python/reference/concept-exercise-mapping.md

Python reference

Python is an interpreted, dynamically (but strongly) typed, and garbage-collected general programming language that has become extremely popular due to its readability, low barrier for entry, and exceptionally deep ecosystem of libraries and tools. Python is object-based, but is inherently multi-paradigm and has drawn together influences from a wide range of programming languages, including ABC, Haskell, Lisp, and Modula-3. It is ideal for prototyping and ad-hoc tasks, but also sees wide use in scientific computing, web development, and automation.

Below are concepts that were extracted/identified in Python based on Exercism's V2 exercises. Resources used include:

• Python 3 Documentation
• Python Tutorial
• Python Library Reference

Unique to Python

"Pythonic"/Python Community

• The Zen of Python
• Pythonic
• Python Enhancement Proposals
• PEP 8
• Dunder Methods

Baseline

Concepts Introduced in the "Basics" Exercise (_Guido's Gorgeous Lasagna_):

• Arithmetic

• Assignment

• Comments

  • TODO: Explain # syntax in Python

• Constants

• Docstrings

• Expressions

• Functions

  • Function Definition
    • def
    • pass
    • None
    • Return Values
      • return

• Statements

  • TODO: Explain the importance of statements in Python

• Variables

General

Concepts needed for a good working understanding of the language

Current "Core" Concepts:

• Argument unpacking

• Arithmetic

  • Modular Division
  • Arithmetic Operators

• Bitwise manipulation

  • Binary numbers
  • Bitflags
  • Bitwise operators
  • Powers of Two

• Boolean logic

  • Boolean values

    • Booleans are integers
    • True
    • False

  • Boolean operators

    • not
    • Short-circuiting
      • and
      • or

• Comparisons

  • Comparison operators
  • Integer comparison
  • Rich comparison methods
  • Equality operator
  • Equivalence
  • Inequality

• Conditionals

  • Conditionals structures
    • if
    • elif
    • else

• dict

• Enumeration

  • Enumerated values
  • enumerate()

• Functions

  • Function Definition

    • def
    • Function signature
      • Arguments & parameters
      • Positional parameters
      • Positional-only parameters
      • Keyword parameters
      • Keyword-only parameters
      • Default arguments
      • \*args
      • \*\*kwargs
      • Return Values
        • return
        • none

  • Nested functions

  • Type hinting

  • Call semantics

• Identity testing

  • is

• Importing

  • relative imports
  • import
  • from
  • as

• Iteration

  • Iterables

  • Iterators

  • Loops

    • while loops

      • while

    • for loops

      • for
      • range

    • Exiting loops

      • break
      • continue
      • else in a loop context

• Membership testing

  • in

• Numbers

  • int

  • float

  • complex

    • cmath

  • fractions

  • decimal

  • math

• Operators

  • Operator overloading
  • Operator precedence

• REPL

  • TODO: Discuss the interactive Python interpreter

• sequences

  • common sequence operations

    • bracket notation
      • Indexing
      • Slicing
      • Slice assignment

  • list

    • List Methods

  • range

  • str

    • str-methods
    • String formatting
    • str-splitting
    • str-translation

  • tuple

• Scope

  • del

  • Namespaces

    • global
    • nonlocal

• set

  • frozenset

• Type conversion TODO: Casting between types in Python can be a bit unclear; this will need expansion

  • Type conversion

• Variables

  • Assignment
    • Multiple assignment
    • Tuple unpacking
    • Constants

Detailed

Concepts needed for a deeper understanding/fluency

"Intermediate" Concepts

• Aliasing

  • as
  • import

• Anonymous functions

  • lambda

• bytes

  • bytearray

• Comprehension Syntax

  • List comprehension
  • Dict comprehension
  • Set comprehension
  • Generator comprehension

• Context managers

  • with

• Decorators

• Docstrings

• Exceptions

  • Exception handling

  • Exception catching

    • try
    • except
    • else
    • finally

  • Exception hierarchy

  • Raise

    • Exception message
    • raise
    • from
    • raise from
    • assert

• Generators

  • yield

• Higher-order functions

  • Decorators as higher-order functions
  • map
  • filter

• Partial application

  • TODO: functools.partial

• Recursion

  • TODO: explain limitations of recursion in Python, ie RecursionLimit

• Regular Expressions

Object-Oriented Specific

OOP-Specific/Class Oriented Concepts

• Objects

  • Everything is an object
    • type
    • object
    • property

• Classes

  • Custom classes
    • class
  • Class members
    • Behavior
      • Methods
        • Instance Methods
          • Implicit self
          • Initialization
          • Instantiation
        • Class methods
          • Constructor
        • Static Methods
    • State
      • Instance Attributes
      • Instance Properties
        • Property Decorator

• Inheritance

  • Class inheritance

• Composition

  • Class composition

• Encapsulation

  • Non-Public Methods

• Interfaces

  • Meta Classes
    • [Virtual Base Classes]
    • [Abstract Base Classes]
    • [.__subclasshook__() ]
    • [.register()]
  • Duck Typing

• Mutation

  • Immutability in Python
  • Mutability in Python

• Polymorphism

  • Dynamic typing
  • Duck Typing
  • Gradual Typing
    • Type Hinting
    • typing

Specialized

(These are probably outside scope of an Exercism Concept exercise, but might make good longer/practice exercises that recieve mentoring)

Advanced/Specialized Concepts

• Asynchronous operatons
  • async
  • await

These datatypes will very rarely be encountered in the wild, the first because it's more of an internal implementation detail and the second because it's hyper-specific:

• slice
• memoryview

Implementations in Progress

Expect this table to be updated as larger concepts are broken down or additional concepts/exercises are identified.

See the Python Exercises page for committed/planned on website concept & practice exercises.

Below are currently identified concepts needing:

1. Issues logged (TBD issue entry)
2. Concept & About documents written (starred concepts - links are to stub files)
3. PRs written for a concept exericise (the issue is listed for design, but there is no exercise name linked)
4. Possible Imrovements (check github for additional improvement issues)

Concept	Includes	About & Introduction	Exercise	Prerequisites	Design./Issue	Status/PR
list-methods	Topics list methods	about.md🔅introduction.md	Chaitanas Colossal Coaster 🎢	Needs lists	.meta folder	WIP
numbers	Topics numbers int float Arithmetic Integer comparison Modular Division % operator	about.md🔅introduction.md	Currency Exchange 💰	basics	.meta folder	WIP
lists	Topics list	about.md🔅introduction.md	Elyses Enchantments ✨	Needs comparisons conditionals strings	.meta folder	WIP
bools	Topics booll Boolean operators Boolean values False True and or Short circuiting Boolean logic Booleans are integers	about.md🔅introduction.md	Ghost Gobble Arcade Game 👻	basics	.meta folder	WIP
basics	Topics Assignment Variables Constants Objects Functions Function Definition Arguments & Parameters def return Return Values Docstrings Comments	about.md🔅introduction.md	Guidos Gorgeous Lasagna	None	.meta folder	WIP
dicts	Topics dict	about.md🔅introduction.md	Inventory Management 📋	Needs loops lists tuples	.meta folder	WIP
string-methods	Topics String methods	about.md🔅introduction.md	Litte Sister's Essay 📓	Needs basics strings	.meta folder	WIP
enums	Topics enums	about.md🔅introduction.md	Log Levels 💻	Needs classes conditionals loops list-comprehensions sequences string-formatting string-methods tuples	.meta folder	WIP
loops	Topics Loops for loops while loops while for range Exiting loops break continue else	about.md🔅introduction.md	Making the Grade 🈴	Needs basics comparisons conditionals lists strings	.meta folder	WIP
string-formatting	Topics String formatting	about.md🔅introduction.md	Pretty Leaflet 🍃	Needs basics strings string-methods	.meta folder	WIP
strings	Topics str	about.md🔅introduction.md	Processing Logs ⚙	basics	N/A	WIP
none	Topics None	about.md🔅introduction.md	Restaurant Rozalynn 🥘	Needs bools conditionals functions dict-methods list-methods loops	.meta folder	WIP
tuples	Topics tuple	about.md🔅introduction.md	Tisbury Treasure Hunt 🧭	Needs basics,bools,loops numbers,strings	.meta folder	WIP
conditionals	Topics Conditionals Conditional structures if elif else else	about.md🔅introduction.md	conditionals (Story TBD) ⚖	basics	.metaf older	Draft - content missing.
class-composition*	Topics Class Composition dependancy injuection/inverse of control	about.md🔅introduction.md		Needs basics booleans classes class-customization class-inheritance comparisons decorators dicts functions higher-order functions iteration lists numbers sequences sets strings tuples	#2352	Pending
import*	Topics import importing relative imports from as	about.md🔅introduction.md			ON HOLD	ON HOLD
context-manager-customization*	Topics with contextlib @contextlib.contextmanager contextlib.closing() contextlib.nullcontext() contextlib.suppress conextlib.redirect_stdout() contextlib.redirect_stderr() class contextlib.ContextDecorator context-handling context-managers context-manager types	about.md🔅introduction.md		Needs basics bools classes class customization class-inheritance comparisons rich-comparisons decorators dicts dict-methods raising-and-handling-errors functions functional tools generators higher-order-functions iteration lists list-methods loops numbers sequences sets strings string-methods testing tuples with-statement	#2370	Pending
with-statement*	Topics with context-handling context-managers finally file handling	about.md🔅introduction.md		Needs basics bools comparisons dicts dict-methods functions functional-tools generators higher-order-functions iteration lists list-methods loops numbers sequences sets strings string-methods tuples	#2369	Pending
itertools*	Topics itertools count() cycle() repeat() accumulate() product() chain() & chain.from_iterable() groupby() islice() zip_longest() and the zip() built-in permutations() combinations()	about.md🔅introduction.md		Needs basics booleans comparisons rich-comparisons dicts dict-methods functions functional tools generators higher-order functions Identity methods is and is not iteration lists list-methods loops numbers sequences sets strings string-methods tuples	#2368	Pending
iterators*	Topics Iterators iterator protocol __next_() __stopiteration__() __iter__() iter() __getitem__()	about.md🔅introduction.md		Needs basics booleans classes comparisons rich-comparisons decorators descriptors dicts dict-methods functions higher-order-functions lists list-methods numbers sequences sets strings string-methods tuples	#2367	Pending
functools*	Topics Partial application single dispatch higher-order functions functools.partial() partial.func partial.args partial.keywords functools.update_wrapper() funtools.cache() @functools.cached_property() @functools.lru_cache() @functools.total_ordering @functools.singledispatch @.register() @functools.wraps() class functools.partialmethod() class functools.singledispatchmethod()	about.md🔅introduction.md		Needs basics bools classes class-customization class-components comparisons rich-comparisons decorators descriptors dicts dict-methods functions function-arguments higher-order-functions iteration lists list-methods numbers sequences sets strings string-methods tuples	#2366	Pending
descriptors*	Topics descrptor protocol descriptors private variables name mangling data descriptors non-data descriptors class attributes class members	about.md🔅introduction.md		Needs basics booleans classes class-customization class-composition class-inheritance comparisons decorators dicts iteration lists numbers sequences sets strings tuples	#2365	Pending
function-arguments*	Topics Arguments & Parameters Keyword parameters Positional parameters Default arguments Positional-only parameters Keyword-only parameters *args **kwargs None /* for requiring parameter types	about.md🔅introduction.md		Needs basics booleans comparisons dicts dict-methods functions iteration lists list-methods numbers sequences sets strings string-methods tuples	#2354	Pending
unpacking-and-multiple-assignment*	Topics Argument unpacking splat or astrix operator Multiple assignment Tuple unpacking	about.md🔅introduction.md		Needs basics bools comparisons dicts dict-methods functions function-arguments higher-order-functions functional tools Identity methods is and is not iteration lists list-methods numbers sequences sets strings string-methods tuples	#2360	Pending
functional-tools*	Topics map filter functools.reduce	about.md🔅introduction.md		Needs basics bools comparisons dicts dict-methods functions function-arguments higher-order-functions iteration lists list-methods numbers sequences sets strings string-methods tuples	#2359	Pending
anonymous-functions*	Topics Anonymous functions lambda	about.md🔅introduction.md		Needs basics booleans comparisons dicts dict-methods functions function-arguments higher-order functions iteration lists list-methods numbers sequences sets strings string-methods tuples	#2357	Pending
higher-order-functions*	Topics Function Signature pass [Higher-order functions] higher-order-functions Nested functions global nonlocal closures recursion functions as arguments functions as returns	about.md🔅introduction.md		Needs basics booleans comparisons dicts dict-methods functions function-arguments iteration lists list-methods numbers sequences sets strings string-methods tuples	#2355	Pending
class-inheritance*	Topics Inheritance Class Inheritance [Multiple Inheritance][mulitple-inheritance] __super__() minxins MRO	about.md🔅introduction.md		Needs basics booleans classes class-customization comparisons decorators dicts functions higher-order-functions iteration lists numbers sequences sets strings tuples	#2351	Pending
sets*	Topics set frozenset set operations set operators set methods	about.md🔅introduction.md		Needs basics booleans comparisons dicts lists loops	#2296	Pending
other-comprehensions*	Topics Set comprehension Dict comprehension	about.md🔅introduction.md		Needs basics bools conditionals comparisons loops iteration	#2294	Pending
generators*	Topics Generators yield	about.md🔅introduction.md		Needs conditionals dicts functions higher-order-functions lists loops iteration iterators sequences	#2293	Pending
sequences*	Topics Bracket notation Indexing slice Slicing slice assignment	about.md🔅introduction.md		Needs basics iteration lists list-methods sets strings tuples	#2290	Pending
complex-numbers*	Topics complex cmath decimal fractions	about.md🔅introduction.md		Needs basics bools numbers	#2208	Issue needs re-write.
rich-comparisons*	Topics Rich comparison methods operator-overloading	about.md🔅introduction.md		Needs basics booleans classes class-customization class-inheritance class-composition comparisons dicts dict-methods iteration lists list-methods numbers operator-overloading sequences sets strings string-methods tuples	#2287	Pending
comparisons*	Topics Comparisons Comparison operators Equivalence Equality operator Inequality	about.md🔅introduction.md		Needs basics bools dicts lists sets strings tuples numbers iteration	#2288	Pending
generator-expressions*	Topics Generator expression	about.md🔅introduction.md		Needs basics conditionals comparisons loops generators iterators iteration list-comprehensions other-comprehensions	#2292	Pending
list-comprehensions*	Topics Comprehension Syntax list comprehension comprehensions are optimized loops	about.md🔅introduction.md		Needs basics bools comparisons conditionals lists list-methods loops iteration sequences	#2295	Pending
bytes*	Topics bytes bytearray	about.md🔅introduction.md		TBD	TBD	TBD
class-interfaces*	Topics Multiple Inheritance MRO Abstract Base Clases	about.md🔅introduction.md		TBD	TBD	TBD
collections*	Topics namedtuple() Counter dequeue defaultdict OrderedDict ChainMap	about.md🔅introduction.md		TBD	TBD	TBD
dataclasses-and-namedtuples*	Topics dataclasses @dataclass collections.namedtuple() - decorators	about.md🔅introduction.md		Needs basics booleans classes class-customization comparisons decorators dicts iteration lists numbers sequences sets strings tuples	#2361	Pending
decorators*	Topics decorators Decorators as higher-order functions nested functions functions-as-arguments functions-as-returns functools.wraps() @ symbol for decorators	about.md🔅introduction.md		Needs basics bools comparisons dicts dict-methods functions function-arguments higher-order-functions iteration lists list-methods numbers sequences sets strings string-methods tuples	#2356	Pending
functions*	Topics Call semantics Namespaces callable objects scope nested functions closures return global nonlocal "first class" functions function attributes	about.md🔅introduction.md		Needs basics bools comparisons dicts dict-methods iteration lists list-methods numbers sequences sets strings string-methods tuples	#2353	Pending
class-customization*	Topics Custom Classes Property Decorator (@property) Class methods (@classmethod) Static Methods (@staticmethod) Non-Public Methods (getters, setters) class membersz __repr__() __str__()	about.md🔅introduction.md		Needs basics booleans classes comparisons decorators dicts functions higher-order-functions iteration lists numbers sequences sets strings tuples	#2350	Pending
classes*	Topics Classes class Constructor (self, __init__()) property Instance Attributes Instance Methods Instance Properties Instantiation Initialization pass object	about.md🔅introduction.md		Needs basics bools comparisons dicts iteration lists numbers sequences sets strings tuples	#2349	Pending
dict-methods*	Topics dict	about.md🔅introduction.md		Needs basics bools conditionals comparisons dicts lists loops numbers strings tuples	#2348	Pending
aliasing*	Topics as	about.md🔅introduction.md		TBD	TBD	TBD
binary data*	TBD	about.md🔅introduction.md		TBD	TBD	TBD
bitflags*	Topics bitflags	about.md🔅introduction.md		TBD	TBD	TBD
bitwise-operators*	Topics Bitwise manipulation	about.md🔅introduction.md		TBD	TBD	TBD
iteration*	Topics Enumerated values Enumerate	about.md🔅introduction.md		TBD	TBD	TBD
memoryview*	Topics memoryview	about.md🔅introduction.md		TBD	TBD	TBD
number-variations*	Topics Binary numbers [Octal numbers][octal-numbers] [Hexidecimal numbers][hex-numbers] Powers of Two decimals fractions	about.md🔅introduction.md		TBD	TBD	TBD
operator-overloading*	Topics Operator overloading	about.md🔅introduction.md		TBD	TBD	TBD
raising-and-handling-errors*	Topics Exceptions Exception catching Exception handling Exception message raise try except finally	about.md🔅introduction.md		TBD	TBD	TBD
regular-expressions*	Topics Regular Expressions re re.find re.sub re.search re.compile`	about.md🔅introduction.md		TBD	TBD	TBD
testing*	Topics assert unittest doctest	about.md🔅introduction.md		TBD	TBD	TBD
text-processing*	TBD	about.md🔅introduction.md		TBD	TBD	TBD
type-hinting*	Topics Type hinting	about.md🔅introduction.md		TBD	TBD	TBD
unicode-regular-expressions*	Topics regular expressions unicode third-party libraries regex lib	about.md🔅introduction.md		TBD	TBD	TBD
user-defined-errors*	Topics Exception hierarchy Custom Exceptions subclassing Exception custom error messages	about.md🔅introduction.md		TBD	TBD	TBD
walrus-operator*	Topics assignment expression, :=	about.md🔅introduction.md		TBD	TBD	TBD
string-methods-splitting*	Topics String splitting	about.md🔅introduction.md		TBD	TBD	TBD
*general	Composition	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
*general	Data Structures	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
*general	Encapsulation	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
*general	Interfaces	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
*general	Lookup efficiency	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
*general	Mutation	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
*general	Mutability in Python	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
*general	Polymorphism	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
*general	Recursive data structures	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
*general	Scope	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
*general	Standard Library	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
*general	State	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
*no stand-alone	Duck Typing	NA	Multiple	Multiple	Multiple	NA
*no stand-alone	Dynamic Typing	NA	Multiple	Multiple	Multiple	NA
*no stand-alone	del	NA	Multiple	Multiple	Multiple	NA
*no stand-alone	Expressions	NA	Multiple	Multiple	Multiple	NA
*no stand-alone	Identity testing	NA	Multiple	Multiple	Multiple	NA
*no stand-alone	Operators	NA	Multiple	Multiple	Multiple	NA
*no stand-alone	Operator precedence	NA	Multiple	Multiple	Multiple	NA
*no stand-alone	Order of Evaluation	NA	Multiple	Multiple	Multiple	NA
*no stand-alone	type	NA	Multiple	Multiple	Multiple	NA
*no stand-alone	type conversion	NA	Multiple	Multiple	Multiple	NA
*no stand-alone	Immutability in Python	NA	Multiple	Multiple	Multiple	NA

Concepts flagged as general are broad enough that we are questioning if they need a specific concept exercise.
Concepts flagged no stand alone are explained/utilized across multiple concept exercises.