To prepare for Predictive Stepping and Documenting and Testing, you should be comfortable running simple Python scripts from the command line in VSCode. You don't need to be comfortable writing programs just yet.

You should be familiar with language features listed below, and can study them using your favorite online resources in a language you are comfortable with. You do not need to master them before the workshop, we will learn how to study Python for mastery in the workshop:

• Comments: # a comment, """ a multi-line string used as a comment """
• Input/Output: input(), print()
• Variables
• Data Types: str, bool, int, float, isinstance()
• Basic Operators: ==, !==, >=, <=, <, >, and, or, not, +, -
• Asserting: assert
• String Manipulation: indexed access, slicing, .length, .replace(), .upper(), .lower(), .strip(), len(), in
• Iteration: range()
• Control Flow: conditionals, while loops, for-in loops
• Functions: declaring, calling, parameters vs. arguments, return values
• Lists: indexed access, slicing, .append(), .insert(), len()
• Pass: write pass in a block to leave it empty without a syntax error