Getting started
- Why should I learn programming?
- What is Python?
- Installing Python (Linux)
- Installing Python (Windows)
- Installing Python (Mac OS)
Importing data
- Reading text (ascii) files
- Reading MS Excel (xls) files
- Reading Matlab files
- Reading Matlab files with Structures
- Reading data from a server via a URL
- Example 1: Satlantic’s LOBO
- Example 2: Ocean Tracking Network station locations
- Reading NetCDF4 files (Global RTOFS)
Plotting data
Mapping
Signal processing
Writing data
- Writing text files
- Writing Matlab files
Ocean Python 
People new to python (windows users especially) may prefer to install python(xy) which includes many science related python libraries/plugins.
https://code.google.com/p/pythonxy/
Python can be a bit tedious on Windows and having most of the add-ins rather than trying to search for and install all the extra bit.
A great place to flex your python muscles (not for beginner programmers)
http://www.pythonchallenge.com/
You will be stumped occasionally if you don’t know everything about python.