One of our design guys uses Python and Pi pretty regularly, and I'm finding several projects where it would be really nice if I knew how to collaborate or build from his work. But I know jack about Python and Pi.

If I'm going to learn it, I'm going to have to do it on my own. Anyone here done it, and got recommendations on how to do so?

Thanks, all.

Take this for what it's worth because I am not aprofessional programmer but I do know the basics about programming.

When I wanted to get familiar with Python syntax and basic structuring, I loaded the Android app sololearn on my tablet and worked my way through the lessons. I then downloaded Winpython since it is a completely free Python environment/tools/libraries. It uses the Spyder IDE. It is geared more towards engineering and science so it doesn't have much in the way of GUI development tools. If you want a decent drag-n-drop GUI development environment, the best free one is probably Qtcreator, but it has it's own learning curve.

Can't help much with the Rasberry PI, but if it is similar to the arduino stuff, then it probably uses a lightweight OS and you just have to learn to upload onto it once you get all the IO and bus addressing figured out for what you have connected. (I've only played around with an ESP8366 breadboard kit).

Ken

quote:

Originally posted by KenS:
Can't help much with the Rasberry PI, but if it is similar to the arduino stuff, then it probably uses a lightweight OS and you just have to learn to upload onto it once you get all the IO and bus addressing figured out for what you have connected.

Arduinos are generally microcontrollers - meaning they are very simple computing devices that don't really have an operating system per se, the only thing they run is the program you load on it.

The current standard Arduino has a 16 MHz 8-bit processor, 32 KB of flash memory, and 2 KB of RAM.

The Raspberry Pi, on the other hand, is a full-fledged, if extremely inexpensive and relatively low-performance, computer.

The current standard RPi has a 1.4 GHz 64-bit quad-core processor, 1 GB of RAM, and a MicroSD card slot you can put a tens or hundreds of gigabyte MicroSD card in. It has Ethernet, WiFi, Bluetooth, USB ports for connecting peripherals, a graphics chip and HDMI port for connecting a monitor, etc. They typically run Linux variants.

You can hook up a keyboard and mouse and monitor and run programs on it like you would any other computer, or you can access it over the network using SSH and load and run stuff that way.

Interacting with the RPi hardware like input/output pins is just done using a Python library (or library for whatever other language you are using).

I recommend starting with the Python tutorial at w3schools.com:

https://www.w3schools.com/python/default.asp

Is Python "the" language for Pi, or does Pi speak other things too?

Lynda.com if you don't mind paying.

I have been using udemy.com to purchase whole courses for $8 to $12.99. It has been amazing.

Raspberry Pi is just a hardware micro pc. It can run windows, linux, etc. Arduino is microelectronics and microprocessing.

Python is a programming language. so my 'guess' (emphasis on guessing) your friend is running microelectronics with linux and programming apps and function programs with Python that run on the linux devices.

quote:

Originally posted by vthoky:
Is Python "the" language for Pi, or does Pi speak other things too?

There are a number of Linux configurations that Raspberry Pi can use for an OS, and any programming language that is supported by the OS can by used.

The C Programming Language will work just fine (and would be my choice if I were to do something with this platform), but it is not the only language that can be used.

Online Python Programming Courses

Like Redstone, I've used these guys for React web programming. Money well spent ($10.99).

I took a course at a local community college to start learning python. No help on Raspberry Pi. Python will be way easier to learn than C. We use Python for scripting. Server admin type stuff.

I utilize python at work for automation and data science.

www.codeacademy.com is a very good interactive resource for learning if you're willing to spend some on it.

quote:

Originally posted by lkdr1989:
I recommend starting with the Python tutorial at w3schools.com:

https://www.w3schools.com/python/default.asp

I haven't used it for Python or Pi, but have W3 bookmarked for SQL when I come up blank on syntax or function.

quote:

Originally posted by vthoky:
Is Python "the" language for Pi, or does Pi speak other things too?

It's not limited to Python.


I've been running node.js and even building .NET core apps and web services using C# on them.


Node.js was pretty cool and super easy to get up and running on it (you can also get that running on a Windows machine too). Node.js is JavaScript runtime.


There's an older book Building the Web of Things: With examples in Node.js and Raspberry Pi that was a pretty easy read and quite informative.

quote:

Originally posted by 1967Goat:
Python will be way easier to learn than C.

Hallelujah! I absolutely hated trying to learn C.

At eleven bucks, Udemy looks like a great thing. Thank you guys!

quote:

Originally posted by vthoky:

quote:

Originally posted by 1967Goat:
Python will be way easier to learn than C.

Hallelujah! I absolutely hated trying to learn C.

At eleven bucks, Udemy looks like a great thing. Thank you guys!

Another great learning resource is Lynda.com - I get free access to this with my local library (many other library memberships include this as well).

^^^^^

Thank you! I'll check out Lynda as well.

Wait... that didn't sound right.
I meant, I'll check out Lynda.com in a little while.

Hopefully that's better.

I don't have a Pi but to learn Python install it and start writing code. It really doesn't matter whether you install it on a windows machine, a Linux machine or a Pi. I started by writing small programs that did almost nothing and really learned it by 'automating' things I was doing at work. I'm not really familiar with the object oriented aspects of Python but you can write plan 'procedural' code just fine. There's no substitute for writing code. Start and keep doing it no matter how small the programs are.