Cutting Edge AI, Hands-On Labs

HOL01 2-Day Hands-On Lab: Elevate Your Career with Python and AI - Day 1: Getting Started with Python

03/10/2025

9:00am - 6:00pm

Level: Introductory to Intermediate

Eric D. Boyd

Founder and CEO

responsiveX

According to the TIOBE Index, Python currently stands as the most popular programming language. It’s remarkable trajectory over the past three decades can be attributed to its inherent simplicity, an expansive ecosystem of libraries and packages, and its remarkable versatility across a diverse array of domains including data analytics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, IoT, robotics, and automated task execution.

Embark on a two-day journey to learn a new programming language with far-reaching applicability. As the language of choice for data science, advanced research, and the expanding field of AI, Python will propel you into the heart of machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Join Microsoft Azure MVP, Eric D. Boyd, for an immersive hands-on lab, a two-day expedition into the world of Python, AI, and ML. You don’t need to have any prior knowledge of Python or AI to attend. We'll begin with the bedrock principles of Python. And on day two, we will explore the foundations of artificial intelligence and machine learning through many types of problems, scenarios, and algorithms.

Day 1 – Getting Started with Python

On Day 1, we will begin by getting our development environment set up for Python development with Visual Studio Code. Once everyone is up and running, we will spend the rest of the day exploring the Python language and writing Python code together. We will start exploring fundamental language constructs including variables, data types, functions, conditionals, loops, and guidelines for writing Python code according to the conventions established by the Python community.

Next, we will explore Python data structures for working with collections of data and learn how we can work with these data structures effectively and efficiently using powerful Python language features. We will also explore exceptions and how to handle errors in your Python programs.

From there, we'll explore how you can structure and reuse code with Python modules. We will explore what’s available in the built-in Python standard library, and we will explore the ecosystem of Python packages and libraries including popular libraries like NumPy, Pandas, and Matplotlib.

As a developer, one of the things you should do to create great software is test your code. In addition to exploring the troubleshooting and debugging capabilities of Visual Studio Code, we will explore how to create automated tests to test your Python code.

Closing out Day 1, we will explore how to use Python to create programs and apps beyond the terminal window. We will use Notebooks for interactively working with Python and see how Microsoft Fabric enables you to bring your Python skills for data engineering and analytics. We will explore how you can consume Python from other languages like C# and how Python can integrate with your C# apps. And lastly, we will explore how to create web apps and web APIs with Python using Flask and FastAPI.

Attendee Requirements: