Acquaint Yourself with Data Structures in Python with this Coursera Program

Python Data Structures by edX introduces the core data structures of the Python programming language. It touches upon the basics of procedural programming and explores how we can use the Python built-in data structures such as lists structures in Python, tuples and dictionaries in Python to perform increasingly complex data analysis.

Charles Severance (a.k.a. Dr. Chuck), one of the instructors of this course, is a Clinical Professor of Information at the University of Michigan School of Information, where he teaches various technology-oriented courses, including programming, database design, and web development. Chuck has written a number of books, including Using Google App Engine and Python for Everybody. He has a unique teaching style that learners can enjoy.

It is a self-paced and well-curated intermediate-level online course spread over a duration of 19 hours. The experienced faculty members touch upon the basics of procedural programming and teach learners how to use the Python built-in data structures such as lists, tuples, and dictionaries sets to perform increasingly complex data analysis.

The modules of this course are detail-oriented, comprehensive and practical. It is designed in a way that in each class, the practical applications of the theory are highlighted. The assessment method involves completing assignments and undertaking projects under various modules throughout the degree. These can be research-based or concept specific.

Technically, this course can be divided into 5 prime modules:

Module 1: Installing and Using Python

In this module, you will set things up so you can write Python programs. We do not require the installation of Python for this class. You can write and test Python programs in the browser using the "Python Code Playground" in this lesson.

Module 2: Files

Up to now, we have been working with data that is read from the user or data in constants. But real programs process much larger amounts of data by reading and writing files on the secondary storage on your computer. In this chapter, we write our first programs that read, scan, and process real data.

Module 3: Lists

Starting with lists, we will store many values in a single variable using an indexing scheme to store, organize, and retrieve different values from within a single variable. We call these multi-valued variables "collections" or "data structures".

Module 4: Dictionaries

The Python dictionary is one of its most powerful data structures. Instead of representing values in a linear list, dictionaries store data as key or value pairs. Using key or value pairs gives us a simple in-memory "database" in a single Python variable.

Module 5: Tuples

We often use tuples in conjunction with dictionaries in Python to accomplish multi-step tasks like sorting or looping through all of the data in a dictionary.

My current job in networking is different considering the Python programming course I enrolled in. But I am looking forward to start working in automation, a field where I am confident that the learnings of the course would prove to be of great help. I gained detailed insights about data science as this course was well-structured and used real life examples to provide constructive examples.