1.7. Using This Book

Throughout this book, you will find a variety of different sections and practice exercises. We are writing this guide to help you make the most of the book.

1.7.1. Concept Checks

Many pages end with a “Check Your Understanding” header. This section is full of questions for you to double check that you understand the concepts in the reading. Although your score does not count towards your final grade in the class, you should use it to help evaluate your understanding of the main concepts.

1.7.2. Examples

Examples are times when we tie a concept we have just learned to a potential real world application.

The label “Try It” signals an example that includes code you can modify and augment to quickly reinforce what you have just read. Play around with these!

1.7.2.1. Repl.it

As we mention on the previous page, we expect you to use your Repl.it account to practice your programming skills.

As you explore the prepared examples in this book, feel free to make changes to the code. If you want to save your edits, click the Fork button at the top of the workspace, and Repl.it will store a copy of the code in your personal account.

1.7.3. Supplemental Content

Occasionally, you will find a link to “Booster Rockets”. While not required reading, “Booster Rockets” can boost your learning.

1.7.4. Python in Context

Our approach is different from other ways you can learn Python. The book focuses on programming fundamentals. These fundamentals are problem-solving and transferable concepts. While we will cover the exact way to perform certain tasks in Python, we want to remind you that these tasks are relatively common and many programming languages have ways to carry them out.