Microsoft has launched a new video series that could potentially teach a wave of reasonably inexperienced coders to use Python. The 44-part course hit YouTube last week, and could be useful if you already know some programming basics.
Christopher Harrison, Microsoft’s senior program manager, explained the aim of the new series in a blog post:
“You might be taking a look at Python. Maybe you’re drawn because of its popularity. Maybe you’re drawn to its flexibility. With Python you can create solutions of all shapes and sizes. You can dig into web development. Simplify your life through automation. Or maybe begin building the future with machine learning.
“Picking up a new language is a common situation for modern-day developers. The days of going your entire career focused on one language are long since gone. Fortunately, concepts typically don’t change as you move from one programming language to the next. Sure, the syntax might be different, but an if statement is still an if statement even when it’s written using { } or End If. So, we don’t need to learn how to program, but rather how to program in a new language.”
Harrison presents the videos with Microsoft’s AI gaming division business development manager, Susan Ibach, and the pair make for a congenial team.
“While we won’t cover everything there is to know about Python in the course, we want to make sure we give you the foundation on programming in Python, starting from common everyday code and scenarios. At the end of the course, you’ll be able to go and learn on your own, following along docs, tutorials, books, etc. We promise we’re keeping things quick and to the point, so you can dive straight into the areas that you’re most interest in (or confused by!).”
Any free help will likely be welcomed by the community, and we could perhaps see more courses like this in the future, if the series is successful.
Wireframe #22 is out now
