Basics of Python Programming: A Quick Guide for Beginners

PREFACE

It gives immense pleasure to bring the book "Basics of Python Programming: A Quick Guide for Beginners." The most extensively used programming language today is Python, which also happens to be the most popular programming language. Students enrolled in various classes who can efficiently use this high-level programming language as a problem-solving tool are this Book's target audience. Python is not only employed in the field of computer science; instead, it is used in the development of applications for all areas.

Python programming can be swiftly learned by anybody with a fundamental understanding of computers and the ability to reason logically. Because of this inspiration, we could write this Book clearly and concisely. After reading the Book, you will have a fundamental understanding of how to do programming in Python. We have attempted to present the intricacies of Python in a very colloquial language such that the potential readers require no special expertise to refer to the book. It is apt for beginners as the concepts are explained in simple language with suitable demonstrative examples to facilitate both theory and practical learning.

Our primary goal in writing this book is to provide an approachable resource for beginners new to programming or with limited coding experience. We understand that learning a programming language can be intimidating, especially for those starting from scratch. With Basics of Python Programming: A Quick Guide for Beginners, we have consciously designed the content to be beginner-friendly, focusing on simplicity and clarity of explanations. We believe that our book's accessible style will empower beginners to grasp the fundamental concepts of Python programming swiftly and confidently.

We recognize that many aspiring programmers are looking for a resource that allows them to learn Python quickly and efficiently. While there are extensive books available that provide in-depth coverage of Python, our book takes a different approach. We have distilled the core concepts and essential components of Python programming into a concise guide that can be absorbed quickly. By focusing on the basics, we aim to provide beginners with a solid foundation in Python programming without overwhelming them with excessive information.

We firmly believe that practical application is critical to mastering Python programming. Therefore, our book emphasizes hands-on learning and incorporates numerous practical examples throughout the chapters. By engaging in coding exercises and mini-projects, readers can actively apply the concepts they learn, solidifying their understanding of Python. Our approach encourages learners to gain practical experience alongside theoretical knowledge, enabling them to build their coding skills from the very beginning.

We firmly believe that Basics of Python Programming: A Quick Guide for Beginners offers a unique value proposition to individuals looking to kick-start their journey in Python programming. Its simplicity, efficiency, hands-on approach, clear progression, and supplementary resources set it apart from other books. We hope this book is a valuable tool for learning Python programming and unlocks the door to exciting possibilities.

Krishna Kumar Mohbey

Department of Computer Science

Central University of Rajasthan

Rajasthan, India

&

Malika Acharya

Department of Computer Science

Central University of Rajasthan

Rajasthan, India

Introduction to Python

Krishna Kumar Mohbey¹, Malika Acharya¹

¹ Computer Science, Central University of Rajasthan, India

Abstract

Python is an object-oriented programming language that can support a wide range of applications like web development, desktop applications, etc. Its general-purpose programming features make coding easy, comprehensive and readable even for beginners.

Keywords: Development environments, Object-oriented programming, Operating system, Shuffle exchange network, Virtual machine.

INTRODUCTION

Python has grown to be a mainstream language. Its simple syntax and comprehensible code make it a popular general-purpose programming language among developers, engineers, and amateurs with limited programming skills. Its open-source features with a wide variety of libraries facilitate efficient programming. The first chapter of this book provides a brief introduction to Python along with a stepwise guide to installation on Windows and Linux. It will familiarize you with the Python IDE and editors, thus paving your journey to Python programming.

Guido van Rossum, Python's Benevolent Dictator for Life, developed Python in the 1990s. After that, several versions of Python were released. With the end of life of version 2.7, currently, versions 3.6 and 3.9 are widely used. Python is an open-source project maintained by the Python Software Foundation. We can take a tour of the Python universe at www.python.org.

Python is an object-oriented language that, due to its interoperability with existing codes in C and Fortran, gears up to the developer's demands and enhances the programmer's productivity while cutting down the time consumed. Python has become the developer's choice in various fields. For example, some of the prominent areas where Python is used are NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Shell Research Boeing, Industrial Light and Magic, Sony Entertainment, and Procter & Gamble. Python is a high-level language; thus, the programs coded in it are easy and comprehensible. Python codes execute on a virtual machine; hence, a layer of abstraction exists

between the code and the executing platform. Thus, Python is an interpreted language and produces portable codes that are cross-platform executable. Fig. (1) depicts the execution of a simple Python program. Unlike Fortran, Python is a dynamically typed language that uses an interpreter to interpret the representative types at the run time. The layer of abstraction abstracts the underlying optimization from the code. Python binds Fortran and C libraries using an interpreter to perform intensive computation.

Fig. (1))

Execution schematic of Python code.

You must have previously understood various languages like C++, Java, Perl, Scheme, or BASIC. All these languages are high-level languages. Nevertheless, computer hardware understands only low-level language called machine language. So, high-level language needs to be converted into machine language. For this, we have two translators: a compiler and an interpreter. A compiler is a program that translates the entire program into machine language. The high-level program is known as the source code, and the output is machine code. An interpreter is also a program that takes high-level language and converts it into machine code instruction by instruction. Compiled code can be run any number of times without repeated compiling or the source code.

In contrast, interpreted code requires an interpreter and source code every time. Thus, interpreted code makes the programming environment more user-friendly and enhances portability. Every CPU has its machine code, but we can run a high-level language program with the interpreter.

Technical Strengths of Python

Portability

As already discussed, Python is a portable language that requires Byte Code for execution on any platform. An executable byte code converts the source code to platform-independent code. Python consists of a Tkinter toolkit to support the Tk GUI interface so the graphical user interface can run on all GUI's supported platforms without program changes. Python's original, standard implementation was given in ANSI C, making it executable on all major platforms ranging from PDAs to supercomputers.

Object-Oriented

Python is an object-oriented programming language. The language is extensible, i.e., the programs can be extended to C, C++, and Java. It uses a class model to support polymorphism, operator overloading, and other notions. It is a powerful scripting tool for other object-oriented system languages, like C++, Java, and C#. The recent versions of Python also support functional programming. This includes generators, comprehensions, closures, maps, etc.

Community Support

Python community support is quite active and responsive to the user's queries. The community consists of Python creator Guido van Rossum, the Benevolent Dictator for Life (BDFL), and a crew of thousands of workers. Python is more conservative than other languages in terms of changes, i.e., the changes need to be approved by the community, especially BDFL.

Advanced Features

Python provides full support for features of scripting languages like PERL. The scheme facilitates the use of software development tools that are easily found in compiled languages. It is a product of the FLOSS community, i.e., Python is a Free, Libre, and Open-Source Software that assists in knowledge sharing. Some of the salient features of Python are:

Memory Management

Memory allocation and reclamation are no longer the programmer's headache. It adopts automatic memory management allocation and garbage collection so that memory growth and shrink are as per demand. Python considers memory as the private heap. There are two types of allocators for memory management: raw memory allocator and object-specific allocator:

Large system development: Python, with its vast repository of tools, allows faster and easier development of extensive systems. Python tools can be classified into two categories: general-purpose and functional tools. The generic tools include modules, classes, and exceptions that help to disintegrate large applications into small modules, reuse customized codes, and handle errors and exceptions.

Dynamic typing: The programmer can easily write code without worrying about the program's syntax and structure. There is no need for the type and variable declaration beforehand.

Vast Library and Tools: Python has full-fledged support for various built-in objects types like lists, dictionaries, etc. Python's standard operations, like concatenation, slicing, sorting, etc., allow sequential processing of these object types. Further, Python has some precoded library tools to support application-level specific tasks like networking, regular expressions, etc. It also has an extensive library to handle threading, GUI, etc. The easy integration of Python allows customization and communication with other frameworks. For example, integration of Java and .NET components allows easy communication with frameworks like COM and Silverlight.

Ease of Use

Python has become the developer's first choice due to its interactive user interface and rapid turnaround time. Python is quite easy to learn with its simple and flexible programming paradigm. Python majorly emphasizes on quality and comprehensibility of code rather than its structure. The absence of lengthy compilation time and immediate execution boosts the developing time.

Installing Python

Visit the official website www.python.org and get the latest version of Python. Fig. (2) shows the webpage. If the operating system is Mac or Linux, Python is already installed, although it might be an older version.

Fig. (2))

Selection of Python for the operating system.

Windows Installer

1. Once you visit the Python official website, it will prompt you to download the latest version of Python for the respective operating system. You can select the respective operating system and it will take you to the available versions of Python for that operating system.

2. Select a Python version depending on your configuration (32-bit or 64-bit) from the list of options and it will start the automatic download of the executable file.

3. Once the download is complete, go to the downloading site and run the executable file.

4. A window will pop up that shows the default installation destination and also provides the option to customize the installation destination by browsing the same. Further, it prompts two checkboxes to Add a Python Version to PATH and to use the administrator privileges. This will confirm that the interpreter is added to the execution path.

5. Click Install Now. You will be prompted to Optional Features . Select the features as required.

6. Click Next . You will be prompted to the Advanced options features. Select the features as required. Also, here you will be required to choose the installation location.

7. Click Install . Your