Wurztha's Game Dev Hub

Building games, one line of code at a time!

My Python Learning Journey

Welcome to my Python learning hub! Here I document what I'm learning, share code examples, and provide resources for anyone interested in getting started with Python.

What I'm Learning Right Now

I'm currently working through Harvard's CS50 course, which teaches C first and then transitions to Python. Here's my current focus:

  • Data Structures: Lists, dictionaries, sets, and tuples
  • File I/O: Reading from and writing to files
  • Error Handling: Try/except blocks and debugging
  • Modules & Packages: Importing and organizing code

Next up: Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) with classes and inheritance!

Python Code Examples

Here are some examples of things I've been practicing:

1. Hello World & Variables

# My first Python program!
name = input("What's your name? ")
print(f"Hello, {name}!")

# Working with numbers
age = int(input("How old are you? "))
years_until_100 = 100 - age
print(f"You'll be 100 in {years_until_100} years.")

2. Loops & Conditionals

# FizzBuzz challenge (classic interview question)
for i in range(1, 101):
    if i % 15 == 0:
        print("FizzBuzz")
    elif i % 3 == 0:
        print("Fizz")
    elif i % 5 == 0:
        print("Buzz")
    else:
        print(i)

3. Working with Lists

# Shopping list manager
shopping_list = []

while True:
    item = input("Add item (or 'done' to finish): ")
    if item.lower() == 'done':
        break
    shopping_list.append(item)

print("\nYour shopping list:")
for i, item in enumerate(shopping_list, 1):
    print(f"{i}. {item}")

4. Functions & Reusability

# Temperature converter
def celsius_to_fahrenheit(celsius):
    return (celsius * 9/5) + 32

def fahrenheit_to_celsius(fahrenheit):
    return (fahrenheit - 32) * 5/9

temp_c = float(input("Temperature in Celsius: "))
print(f"That's {celsius_to_fahrenheit(temp_c)}°F")

Why I Love Python

After learning C first, Python feels like a breath of fresh air:

  • Readable syntax: Code looks almost like English
  • No semicolons or braces: Uses indentation instead
  • Built-in data structures: Lists, dicts, sets are first-class citizens
  • Huge standard library: "Batteries included" philosophy
  • Great for beginners: Less boilerplate, more focus on logic

C vs Python Comparison

// C version - verbose, manual memory management
#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
    int numbers[5] = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5};
    for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
        printf("%d\n", numbers[i]);
    }
    return 0;
}

# Python version - clean and simple
numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
for num in numbers:
    print(num)

Recommended Python Resources

Here are the best resources I've found for learning Python:

My Python Goals

Here's what I want to accomplish as I continue learning:

  • Short-term: Complete CS50's Python problem sets
  • Medium-term: Build a web scraper and data analysis tool
  • Long-term: Create my first game using Pygame
  • Dream project: Build a full-stack web application with Flask/Django

I'll be updating this page regularly as I progress on my journey!