It’s been a while since I last posted on my blog, but that doesn’t mean I’ve been idle—not in the slightest! Yesterday, I completed the last of the five courses from the Python Institute’s Certified Professional in Python Programming (PCPP) curriculum.

Here are the courses I’ve covered from the Python Institute:

  • Python Essentials 1 - 42 hours
  • Python Essentials 2 - 58 hours
  • Python Professional 1 - 119 hours split into 5 modules:
    • Advanced Classes and Object-Oriented Programming in Python
    • Best Practices and Standardization
    • Introduction to GUI Programming in Python (TkInter)
    • Working with RESTful APIs
    • Processing different kinds of text files

I haven’t yet taken the certification exam for PCPP. I haven’t decided if it’s worth the cost and hassle. I tend to think there are more important priorities now, such as:

  • Applying my acquired knowledge at work (e.g., small scripts, automation)
  • Tackling Leetcode problems for that all-important glory and hubris
  • Finding a personal project that excites me or contributing to an open-source project

The important part is to keep at it, be consistent, and treat programming as an enjoyable hobby. The rest will follow, won’t it? Cheers!

PS: Here is some of that hubris manifesting itself. I did not only solve the 832. Flipping an Image problem on my own (no ChatGPT, no StackOverflow, not even the official Python documentation), but according to Leetcode my solution beat 86% of the other submissions on runtime speed. Yes, the problem is not that difficult, but it would’ve been impossible for me to tackle without assistance just a year ago. Here follows my solution:



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class Solution:
    def flipAndInvertImage(self, image: List[List[int]]) -> List[List[int]]:
        # Flip the image horizontally
        flipped_image = list()
        for row in image:
            flipped_image.append(row[::-1])

        # Invert the image (0 becomes 1, 1 becomes 0)
        inverted_flipped_image = list()
        for row in flipped_image:
            inverted_row = list()
            for pixel in row:
                if pixel == 1:
                    inverted_pixel = 0
                else:
                    inverted_pixel = 1
                inverted_row.append(inverted_pixel)
            inverted_flipped_image.append(inverted_row)

        # Return the flipped and inverted image
        return inverted_flipped_image