Intermediate Python: A Comprehensive Guide

Welcome back to Hatribytes! Now that you've mastered the basics of Python, it's time to dive into some intermediate-level concepts. This guide will help you enhance your Python skills with more advanced techniques.

1. Advanced Functions

Functions are a fundamental part of Python. Let's explore some advanced concepts, such as lambda functions, decorators, and generators.

Lambda Functions:

# Traditional function

def add(a, b):

    return a + b

# Lambda function

add = lambda a, b: a + b

print(add(2, 3))  # Output: 5

        

Decorators:

def decorator_function(func):

    def wrapper():

        print("Something is happening before the function is called.")

        func()

        print("Something is happening after the function is called.")

    return wrapper

@decorator_function

def say_hello():

    print("Hello!")

say_hello()

        

Generators:

def count_up_to(max):

    count = 1

    while count <= max:

        yield count

        count += 1

counter = count_up_to(5)

for number in counter:

    print(number)

        

2. File Handling

File handling is a crucial aspect of programming. Let's see how to read from and write to files in Python.

Reading a File:

with open('example.txt', 'r') as file:

    content = file.read()

    print(content)

        

Writing to a File:

with open('example.txt', 'w') as file:

    file.write('Hello, World!')

        

3. Exception Handling

Exception handling allows you to handle errors gracefully. Let's see how to use try, except, and finally blocks.

Basic Exception Handling:

try:

    result = 10 / 0

except ZeroDivisionError:

    print("You can't divide by zero!")

finally:

    print("This will run no matter what.")

        

4. Modules and Packages

Modules and packages help you organize your code and reuse it across different projects. Let's see how to create and use modules and packages.

Creating a Module:

# Create a file named my_module.py with the following content:

def greet(name):

    print(f"Hello, {name}!")

        

Using a Module:

import my_module

my_module.greet('Alice')

        

Creating a Package:

# Create a directory named my_package with the following structure:

# my_package/

# ├── __init__.py

# └── module1.py

# module1.py

def greet(name):

    print(f"Hello, {name}!")

# __init__.py

from .module1 import greet

        

Using a Package:

from my_package import greet

greet('Bob')

        

5. Working with APIs

APIs allow you to interact with other services and retrieve data. Let's see how to use the requests library to make API calls.

Making an API Call:

import requests

response = requests.get('https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts')

if response.status_code == 200:

    data = response.json()

    for post in data:

        print(post['title'])

else:

    print('Failed to retrieve data')

        

6. Conclusion

You've now learned some intermediate Python techniques that will help you create more advanced and responsive applications. Keep practicing and experimenting with these concepts to enhance your Python skills further.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to leave a comment below. Happy coding!