Learning Python "as a second language" with a MOOC

[Bass]

Hi,

Having used other coding languages for more years than I care to remember, I am in the process of learning and using Python to help with forex trading requirement (API, data extraction, analysis and issuing commands via an API).

I noticed that Smw10c has been using a MOOC and wondered if they or others could provide a link to a suitable MOOC.

Ideally I am looking for a free (I know) course that is fairly advanced,, that will allow me to loook at particular topics to understand how I can apply my past knowledge to using Python effectvley.

Would appreciate any thoughts on MOOCs or other similar tools.

Thanks

Bass

[nilamo]

What's a mooc? Google's telling me it's a massively online course... but you called it a tool.

[Bass]

Been a long day...

Yes - A MOOC is as you say - A usually free,, on line course to learn something.

What I meant was a MOOC or a similar facility, I used the term tool - as a way of describing any facilty (or "tool") that would enable someone to do something, this could be a on line tutorial, an academic paper, an email newsletter, a book etc. so I was using the term tool in a wide definition (perhaps too wide   !) 

Apologies for the lack of clarity. I will edit the OP to reflect this.

Hope this makes more sense.

Maybe I am being a "tool" 

[nilamo]

If you're working with forex, I think the api you'll end up using will be fairly specific to your datasource or broker. Unless you're not using realtime data.

So I think the first step would be to look at whatever platform you're using, and see if they have any apis you can use.

[zivoni]

I dont think that there are  many advanced python mooc's - I guess that there is lower demand for it to be truly "massive", morever with lack of direct feedback from participants its hard to set right pace, so they usually take it too slow. Maybe there are some recorded classes from MIT, Berkeley etc.

But there is a lot of nice videos on pyvideo.org - there are thousands of recorded talks/presentations/workshops from python events, covering wide range of topics and difficulty.

And indeed, with little googling you can find lots of articles/blog posts

[Larz60+]

MIT does indeed have a python course (I took one a few years back)
see: https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/intro-programming/

[Bass]

Thank you for all the helpful replies.

Nilamo

I agree, the better brokers, do produce "boiler plates" scripts to enable API's to both access historical data both relating to prices as well as those relating to your account, e.g. positions held, remaining margin etc as well as scripts to execute trades. I also would like to write a script to carry out various checks just before placing a trade, such as trends, spreads and to see which markets are currently open. This would be more in the form of a checklist that would be present a warning if the spread was higher than normal. My prefered pair GBPJPY has a spread that ranges from 2 pips - usually when London and New York are both open, to anything up to 15 pips, at a trade of £1 a pip this can range from between £2 to £15 a trade, when using £10-£20 a pip this, as you can see, can range from £150-£300. The idea being that the script would highlight this and other issues against a traders, "trading plan"/ checklist. So the coding would need to carry out this analysis on the client side of the API, rather than in the API itself.

Zivoni and Larz60+

Thank you for the links to PyVideo.org and MIT Open  - I  have bookmarked this and will search through the available clips & courses.

Thanks for all you thoughts.

Bass