Python Automation for Beginners

Syllabus

Course Syllabus:

Module 1: Introduction to Python and Automation

• Lesson 1: Introduction to Python Programming
  • Overview of Python language fundamentals.
  • Setting up your Python environment (installation, IDE, etc.).
  • Writing your first Python script.
• Lesson 2: What is Automation?
  • Understanding automation and its real-world applications.
  • How Python is used for automating repetitive tasks.
• Lesson 3: Python Basics for Automation
  • Variables, loops, conditionals, and functions in Python.
  • Working with basic data types (strings, lists, dictionaries).

Module 2: Setting Up Your Python Environment

• Lesson 4: Installing Python and Setting Up Your Environment
  • How to install Python on your computer.
  • Setting up a virtual environment for managing dependencies.
• Lesson 5: Key Python Libraries for Automation
  • Introduction to essential Python libraries: os, shutil, requests, time, etc.
  • How to install and manage Python packages using pip.
• Lesson 6: Introduction to IDEs and Text Editors for Python
  • Using popular IDEs like VS Code or PyCharm for Python automation.
  • Configuring your development environment for automation projects.

Module 3: Automating File and Folder Management

• Lesson 7: File and Directory Operations
  • Using Python to create, delete, and modify files.
  • Automating file organization tasks (move, rename, copy).
• Lesson 8: Working with File Paths and Directories
  • Navigating and manipulating file paths and directories using os and shutil.
  • Automating backups and organizing files in specific directories.
• Lesson 9: Automating File Content Manipulation
  • Reading from and writing to text files with Python.
  • Automating file updates (e.g., log file generation, content replacement).

Module 4: Web Scraping with Python

• Lesson 10: Introduction to Web Scraping
  • What is web scraping, and when is it used?
  • Ethical considerations when scraping websites.
• Lesson 11: Using Requests and BeautifulSoup for Web Scraping
  • How to use requests to make HTTP requests.
  • Parsing HTML content using BeautifulSoup to extract data.
• Lesson 12: Automating Data Extraction from Websites
  • Writing Python scripts to scrape data like product information, news articles, or stock prices.
  • Saving scraped data to CSV or Excel files for later analysis.

Module 5: Working with APIs for Automation

• Lesson 13: Introduction to APIs and Web Services
  • Understanding what an API is and how it works.
  • The role of APIs in automation and how to use them for data retrieval.
• Lesson 14: Making API Requests with Python
  • Using the requests library to interact with APIs.
  • Sending GET, POST, and other HTTP requests to retrieve and send data.
• Lesson 15: Automating Data Collection with APIs
  • Automating the process of fetching data from third-party APIs.
  • Storing and processing API responses (JSON, XML) in Python.

Module 6: Automating Email Tasks

• Lesson 16: Sending Emails with Python
  • Introduction to smtplib for sending emails from your Python scripts.
  • Automating email notifications and reports.
• Lesson 17: Receiving Emails and Processing Content
  • How to read incoming emails using imaplib.
  • Automating responses based on email content (e.g., auto-replies).
• Lesson 18: Automating Email Reports
  • Generating and sending daily or weekly email reports automatically.
  • Attaching files (logs, images, etc.) to automated emails.

Module 7: Automating Excel and CSV Data

• Lesson 19: Reading and Writing Excel Files with openpyxl
  • Using openpyxl to read, write, and modify Excel files.
  • Automating the process of generating reports in Excel format.
• Lesson 20: Working with CSV Files
  • Automating the manipulation of CSV files using Python’s csv module.
  • Extracting and processing data from CSV files for analysis.
• Lesson 21: Data Processing and Automation Tasks
  • Sorting, filtering, and summarizing data in Excel/CSV files.
  • Automating data processing tasks (e.g., daily sales reports, customer lists).

Module 8: Automating Web Interactions with Selenium

• Lesson 22: Introduction to Selenium for Web Automation
  • What is Selenium, and how does it help automate web tasks?
  • Setting up Selenium and configuring a WebDriver (Chrome, Firefox).
• Lesson 23: Automating Browser Tasks
  • Navigating websites, filling forms, and clicking buttons using Selenium.
  • Extracting data from dynamic websites (e.g., login systems, search forms).
• Lesson 24: Automating Testing and Web Interactions
  • How to use Selenium for automating web application testing.
  • Automating form submissions and other repetitive web tasks.

Module 9: Scheduling and Running Automation Scripts

• Lesson 25: Introduction to Task Scheduling
  • How to run your Python automation scripts on a schedule.
  • Using cron (Linux/Mac) or Task Scheduler (Windows) to schedule tasks.
• Lesson 26: Scheduling Python Scripts with schedule
  • Introduction to the schedule library for easy task scheduling within your Python scripts.
  • Automating daily, weekly, or hourly tasks with Python.
• Lesson 27: Automating System Maintenance Tasks
  • Scheduling system maintenance tasks like backups, logs cleanup, and report generation.
  • Automating data syncing and file transfers.

Module 10: Handling Errors and Debugging Automation Scripts

• Lesson 28: Error Handling in Python Automation Scripts
  • Using try/except blocks to catch and handle errors.
  • Debugging common issues like missing files or network failures.
• Lesson 29: Debugging Automation Scripts
  • Introduction to debugging tools like pdb and IDE-based debuggers.
  • Best practices for debugging and improving automation scripts.
• Lesson 30: Final Project: Build Your Own Automation Script
  • A hands-on project where students create their own automation script based on course topics.
  • Final review and best practices for optimizing automation workflows.