Python Listicle!

People often ask me (directly, or just generally posting to some social site) how they can learn Python quickly.  

Learning Python is one of those things where one can begin quite easily and quickly, but there is some depth to the language that one will want to understand and use once one gets past the most elementary early uses. 

If you are learning from tutorials, you might want to follow along in a REPL. You can try running Python locally (see ipython and/or bpython), as a Jupyter notebook, or in Repl.it if you want to keep your local machine Python-free for the time being).

You will probably want to install an IDE, though. There are many Python IDEs and Editors in the world, but PyCharm is the king of them all. Nothing else even comes close.

So, here are some great places to start:

• Learn X In Y Minutes is great for experienced developers who are unfamiliar with the syntax and idioms of Python. It's all learn-by-example and is highly recommended for programmers who are exploring Python for the first time.
• For less experienced developers, consider the official Beginner's Guide or the W3 Schools tutorial first.
• Regardless of your level, you will want to bookmark the Official Docs which include reference material and tutorial material.
• You will get a lot of good tips and deeper lessons from Arjan Codes on YouTube, or the many excellent lessons at Real Python. This is true whether you are an expert, intermediate, or beginner. There is a lot of content to explore, so don't try to take it all in over the course of a weekday.
• A language without a great standard library is just a syntax. The Python Module of the Week gives some of the best in-depth exposition you can find. Definitely spend time there!
• The Python community has created so many additional libraries at The Python Package Index. Here you can search, research, and learn about the many frameworks and libraries that make Python the best choice for so many jobs in real-world applications.
• Every feature you'll use started as one of the Python Enhancement Proposals (PEPs). Python PEPs are to Python what the RFPs are for the internet and the worldwide web.  If you need to deeply understand a feature's purpose and intention, this is the place to go.
• What's New In Python is a crucial resource for experienced developers to keep up with changes in the language. Besides being a bullet list of new features, there's some very good expository writing there and links to the relevant PEPs.

That is a lot, I know, but if you choose one of these resources according to your needs at the moment, I think you will be well satisfied.