In just 24 sessions of one hour or less, Sams Teach Yourself Python in 24 Hours will help you get started fast, master all the core concepts of programming, and build anything from websites to games. Using this book’s straightforward, step-by-step approach, you’ll move from the absolute basics through functions, objects, classes, modules, database integration, and more. Every lesson and case study application builds on what you’ve already learned, giving you a rock-solid foundation for real-world success! Step-by-step instructions carefully walk you through the most common Python development tasks. Quizzes and Exercises at the end of each chapter help you test your knowledge. Notes present interesting information related to the discussion. Tips offer advice or show you easier ways to perform tasks. Warnings alert you to possible problems and give you advice on how to avoid them. Learn how to... Install and run the right version of Python for your operating system Store, manipulate, reformat, combine, and organize information Create logic to control how programs run and what they do Interact with users or other programs, wherever they are Save time and improve reliability by creating reusable functions Master Python data types: numbers, text, lists, and dictionaries Write object-oriented programs that work better and are easier to improve Expand Python classes to make them even more powerful Use third-party modules to perform complex tasks without writing new code Split programs to make them more maintainable and reusable Clearly document your code so others can work with it Store data in SQLite databases, write queries, and share data via JSON Simplify Python web development with the Flask framework Quickly program Python games with PyGame Avoid, troubleshoot, and fix problems with your code

"Sams Teach Yourself Beginning Programming in 24 Hours, Second Edition" explains the basics of programming in the successful 24-Hours format. The book begins with the absolute basics of programming: Why program? What tools to use? How does a program tell the computer what to do? It teaches readers how to program the computer and then moves on by exploring the some most popular programming languages in use. The author starts by introducing the reader to the Basic language and finishes with basic programming techniques for Java, C++, and others.

Teaches readers the fundamentals of creating Web pages using DHTML, discussing topics including drop-down menus, cascading style sheets, browser differences, text and font effects, games, forms, and troubleshooting.

In just 24 lessons of one hour or less, you will be able to build full-featured production websites using Django, the powerful web development framework based on Python. Designed for experienced website developers who have at least some familiarity with the Python programming language, this book uses a straightforward, step-by-step approach. Each lesson builds on the previous ones, enabling you to learn the essentials of implementing the Django framework on a website from the ground up. Step-by-step instructions carefully walk you through the most common Django tasks. Q&As, quizzes, and exercises at the end of each lesson help you test your knowledge. Notes and tips point out shortcuts and solutions. Learn how to... Install and configure the Django web development framework Cleanly separate data, logic, and view layers Implement site interfaces with build templates and views Utilize templates and views to store, access, and retrieve data Use the Django forms library Define custom tags and filters to minimize coding Secure sites with registration, authorization, logins, and permissions Manage sessions and cookies Implement middleware for request and response handling Create sitemaps to inform search engines of your content Internationalize your site Optimize performance with caching Deploy Django in multiple configurations Maintain sites with Django’s administrator interface Introduction 1 Part I: Creating the Website Framework Hour 1: Understanding Django 7 Hour 2: Creating Your First Website 19 Hour 3: Adding Models and Objects to Your Website 37 Hour 4: Creating the Initial Views 63 Part II: Implementing the Website Interface Hour 5: Using Data from the Database in Views 81 Hour 6: Configuring Web Page Views 103 Hour 7: Implementing Django Templates to Create Custom Views 117 Hour 8: Using Built-in Template Tags to Enhance Views 139 Hour 9: Using Built-in Template Filters to Enhance Views 155 Hour 10: Adding Forms to Views 185 Hour 11: Using Views to Add and Update Data in the Database 209 Hour 12: Utilizing Generic Views 231 Hour 13: Advanced View Configurations 269 Part III: Implementing a Full-Featured Website Hour 14: Managing Site Users 295 Hour 15: Adding Website Security 313 Hour 16: Managing Sessions and Cookies 333 Hour 17: Customizing Models in the Admin Interface 347 Hour 18: Customizing the Admin Interface 365 Part IV: Implementing Advanced Website Components Hour 19: Implementing Middleware 383 Hour 20: Internationalization and Localization 407 Hour 21: Creating Sitemaps 423 Hour 22: Implementing Multiple Websites 437 Hour 23: Configuring Caching 451 Hour 24: Deploying Django 465 Appendixes Appendix A: Django Resources 477 Appendix B: Django Form Field Objects 481 Appendix C: Formatting Dates and Times 491 Index 493

With the open source R programming language and its immense library of packages, you can perform virtually any data analysis task. Now, in just 24 lessons of one hour or less, you can learn all the skills and techniques you'll need to import, manipulate, summarize, model, and plot data with R; formalize analytical code; and build powerful R packages using current best practices. Each short, easy lesson builds on all that's come before: you'll learn all of R's essentials as you create real R solutions. R in 24 hours, Sams Teach Yourself covers the entire data analysis workflow from the viewpoint of professionals whose code must be efficient, reproducible and suitable for sharing with others.

Apache Spark is a fast, scalable, and flexible open source distributed processing engine for big data systems and is one of the most active open source big data projects to date. In just 24 lessons of one hour or less, Sams Teach Yourself Apache Spark in 24 Hours helps you build practical Big Data solutions that leverage Spark’s amazing speed, scalability, simplicity, and versatility. This book’s straightforward, step-by-step approach shows you how to deploy, program, optimize, manage, integrate, and extend Spark–now, and for years to come. You’ll discover how to create powerful solutions encompassing cloud computing, real-time stream processing, machine learning, and more. Every lesson builds on what you’ve already learned, giving you a rock-solid foundation for real-world success. Whether you are a data analyst, data engineer, data scientist, or data steward, learning Spark will help you to advance your career or embark on a new career in the booming area of Big Data. Learn how to • Discover what Apache Spark does and how it fits into the Big Data landscape • Deploy and run Spark locally or in the cloud • Interact with Spark from the shell • Make the most of the Spark Cluster Architecture • Develop Spark applications with Scala and functional Python • Program with the Spark API, including transformations and actions • Apply practical data engineering/analysis approaches designed for Spark • Use Resilient Distributed Datasets (RDDs) for caching, persistence, and output • Optimize Spark solution performance • Use Spark with SQL (via Spark SQL) and with NoSQL (via Cassandra) • Leverage cutting-edge functional programming techniques • Extend Spark with streaming, R, and Sparkling Water • Start building Spark-based machine learning and graph-processing applications • Explore advanced messaging technologies, including Kafka • Preview and prepare for Spark’s next generation of innovations Instructions walk you through common questions, issues, and tasks; Q-and-As, Quizzes, and Exercises build and test your knowledge; "Did You Know?" tips offer insider advice and shortcuts; and "Watch Out!" alerts help you avoid pitfalls. By the time you're finished, you'll be comfortable using Apache Spark to solve a wide spectrum of Big Data problems.