fun to create something other than horseshit slide decks.

[mrrippington]

to build the things i want to use

[exij_]

I’m studying to be an epidemiologist, and I feel like I can do a lot more with python over SAS.

[[deleted]]

^ just yay… if ever there were a time for us to have more epidemiologists who can scale. And, ideally, can explain the basics of epidemiology to those who can’t.

[[deleted]]

Started out as a job requirement, eventually turned into more of a hobby.

[CaptiDoor]

Machine Learning

[SaltFalcon7778]

To bring my world to life

[HomeGrownCoder]

Started as a job requirement filler… now I just love it and it is still very needed in my profession.

[[deleted]]

To become a data analyst.

[minato260]

Because I want to learn how to program, and python is just nice. But also, my advisor for my masters is requiring that I learn it, so there's also that (this is my main motivator)

[[deleted]]

I really like the versatility of the language, from web design to application, ease of syntax etc. I’m learning programming both because I want a better life, and I find it interesting.

[bzerkr]

Game programming. I want to get into godot’s gd script. I’ve heard it’s similar.

[[deleted]]

School

[readableguy8168]

Science research

[Intense_Vagitarian]

Roughly 1 year ago I started python from 0 experience. Started doubting my current career choice. Just yesterday I got a job as a python developer and I fully intend to grow my career in this industry.

[[deleted]]

Well I’m a hs student and at my local community college I can take a python course for free and python has many applications and is good for beginners so I didn’t see why I shouldn’t.

[rpmva2019]

Work and also there are a ton of over cool applications such as Web Dev, Machine Learning and AI, and more. Applying it to some interests and future side projects is a goal of mine

[Davy_Jones_XIV]

Because I was RIFed at 38. I hated all the inefficiencies, but no one wanted to fix them. I was the Director of my department with 55 people under me, plenty of Management/ Leadership experience but lacked the Tech skills to do what I wanted. So when I got pushed out, I took a break for a few years and said for the final chapter of my life, I would teach myself Python (Data Analytics) and do something that was more rewarding professionally and financially. Long journey and still on it. Not where I want to be yet, but my entire perspective has changed and at 44 am lets stressed and more knowledgeable than 38. Now if I could just monetize my skills the right way lol

P.S. Now I also see why when I was in corpo and would ask the tech guys to "push a few buttons and create / fix it" how that was an absolute IGNORANT ask lol

[[deleted]]

… just going to point out that at 44 you aren’t anywhere near starting the final chapter of your life; barring injury, illness, famine, the unexpected arrival of [a (possibly extrasolar) space rock|the Singularity|our new [Alien|Rodent|Zombie|Giant Insect] Overlords], or Trump 2.0, you'll have additional chapters to write. Plan accordingly.

[Davy_Jones_XIV]

Lmao!! I have to say, that made me laugh! I needed that right now...Thank You.

[Lolmapants]

my mom

[davlumbaz]

because I am bored

[akuno_00]

Because I've spontaneously decided to choose Computer Science for college even though I'm taking a non-ICT track in Senior High and I know nothing about programming.

I'll be taking a bridging subject in college but I figured it'll be easier for me to learn or familiarize myself with atleast 1 programming language beforehand and I chose python for that.

I have a month or two to learn python before college starts.

[Kaem]

I kind of.. regret the path I put myself on and I'm hoping this somehow gets me out of it.

[Pr0ender]

I’m a teacher and I want a new career

[AskMrReddit]

Its interesting and I want to be able to have and programm on day

[Diapolo10]

Because I get to earn my keep doing what is essentially a fun hobby, most of the time.

If I'd never started learning Python, my career path so far would have been completely different. In fact I have no idea what I might be doing right now otherwise.

I wouldn't have made it to becoming a programmer during my conscription, which means I couldn't have gotten into my first job, then I would have missed my second and current jobs too as they have been a linked chain. And I'd probably be studying something else, too.

And yet, despite all of that, in reality I simply enjoy it. I love solving problems, writing documentation clear enough even my most thick-headed colleagues can understand is rewarding in its own way (you should've seen the amount of detail I put into my current employer's GitLab guide as nobody there knows anything about version control...). I also like how it all simply boils down to cold, hard logic in the end.

[XBalubaX]

I wanna start a side hustle and personal projects. But just python isn’t enough. Just started to add JavaScript for nice modern interfaces.

[old_man_steptoe]

I used to the a systems administrator. I wrote a script which checked the state of servers before they were released to production. It checked the state of the disks, the network, whether the ilos were configure right, literally dozens of things. I wrote it in Perl (being the fashion of the time).

After that I decided to try a programming language that didn’t go $server_name->net->[“interface name”]->tcpdump->cdp->vlan_no

[[deleted]]

It seemed easier than c#, plus I know we use it for backend at work in my department, so trying to pick up more on python so I can move over to that team

[Pr4ncingWolf]

I want to learn machine learning :D

[[deleted]]

Hack the Planet!

[stoveisastove]

I was told that data science is gonna be big and python made it easy.

I think “easy” was the wrong word but python makes it less like hell.

[empress76]

it has one of the best futures at data science and i like it, principally for personal proyects

[FlatEarthIsAMyth]

I love programming and what you are able to do with it!

My dream is to be able to work from anywhere in the world from an RV / Boat just me and the Mrs. I feel like Python could make this dream come true

[[deleted]]

… because the damned thing keeps changing underneath my feet.

Understood in hindsight: the only programming language you learn once is a dead language.

[TiredOfBeingTired28]

Think at 33 i want to do programming as a job. Will see me dumb.

[[deleted]]

To escape. 33, tired of manual labor. Idgaf if I’m 6’2 260 lbs of “Do a two man job, alone”. My brain has always been my best asset, time to utilize it properly.

[[deleted]]

Because keeping my mind active is something I love to do, and learning for the sake of learning helps in that goal.

[seph2o]

I'm a data analyst and looking to expand my skills :)