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python-fundamentals skill

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This skill helps you master Python fundamentals by guiding syntax, data types, OOP, and standard library use for clean, efficient code.

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SKILL.md
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---
name: Python Fundamentals
description: Master Python syntax, data types, control flow, functions, OOP, and standard library
version: "2.1.0"
sasmp_version: "1.3.0"
bonded_agent: 01-python-fundamentals
bond_type: PRIMARY_BOND

# Skill Configuration
retry_strategy: exponential_backoff
observability:
  logging: true
  metrics: skill_completion_rate
---

# Python Fundamentals

## Overview

This skill covers the foundational elements of Python programming including syntax, data types, control structures, functions, object-oriented programming, and the standard library.

## Learning Objectives

- Write clean, Pythonic code following PEP 8 guidelines
- Master all Python data structures (lists, tuples, dicts, sets)
- Understand and implement object-oriented programming concepts
- Navigate and utilize the Python standard library effectively
- Manage virtual environments and packages with pip/venv

## Core Topics

### 1. Python Syntax & Data Types
- Variables and naming conventions
- Numeric types (int, float, complex)
- Strings and string methods
- Boolean logic and None
- Type hints (PEP 484)
- F-strings and formatting

**Code Example:**
```python
# Type hints and f-strings
def greet_user(name: str, age: int) -> str:
    return f"Hello {name}, you are {age} years old!"

# Using the function
message = greet_user("Alice", 30)
print(message)  # Hello Alice, you are 30 years old!
```

### 2. Control Flow & Functions
- Conditional statements (if/elif/else)
- Loops (for, while)
- List/dict/set comprehensions
- Function parameters and arguments
- Lambda functions
- Decorators basics

**Code Example:**
```python
# List comprehension with conditional
numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]
even_squares = [x**2 for x in numbers if x % 2 == 0]
print(even_squares)  # [4, 16, 36, 64, 100]

# Decorator example
def timing_decorator(func):
    import time
    def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
        start = time.time()
        result = func(*args, **kwargs)
        end = time.time()
        print(f"{func.__name__} took {end - start:.4f} seconds")
        return result
    return wrapper

@timing_decorator
def slow_function():
    import time
    time.sleep(1)
    return "Done!"
```

### 3. Object-Oriented Programming
- Classes and instances
- Inheritance and composition
- Polymorphism and duck typing
- Encapsulation (public/private)
- Magic methods (__init__, __str__, __repr__, etc.)
- Abstract base classes

**Code Example:**
```python
from abc import ABC, abstractmethod

class Vehicle(ABC):
    def __init__(self, brand: str, model: str):
        self.brand = brand
        self.model = model

    @abstractmethod
    def start_engine(self) -> str:
        pass

    def __str__(self) -> str:
        return f"{self.brand} {self.model}"

class Car(Vehicle):
    def __init__(self, brand: str, model: str, doors: int):
        super().__init__(brand, model)
        self.doors = doors

    def start_engine(self) -> str:
        return f"{self} engine started with {self.doors} doors"

# Usage
car = Car("Toyota", "Camry", 4)
print(car.start_engine())  # Toyota Camry engine started with 4 doors
```

### 4. Standard Library
- File operations (open, read, write)
- Path handling with pathlib
- datetime for date/time operations
- collections (Counter, defaultdict, namedtuple)
- itertools and functools
- json and csv modules

**Code Example:**
```python
from pathlib import Path
from datetime import datetime, timedelta
from collections import Counter
import json

# Path operations
data_dir = Path("data")
data_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)

config_file = data_dir / "config.json"
config = {"app_name": "MyApp", "version": "1.0.0"}

# Write JSON
with open(config_file, "w") as f:
    json.dump(config, f, indent=2)

# Read JSON
with open(config_file, "r") as f:
    loaded_config = json.load(f)

# Date operations
today = datetime.now()
next_week = today + timedelta(days=7)
formatted = today.strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S")

# Counter for frequency analysis
words = ["apple", "banana", "apple", "cherry", "banana", "apple"]
word_count = Counter(words)
print(word_count.most_common(2))  # [('apple', 3), ('banana', 2)]
```

## Hands-On Practice

### Project 1: File Management Tool
Build a command-line tool that organizes files by extension.

**Requirements:**
- Accept directory path as input
- Scan for files recursively
- Group files by extension
- Move files to organized folders
- Generate summary report

**Key Skills:** pathlib, file I/O, os module

### Project 2: Contact Manager (OOP)
Create a contact management system using object-oriented principles.

**Requirements:**
- Contact class with name, email, phone
- ContactBook class to manage contacts
- CRUD operations (Create, Read, Update, Delete)
- Search and filter functionality
- Persist data to JSON file

**Key Skills:** OOP, JSON serialization, data structures

### Project 3: Text Analyzer
Analyze text files for statistics and patterns.

**Requirements:**
- Word frequency analysis
- Character count (with/without spaces)
- Average word length
- Most common words (exclude stop words)
- Export results to CSV

**Key Skills:** String manipulation, collections.Counter, CSV

## Assessment Criteria

- [ ] Write PEP 8 compliant Python code
- [ ] Use appropriate data structures for different scenarios
- [ ] Implement classes with proper OOP principles
- [ ] Utilize standard library modules effectively
- [ ] Manage virtual environments and dependencies
- [ ] Handle exceptions properly
- [ ] Write clear docstrings and comments

## Resources

### Official Documentation
- [Python.org](https://python.org) - Official Python documentation
- [PEP 8](https://pep8.org) - Python style guide
- [Python Tutorial](https://docs.python.org/3/tutorial/) - Official tutorial

### Learning Platforms
- [Real Python](https://realpython.com) - Comprehensive tutorials
- [Python for Everybody](https://py4e.com) - Free course
- [Automate the Boring Stuff](https://automatetheboringstuff.com) - Practical Python

### Tools
- [VS Code](https://code.visualstudio.com) - Recommended editor
- [PyCharm](https://jetbrains.com/pycharm/) - Professional IDE
- [pylint](https://pylint.org) - Code linter
- [black](https://black.readthedocs.io) - Code formatter

## Next Steps

After mastering Python fundamentals, proceed to:
- **Django Framework** - Build web applications
- **Pandas Data Analysis** - Work with data
- **Pytest Testing** - Write comprehensive tests
- **Asyncio Programming** - Asynchronous Python

Overview

This skill teaches core Python programming: syntax, built-in data types, control flow, functions, object-oriented design, and essential standard library modules. It focuses on writing clean, PEP 8–aligned code and applying practical patterns for real-world scripts and small applications. You will build hands-on projects to reinforce concepts and prepare for intermediate Python topics.

How this skill works

The skill breaks down fundamentals into focused modules: basic syntax and typing, control structures and functional patterns, OOP fundamentals with magic methods and abstract classes, and standard library utilities for files, dates, and data processing. Each module includes short, idiomatic code examples, mini exercises, and three capstone projects (file organizer, contact manager, text analyzer) to apply learned techniques. Assessments and checklist criteria ensure practical mastery of common tasks.

When to use it

  • When you need a reliable foundation before starting frameworks or data work
  • When onboarding to a Python codebase or switching from another language
  • To prepare for backend scripting, automation, or small tool development
  • Before learning web frameworks, data libraries, or testing frameworks
  • When improving code quality and readability across projects

Best practices

  • Follow PEP 8 style and use a formatter (black) and linter (pylint) early
  • Prefer built-in data structures that match access patterns (list, dict, set)
  • Write small, pure functions and use comprehensions for concise transformations
  • Use virtual environments and pin dependencies with requirements files
  • Document public APIs with clear docstrings and include simple tests

Example use cases

  • Build a CLI tool to organize downloads by file extension using pathlib and os
  • Implement a contact manager with classes, JSON persistence, and CRUD operations
  • Create a text analysis pipeline that outputs CSV reports and word frequency stats
  • Write small automation scripts for file backups, log rotation, or data cleanup
  • Prototype domain models with inheritance and duck typing for microservices

FAQ

Do I need prior programming experience?

Some programming experience helps, but the material starts at fundamentals and is suitable for motivated beginners.

How do projects reinforce learning?

Each project focuses on practical use of core modules and patterns, combining file I/O, OOP, and the standard library to solve real tasks.