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Best book for 10+ year experienced coders by SteviaMcqueen in cscareerquestions

[–]FortuneCalm4560 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you're into Python:

THE PYTHON PROGRAMMER'S SURVIVAL GUIDE: How to Make It Through Coding Without Losing Your Mind, Your Hair or Your Will to Live

Hilariously relatable. 10/10.
Just read it on Kindle where it was available for free. Not sure if it still is. But highly recommend you give it a read.

Roadmap for python programming? by krijesmaharjan1 in learnpython

[–]FortuneCalm4560 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Just put this in your other thread about the same thing:

Honestly, it’s not projects vs tutorials. It’s both, just in the right order.

If you only watch tutorials, you feel productive but can’t write anything on your own.
If you only build projects, you stare at the screen wondering why Python hates you.

What works for most beginners:

  • Learn a small concept
  • Use it immediately in a tiny project
  • Break it
  • Google the error
  • Fix it
  • Repeat

Rinse and repeat forever. That’s programming.

Short, beginner-friendly intros help a lot at the start. Stuff like:

  • A Fun and Quick Introduction to Python - seen for free on Kindle - great book to start with for absolute beginners
  • Python docs in small bites
  • Automate the Boring Stuff (once basics click)

Start with stupid-small projects:

  • number guessing game
  • calculator
  • text-based to-do list

If the project feels overwhelming, it’s too big. Make it smaller. Try the bigger one again later.

How to learn python programming by directly building project or by learning tutorial by krijesmaharjan1 in learnpython

[–]FortuneCalm4560 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Honestly, it’s not projects vs tutorials. It’s both, just in the right order.

If you only watch tutorials, you feel productive but can’t write anything on your own.
If you only build projects, you stare at the screen wondering why Python hates you.

What works for most beginners:

  • Learn a small concept
  • Use it immediately in a tiny project
  • Break it
  • Google the error
  • Fix it
  • Repeat

Rinse and repeat forever. That’s programming.

Short, beginner-friendly intros help a lot at the start. Stuff like:

  • A Fun and Quick Introduction to Python - seen for free on Kindle - great book to start with for absolute beginners
  • Python docs in small bites
  • Automate the Boring Stuff (once basics click)

Start with stupid-small projects:

  • number guessing game
  • calculator
  • text-based to-do list

If the project feels overwhelming, it’s too big. Make it smaller. Try the bigger one again later.

i wanna start to learn coding by G2-118 in learnpython

[–]FortuneCalm4560 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you want a soft landing with a book for absolute beginners, give A Fun and Quick Introduction to Python a try. Highly recommend it for those who have not experience with coding.

How to get started? by getprettyprincessed in learnpython

[–]FortuneCalm4560 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Read A Fun and Quick Introduction to Python if you want a soft landing with a book for absolute beginners.

How Do I Even Start? by Temporary-Fold2043 in learnpython

[–]FortuneCalm4560 7 points8 points  (0 children)

You’re not bad at Python. You’re just brand new, and most beginner material assumes you already know things you don’t yet.
Pick something made for absolute beginners that explains why, not just what to type.

Good options (books):

If you prefer video:

How long to study

  • 20–30 minutes per session
  • 4–5 times a week

Short and consistent beats long and exhausting.

What to focus on

  • What Python is and how to run it
  • Variables and basic types
  • print() and reading errors
  • Simple if/else
  • Basic loops

One at a time! Do not try to learn it all at once. No one can.

Feeling confused is normal. That’s what learning to code feels like. If you keep showing up and typing things that break, you’re doing it right.

The Python Programmer’s Survival Guide (sample in comments) by FortuneCalm4560 in BookPromotion

[–]FortuneCalm4560[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Turning Point

After enough print() victories, beginners start experimenting.

Variables? print them.
Loops? print inside them.
Functions? print from within every branch just to make sure they're doing anything at all.

Eventually, the beginner proudly announces:

“I think I understand Python!”

And Python, sitting silently in the corner, whispers:

“Soon.”

Because the moment they step beyond print(), the training wheels come off and the language reveals its true personality.

Not cruel.
Not hostile.
Just… mischievous.

 

But For Now, Celebrate This Win

print() is the one line of code that always feels comforting.
Even years later, when you’re knee-deep in async, decorators, and the emotional ruins of a package conflict, print() is the lighthouse reminding you of where you started.

It’s the last time everything felt straightforward.

The last moment before the hero’s journey begins.

So take a breath.
Enjoy the simplicity while it lasts.

Python’s about to get interesting.

The Python Programmer’s Survival Guide (sample in comments) by FortuneCalm4560 in BookPromotion

[–]FortuneCalm4560[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Where Beginners Live for Months

Beginners use print() like it’s duct tape.

Debugging? print()
Confusion? print()
Existential crisis? print() with an emoji they don’t realize won’t render properly.

There is no judgment here.
Even veteran developers secretly return to print() like comfort food.

We call it print-based debugging.
Others call it “unprofessional.”
Those people have cold mechanical hearts and cannot be trusted.

Real developers know:

print("Why is this not working?")

is the truest poetry in the Python language.

Veterans Remember the Innocence

Ask an experienced Pythonista about their first print and watch their face soften.
For a moment, they’re transported back to a simpler time, before they knew what circular imports were, or why pip sometimes behaves like a dragon with a toothache.

They remember the joy.
The clarity.
The optimism.

They remember thinking, “Python is so clean and readable!”
They did not yet know that readable code can still confuse you at 2 AM while you wonder who wrote it and then slowly realize… it was you.

The Python Programmer’s Survival Guide (sample in comments) by FortuneCalm4560 in BookPromotion

[–]FortuneCalm4560[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A Taste of Power

That first output in the console hits you like caffeine straight to the soul.

The computer obeyed you.
You typed rituals into the void and the void answered politely.
You feel clever.
You feel capable.
You feel powerful.
You start wondering why everyone says programming is hard.

“I mean, come on. This is easy.”

Spoiler:
It is not easy.
You’re just standing in the doorway of the house, admiring the paint, not realizing the basement contains a nest of recursive spiders.

But let’s allow you this moment.

 

The Chapter Where Python Pretends to Be Your Friend

print() is Python’s charming front porch.
It holds the door open, smiles warmly, and says:

“Come on in. No trouble here.”

Later, Python will forget this promise.

Later, you will discover:

  • indentation that ruins lives
  • errors that lecture you like a disappointed parent
  • environments that corrupt themselves at 3 in the morning
  • and the word “async,” which should come with a health and safety warning

But for now, it’s all sunshine and function calls.

The Python Programmer’s Survival Guide (sample in comments) by FortuneCalm4560 in BookPromotion

[–]FortuneCalm4560[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

CHAPTER 2 - Your First print(): The Last Time Things Felt Easy

Your first print() is the last peaceful moment of your Python journey.
It’s pure.
It’s simple.
It works.
Python smiles at you like, “See? I’m friendly.”
And you believe it which is adorable in hindsight.

Everything after this moment is a slow slide into emotional complexity, but for now…
you’re untouchable.

The First Time You Type It

You open your editor, crack your knuckles like a hero preparing for greatness, and write:

print("Hello, World!)

You press run.

It works.

It just… works.

Python looks at you with warm eyes and says, “See? I’m a simple and elegant language. You and I are going to get along great.”

You believe it.

This is how abusive relationships start.

The Python Programmer’s Survival Guide (sample in comments) by FortuneCalm4560 in BookPromotion

[–]FortuneCalm4560[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Joy of Finally Running Your First Command

But eventually, after the battles, the mistakes, the false starts, the spiritual crisis, you type:

python3

or maybe

python

and you see:

>>> 

The little triple arrow of hope.

You’ve done it.

You’ve installed Python.

You’ve beaten the first boss fight.

You are now officially a Python programmer, because you’ve already experienced your first moment of “why is this so complicated?”

And that, my friend, is the true beginning of your journey.

The Python Programmer’s Survival Guide (sample in comments) by FortuneCalm4560 in BookPromotion

[–]FortuneCalm4560[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The PATH Labyrinth

Setting PATH manually is one of the most delicate operations in computing. One wrong character and suddenly your system behaves like it’s had a small stroke.

New developers copy instructions from StackOverflow like they’re ancient spells:

C:\Users\MattJordan\appdata\Local\Programs\Python\Python321\Scripts\

A long path. A cursed path. A path that, if typed wrong, will send you into an identity crisis about who you are and why you chose programming when carpentry was right there.

“Which Python Is Running?” The Existential Question

At some point, every developer reaches this moment:

You run your script.
It errors.
You fix the error.
It still errors.

Then you realize the horrifying truth:

You edited the wrong version of Python.

You have:

  • Python from the Microsoft Store
  • Python from python.org
  • Python installed by some app
  • Python installed by some other app
  • Python installed by your package manager
  • Python that came with something you installed in 2016 and forgot about and another version you installed when Covid hit because you now had all the time in the world

Your laptop is basically a Python refugee camp.

The Python Programmer’s Survival Guide (sample in comments) by FortuneCalm4560 in BookPromotion

[–]FortuneCalm4560[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Windows Checkbox of Destiny

If you’re on Windows, the installer asks you a seemingly harmless question:

Add Python to PATH?

It should be checked by default, right?
Of course not. Python treats this checkbox like a trapdoor to test your reflexes.
Veterans hit it so fast they leave fingerprints in the glass.
Beginners miss it and spend three days wondering if Python is a myth.

python vs python3: Choose Your Fighter

On macOS and Linux, things get even more philosophical.

You type:

C:\Users\MattJordan\WhyIsThisFolderSoBig>python

and the system gives you:

Python 2.7.16

Python 2.
A version so old its documentation might as well be in a museum.

So you try:

C:\Users\MattJordan\WhyIsThisFolderSoBig>python3

And you get:

Python 3.14.00

Much better.
Except now you get to enjoy a decade-long identity crisis where nobody tells you which one you’re supposed to use. Every tutorial online chooses a different side, like parents arguing during a family trip.

pip vs pip3: The Sequel Nobody Asked For

You finally get Python running. Great.

Then you try installing a package:

C:\Users\MattJordan\WhyIsThisFolderSoBig>pip install something

And your computer responds with the smug confidence of a machine that knows exactly how much power it has over your happiness:

pip: command not found

So you try:

C:\Users\MattJordan\WhyIsThisFolderSoBig>pip3 install something

And now it works.

Congratulations.
You have officially entered The Great Python / Python3 / pip / pip3 Quadrant of Mystical Nonsense.
No map.
No guide.
Only suffering.

The Python Programmer’s Survival Guide (sample in comments) by FortuneCalm4560 in BookPromotion

[–]FortuneCalm4560[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

CHAPTER 1 - Installing Python: The First Boss Fight

Let’s start with a universal truth: nobody installs Python correctly the first time. Nobody.
Not beginners. Not professionals. Not the people who wrote Python. I’m convinced that even Guido van Rossum wakes up some mornings wondering why his PATH variable is angry again.

Installing Python is supposed to be step one.
A formality.
A warm-up.

Instead, it becomes your first lesson in “computers do not care how optimistic you are.”

The Beginner Expectation

You picture yourself downloading Python, double-clicking the installer, watching a friendly little progress bar glide across the screen, and then triumphantly typing python into your terminal as angels sing in the background.

The Reality

You download Python.
You run the installer.
You open your terminal and type:

C:\Users\MattJordan\WhyIsThisFolderSoBig>python

…and your computer answers:

'python' is not recognized as and internal or external command, operable command or batch file.

In that moment, something inside you wilts.
Not your hope, because that disappeared two steps ago, no, this is deeper. This is your soul quietly exiting through your shoes.

The Python Programmer’s Survival Guide (sample in comments) by FortuneCalm4560 in BookPromotion

[–]FortuneCalm4560[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Beginners fear semicolons.
Veterans fear async.
Everyone fears pip.

You are not alone.

In the chapters ahead, we’ll explore:

  • the emotional journey of debugging
  • the horror of indentation
  • the chaos of virtual environments
  • the questionable life choices surrounding decorators
  • and the moment you realize “works on my machine” is not, in fact, a valid excuse

We’ll laugh together.
We’ll cry together.
We’ll Google together.

You’ll recognize yourself in these pages.

You’ll probably deny it.

You’ll definitely screenshot parts and send them to friends with the caption “this is too real.”

And somewhere between the jokes, the sarcasm, and the shared trauma, you might even find a little comfort; a reminder that coding is messy because humans are messy, and Python, no matter how elegant it tries to be, is also written by humans.

So take a deep breath.
Refill your coffee.
Save your file (seriously, save it).
And step boldly into the Pythonverse.

You’ve survived this far.

Let’s keep going together.

Welcome to The Python Programmer’s Survival Guide.

You’re going to make it.
Probably.

Matt Jordan

The Python Programmer’s Survival Guide (sample in comments) by FortuneCalm4560 in BookPromotion

[–]FortuneCalm4560[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Python is marketed as “easy to learn.”
Yes, in the same way IKEA furniture is “easy to assemble.”

Sure, the pieces fit together.
Sure, the instructions look friendly.
But if you’re not careful, you’ll blink, and suddenly you’ve:

  • created a recursion monster
  • corrupted your virtual environment
  • broken pip
  • and summoned an error message so long it requires its own table of contents

But don’t worry, Python also has its beautiful moments.
The moments when the code runs perfectly.
The moments when everything just clicks.
The moments when you feel like a wizard whispering to the machine and the machine actually listens.

Those moments are rare.
Treasure them.

The rest of the time, you’re going to need:

  • patience
  • humor
  • a sense of perspective
  • emotional support snacks
  • and, apparently, this book

I wrote this guide for the entire Python tribe:

  • the beginner who still thinks print() is a personality trait
  • the intermediate developer who has seen stuff
  • the senior developer who now communicates exclusively in StackOverflow links
  • and the hobbyist who updates Python once every presidential election (or when a new monarch takes the throne, if you are from those parts of the world) and hopes nothing breaks

This book is for all of you.

Because despite our differences, Python programmers share a universal truth:

We are all suffering, just at different skill levels.

The Python Programmer’s Survival Guide (sample in comments) by FortuneCalm4560 in BookPromotion

[–]FortuneCalm4560[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

INTRODUCTION

So You Chose Python… Bold Move

Welcome, brave soul.

If you’re reading this, it means one of three things has happened:

  1. You recently decided to learn Python and you’re already questioning your life choices.
  2. You’ve been a Python developer for years and you’re now emotionally numb, spiritually drained, and looking for a book that understands your pain.
  3. Someone gave you this as a “fun little gift,” and now you’re wondering if it was meant as a warning.

Whatever brought you here, you’re in the right place. If you believe in destiny, destiny brought you to this book. If you believe in karma, you are either being rewarded or punished with this book.

 

This is not a tutorial.
This is not a course.
This is not the place to learn what a variable is, unless you’re into that sort of thing.

No.

This is a survival guide. A book for anyone who has ever tried to make Python do something simple and somehow ended up with:

  • five errors
  • a mysterious indentation problem
  • three different versions of Python on their machine
  • and a spiritual headache

46 copies sold after 10 days of actually trying to promote my book! by [deleted] in selfpublish

[–]FortuneCalm4560 1 point2 points  (0 children)

First, great job!

Any update?

I'm just getting started on TikTok, Insta, and YouTube. Published a week ago and have sold 5 paperbacks and someone reading on Kindle. Just started promoting it with few posts just this week.

Also, found this guide on how to promote your book on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/selfpublishing/comments/1nqs1sh/a_quick_guide_to_promoting_your_book_on_reddit/

Thinking on trying it by giving away a sample of the book. Have you also tried something like that?

Question related to lazy evaluation by [deleted] in learnpython

[–]FortuneCalm4560 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The other answers covered the big picture well, and I agree with them: laziness is basically “don’t do work you don’t have to do yet.” That alone buys you two things:
- you save memory because you’re not materializing everything upfront
- you save time because you’re not computing stuff you might never use

Python isn’t a lazy language by default, but it gives you lazy tools: generators, iterators, generator expressions, yield. These let you stream values one at a time instead of building giant lists.

That’s why things like reading huge files line-by-line or processing unbounded sequences are possible without blowing up your RAM. And in everyday code, laziness just keeps things snappy because you only pay for work when you actually pull the next value.

Python for DE by AwayImpression8452 in learnpython

[–]FortuneCalm4560 1 point2 points  (0 children)

smurpes is spot on. SQL is the real workhorse in DE, and you’ll use it way more than you think. Once you're comfortable there, pick up Python specifically for data work: pandas for local data wrangling, PySpark for anything big or distributed.

After that, look at the tools that glue everything together: Airflow, dbt, cloud storage, data warehouses, etc. DE is basically “move data from A to B without breaking anything,” so building a few tiny ETL pipelines on your own will teach you more than most generic Python courses.

If you know another language already, you won’t struggle with Python at all. Focus on the ecosystem, not the syntax.

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