Expert Multimedia - Using Python - Official Page
This is the official website of the Using Python training series by Jake "Poikilos" Gustafson.
Designed for Printing
The materials are condensed to fit on 8.5x11 printouts, saving paper along the way. Following along on a single monitor is unlikely to work well in schools or many other situations! A dual monitor setup is recommended if you do not print the materials.
Discreet Units
This book is great for schools because it is split into two 9-week parts, such as for a middle school or high school semester (9 weeks per quarter).
Tested
The original drafts (2015-2018) were tested and refined for years using feedback from around 100 real school-age learners.
# What is "Python"?
Python is a modern, network-capable script language that can be precompiled for speed. Python has a well-maintained interpreter and has a comprehensive set of tools, and there are well-maintained libraries for multimedia decoding and display.
# What is "Using Python"?
Using Python is a specialized Expert Multimedia (opens new window) course written by Jacob Gustafson to fill the gap in Python training materials. Since Python is often used by the open-source community where projects are often maintained by a tightly-knit group of experts, most Python books & courses are not intended for beginners. The few books that receive good reviews from users do not have the most up-to-date information on Python. Using Python covers Python 2 and 3, which both have extensive ecosystems, having many libraries for networking, GUI, website creation, & direct media. The Using Python course makes learning Python programming accessible, by providing training instead of merely summarizing the Python documentation (opens new window) which is the goal of most forum answers and publications, and provides real-world examples for console, GUI (using wxPython for Python 2, Kivy for Python 3), & direct media (using Pygame and Panda3D for Python 2, Kivy for Python 3). Python 2 is no longer officially supported (opens new window) as of January 1, 2020.
Other Sites by Jake Gustafson:
- Expert Multimedia - Learning (opens new window)
- 3D Animation Using Blender (opens new window)
- Advanced Programming Using Java (opens new window)
Please report errors at github.com/poikilos/usingpython-website/issues (opens new window) (search for your issue in the search box to see if it exists first, in case it is already known or has a solution. If a number appears by "Closed" click that to see the solved issue(s)). Please do not report it again, but if you have more information, comment on the existing issue. Add an emoji to give the issue priority or to show that the instructions solved your problem.