Building Python Programs, 1st edition

Chapter 1 Introduction to Python Programming

• 1.1 Basic Computing Concepts
  • Why Programming?
  • Hardware and Software
  • The Digital Realm
  • The Process of Programming
  • Why Python?
  • The Python Programming Environment
• 1.2 And Now: Python
  • Printing Output
  • String Literals (Strings)
  • Escape Sequences
  • Printing a Complex Figure
  • Comments, Whitespace, and Readability
• 1.3 Program Errors
  • Syntax Errors
  • Logic Errors (Bugs)
• 1.4 Procedural Decomposition
  • Functions
  • Flow of Control
  • Identifiers and Keywords
  • Functions That Call Other Functions
  • An Example Runtime Error
• 1.5 Case Study: Drawing Figures
  • Structured Version
  • Final Version without Redundancy
  • Analysis of Flow of Execution

Chapter 2 Data and Definite Loops

• 2.1 Basic Data Concepts
  • Types
  • Expressions
  • Literals
  • Arithmetic Operators
  • Precedence
  • Mixing and Converting Types
• 2.2 Variables
  • A Program with Variables
  • Increment/Decrement Operators
  • Printing Multiple Values
• 2.3 The for Loop
  • Using a Loop Variable
  • Details about Ranges
  • String Multiplication and Printing Partial Lines
  • Nested for Loops
• 2.4 Managing Complexity
  • Scope
  • Pseudocode
  • Constants
• 2.5 Case Study: Hourglass Figure
  • Problem Decomposition and Pseudocode
  • Initial Structured Version
  • Adding a Constant

Chapter 3 Parameters and Graphics

• 3.1 Parameters
  • The Mechanics of Parameters
  • Limitations of Parameters
  • Multiple Parameters
  • Parameters versus Constants
  • Optional Parameters
• 3.2 Returning Values
  • The math Module
  • The random Module
  • Defining Functions That Return Values
  • Returning Multiple Values
• 3.3 Interactive Programs
  • Sample Interactive Program
• 3.4 Graphics
  • Introduction to DrawingPanel
  • Drawing Lines and Shapes
  • Colors
  • Drawing with Loops
  • Text and Fonts
  • Images
  • Procedural Decomposition with Graphics
• 3.5 Case Study: Projectile Trajectory
  • Unstructured Solution
  • Structured Solution
  • Graphical Version

Chapter 4 Conditional Execution

• 4.1 if/else Statements
  • Relational Operators
  • Nested if/else Statements
  • Factoring if/else Statements
  • Testing Multiple Conditions
• 4.2 Cumulative Algorithms
  • Cumulative Sum
  • Min/Max Loops
  • Cumulative Sum with if
  • Roundoff Errors
• 4.3 Functions with Conditional Execution
  • Preconditions and Postconditions
  • Raising Exceptions
  • Revisiting Return Values
  • Reasoning about Paths
• 4.4 Strings
  • String Methods
  • Accessing Characters by Index
  • Converting between Letters and Numbers
  • Cumulative Text Algorithms
• 4.5 Case Study: Basal Metabolic Rate
  • One-Person Unstructured Solution
  • Two-Person Unstructured Solution
  • Two-Person Structured Solution
  • Procedural Design Heuristics

Chapter 5 Program Logic and Indefinite Loops

• 5.1 The while Loop
  • A Loop to Find the Smallest Divisor
  • Loop Priming
• 5.2 Fencepost Algorithms
  • Fencepost with if
  • Sentinel Loops
  • Sentinel with Min/Max
• 5.3 Boolean Logic
  • Logical Operators
  • Boolean Variables and Flags
  • Predicate Functions
  • Boolean Zen
  • Short-Circuited Evaluation
• 5.4 Robust Programs
  • The try/except Statement
  • Handling User Errors
• 5.5 Assertions and Program Logic
  • Reasoning about Assertions
  • A Detailed Assertions Example
• 5.6 Case Study: Number Guessing Game
  • Initial Version without Hinting
  • Randomized Version with Hinting
  • Final Robust Version

Chapter 6 File Processing

• 6.1 File-Reading Basics
  • Data and Files
  • Reading a File in Python
  • Line-Based File Processing
  • Structure of Files and Consuming Input
  • Prompting for a File
• 6.2 Token-Based Processing
  • Numeric Input
  • Handling Invalid Input
  • Mixing Lines and Tokens
  • Handling Varying Numbers of Tokens
  • Complex Input Files
• 6.3 Advanced File Processing
  • Multi-Line Input Records
  • File Output
  • Reading Data from the Web
• 6.4 Case Study: ZIP Code Lookup

Chapter 7 Lists

• 7.1 List Basics
  • Creating Lists
  • Accessing List Elements
  • Traversing a List
  • A Complete List Program
  • Random Access
  • List Methods
• 7.2 List-Traversal Algorithms
  • Lists as Parameters
  • Searching a List
  • Replacing and Removing Values
  • Reversing a List
  • Shifting Values in a List
  • Nested Loop Algorithms
  • List Comprehensions
• 7.3 Reference Semantics
  • Values and References
  • Modifying a List Parameter
  • The Value None
  • Mutability
  • Tuples
• 7.4 Multidimensional Lists
  • Rectangular Lists
  • Jagged Lists
  • Lists of Pixels
• 7.5 Case Study: Benford’s Law
  • Tallying Values
  • Completing the Program

Chapter 8 Dictionaries and Sets

• 8.1 Dictionary Basics
  • Creating a Dictionary
  • Dictionary Operations
  • Looping Over a Dictionary
  • Dictionary Ordering
• 8.2 Advanced Dictionary Usage
  • Dictionary for Tallying
  • Nested Collections
  • Dictionary Comprehensions
• 8.3 Sets
  • Set Basics
  • Set Operations
  • Set Efficiency
  • Set Example: Lottery

Chapter 9 Recursion

• 9.1 Thinking Recursively
  • A Nonprogramming Example
  • Iteration to Recursion
  • Structure of Recursive Solutions
  • Reversing a File
  • The Recursive Call Stack
• 9.2 Recursive Functions and Data
  • Integer Exponentiation
  • Greatest Common Divisor
  • Directory Crawler
• 9.3 Recursive Graphics
  • Cantor Set
  • Sierpinski Triangle
• 9.4 Recursive Backtracking
  • Traveling North/East
  • Eight Queens Puzzle
  • Stopping after One Solution
• 9.5 Case Study: Prefix Evaluator
  • Infix, Prefix, and Postfix Notation
  • Evaluating Prefix Expressions
  • Complete Program

Chapter 10 Searching and Sorting

• 10.1 Searching and Sorting Libraries
  • Binary Search