An open-access textbook on the Python programming language. Covering the core language, data structures, object-oriented programming, the standard library, testing, and the broader Python ecosystem from first principles.
About the author
Chris Paton is a clinician, researcher, and educator at the University of Auckland. He writes open-access textbooks covering computing, mathematics, medicine, and artificial intelligence.
How to use this book
This is an open-access online textbook. Use the navigation above to browse chapters, look up terms in the glossary, or return to the home page. The textbook can be read in order or used as a reference.
Copyright and licence
© 2026 Dr Chris Paton. All rights reserved. Content may be quoted with attribution.