We have organized the book into two parts. The first covers fundamental programming ideas: how to store and manipulate information (numbers, text, lists, sets, dictionaries, and files), how to control the flow of execution (conditionals and loops), how to organize code (functions and modules), how to ensure your code works (testing and debugging), and how to plan your program (algorithms).
The second part of the book consists of more or less independent chapters on more advanced topics that assume all the basic material has been covered. The first of these chapters shows how to create and manage your own types of information. It introduces object-oriented concepts such as encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism. The other chapters cover testing, databases, and graphical user interface construction.