Overview

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Build practical skills in Python web development, server-side scripting, testing, integration, and application packaging through a structured, hands-on learning experience. In this course, you will learn how to clean and parse web content, create dynamic CGI applications, and configure Apache for server-side execution. As you progress, you will develop dynamic web components using Python Server Pages (PSP), implement XML-RPC communication, validate applications with doctest and unittest, and analyze application performance using profiling tools. The course also explores advanced Python integration with Java and .NET through Jython and IronPython, memory management using reference counting, and packaging applications with distutils for distribution. Designed for learners who want to strengthen their Python web development skills, this course emphasizes practical implementation across the complete development pipeline—from web content preparation and application testing to cross-platform integration and deployment. By the end of the course, you will be able to parse and prepare web content, build and debug server-side Python applications, test and optimize application performance, integrate Python with multiple runtime environments, and package Python applications for scalable distribution. If you want to develop practical experience in building, testing, integrating, and deploying Python-based web systems, this course provides a comprehensive, project-based learning path.

Syllabus

Web Content Parsing and Preparation

This module introduces learners to foundational techniques in parsing and preparing web content using Python. It begins with cleaning malformed HTML using the Tidy library and progresses into parsing structured data with HTML parsers. Learners then explore advanced parsing with Beautiful Soup and apply these techniques to build dynamic content through CGI scripting. The module concludes by guiding learners through CGI debugging practices and configuring servers for CGI-based execution using Apache. By the end, learners will have the practical ability to clean, parse, serve, and debug web-based data pipelines in Python.

Server-Side Scripting and Integration

This module introduces learners to the foundational techniques of dynamic web application development using Python. Through hands-on exploration of Python Server Pages (PSP), RSS generation, remote communication protocols like XML-RPC, and structured testing frameworks such as doctest and unittest, learners will gain the ability to build, test, and optimize server-side applications. The module also explores methods for enhancing performance using profiling tools, ensuring efficiency and reliability in deployed systems.

Advanced Python Interfacing and Packaging

This module explores advanced integration and extension techniques in Python, focusing on cross-platform compatibility, performance optimization, and distribution workflows. Learners will understand how to integrate Python with other runtimes like Java and .NET using Jython and IronPython, extend Python with C for computational efficiency, and apply concepts such as reference counting for memory management. The module concludes with practical strategies for packaging and distributing Python modules using the distutils library.