Course

Dictionaries and Functions in Python

In this course, you’ll learn the fundamentals of Python programming in the context of data engineering and data science.

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Part of the Data Engineer (Python), and Introduction to Python Programming paths.

4.8 (359 reviews)

11,906 learners enrolled in this course.

Beginner friendly
6 hours
Self paced
5 lessons
1 project

“You get small lessons and can practice skills right away. It’s so convenient. Committing to Dataquest was an easy decision.”

Huyen Vu

Data Engineer @Solita

Dictionaries and Functions in Python

Enroll For Free

Course overview

In this course, you’ll explore the world of Python data engineering. You’ll learn basic Python concepts such as dictionaries, functions, and default arguments.

Best of all, you’ll learn by doing — you’ll practice and get feedback directly in the browser. The course will conclude with two guided projects:

The first one teaches you to learn and install Jupyter Notebook
The second one asks you to perform practical data analysis on profitable app profiles for the App Store and Google Play Market

Key skills

Refining fundamental Python knowledge for data engineering
Using dictionaries, functions, and default arguments
Using Jupyter Notebook

Course outline

Dictionaries and Functions in Python [5 lessons]

Dictionaries 2h

Lesson Objectives

Create dictionaries
Update dictionary values
Check for dictionary membership
Count with dictionaries

Functions: Fundamentals 2h

Lesson Objectives

Define a function
Create functions
Combine functions
Debug functions

Functions: Intermediate 1h

Lesson Objectives

Define default arguments
Employ multiple return statements
Return multiple variables
Identify mutable and immutable data types
Employ documentation

Project: Learn and Install Jupyter Notebook 1h

Lesson Objectives

Define the basics of Jupyter Notebook
Install Jupyter Notebook locally

Guided Project: Profitable App Profiles for the App Store and Google Play Markets 2h

Lesson Objectives

Expand your portfolio with a guided project
Add business value using Python skills

Projects in this course

Profitable App Profiles for the App Store and Google Play Markets

For this project, we’ll assume the role of data analysts for a company that builds free Android and iOS apps. Our revenue depends on in-app ads, so our goal is to analyze data to determine which kinds of apps attract more users.

View Project

The Dataquest guarantee

Dataquest has helped thousands of people start new careers in data. If you put in the work and follow our path, you’ll master data skills and grow your career.

We believe so strongly in our paths that we offer a full satisfaction guarantee. If you complete a career path on Dataquest and aren’t satisfied with your outcome, we’ll give you a refund.

Master skills faster with Dataquest

Go from zero to job-ready

Learn exactly what you need to achieve your goal. Don’t waste time on unrelated lessons.

Build your project portfolio

Build confidence with our in-depth projects, and show off your data skills.

Challenge yourself with exercises

Work with real data from day one with interactive lessons and hands-on exercises.

Showcase your path certification

Share the evidence of your hard work with your network and potential employers.

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of learners recommend

Dataquest for career advancement

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Aaron Melton

Business Analyst at Aditi Consulting

“Dataquest starts at the most basic level, so a beginner can understand the concepts. I tried learning to code before, using Codecademy and Coursera. I struggled because I had no background in coding, and I was spending a lot of time Googling. Dataquest helped me actually learn.”

Jessica Ko

Machine Learning Engineer at Twitter

“I liked the interactive environment on Dataquest. The material was clear and well organized. I spent more time practicing then watching videos and it made me want to keep learning.”

Victoria E. Guzik

Associate Data Scientist at Callisto Media

“I really love learning on Dataquest. I looked into a couple of other options and I found that they were much too handhold-y and fill in the blank relative to Dataquest’s method. The projects on Dataquest were key to getting my job. I doubled my income!”