DeepMay Python Pre-work

00 Introduction and Installation

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:19:07 -0400

Welcome to the DeepMay Python crash(ing out) course! We’ve prepared a set of modules to help us all learn Python. We don’t expect you to know everything in these guides when you arrive and we will surely cover a lot of it in person.

Our goal is to make sure that when we arrive at camp, we are not seeing the basic elements of Python for the first time and hope that these can serve as a reference when questions arise. These modules are written for an audience brand new to coding but can also help programmers unaccustomed to working in Python make the jump.

01 Variables

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:17:07 -0400

In this module we will learn about variables and the basic types included with Python. We will write a script that will do some simple math and spend a bit of time looking at some functionality related to variables representing text.

It is a humble beginning but this is our first proper step towards hacking the planet.

Variables

A variable is a name that refers to some value.

x = 7

In the above line we are creating a variable called x and assigning it the value 7. Once we’ve defined a variable, we can retrive its value using the handy name x instead of having to type 7. For example, we could use the built in print function that we used last time to look at the value of x.

02 Functions

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:17:07 -0400

In this module we will learn about how to reuse code by writing parts of our scripts as functions. We’ll spend a lot of time on the differences between defining a function and calling it and the associated concept’s of a function’s scope. In fact, we’ll go over it in over and over again to make sure we get it.

We’ll learn about how to set default values for some of the values we want to use in our functions and some additional annotation we can add to aid our future selves. By the end of the module we’ll be able to write useful functions that do things inside of our scripts according to modern Python style standards.