Getting Started With Python

Programming
•Introduction to computer languages
and python program compilation
•Variables and constants
•Operators
•Input and output

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 Computer Languages
Computer languages can be classified into following
categories:
Computer
Language

Fourth
Machine Assembly High level
generation
Language Language Language
Language

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• It is a binary language in which
the instructions are in the form
of ‘0’ and ‘1’.
• The program written in ‘0’ and
‘1’ can be understood and
executed by the computer.
• It is very difficult to write and
test programs written in
machine language.

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• It is a program written using English
keywords or symbols or mnemonics.

• The computer does not understand

assembly language.

• It is required to convert the

assembly language into the machine
language.

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• It is a computer program written
using short English phrases.
• It is easy to learn and requires less
time to write.
• The program written using high level
language is not understood by the
computer.
• It is thus converted to machine
language using translators.
• For example: BASIC, C, C++, Java,
Python

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• It is closer to human language than
any other high level language.
• It is more visual and does not
require a lot of programming
knowledge.
• It is designed to reduce the overall
time, effort and cost of software
development.
• For example: SQL

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 Python History
• Developed in the early 1990s by Guido van Rossum.
Pros:
Free , Powerful, Widely used
Python programmers could quickly write programs (and not
be burdened with an overly difficult language)
Cons:
Python programs weren’t optimized to run as efficiently as
programs written in some other languages.

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 The Process Of Creating A Computer Program
Program Creation
• A person (programmer) writes a computer program
(series of instructions).
• The program is written and saved using a text
editor.
• The instructions in the programming language (e.g.,
Python) are high level (look much like a human
language).

Translation
Execution
• A special computer program (translator) translates
the program written by the programmer into the • The machine/binary
only form that the computer can understand language instructions can
now be directly executed by
(machine language/binary)
the computer.

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 Types Of Translators
1) Interpreters (e.g., Python is an interpreted language)
• Each time the program is run the interpreter translates the program
(translating a part at a time).
• If there are any translation errors during the process of interpreting the
program, the program will stop execution right when the error is encountered.
• Specify advantages: partial execution, multi-platform

2) Compilers (e.g., ‘C’, C++ are compiled languages)

• Before the program is run the compiler translates the program all at once.
• Has to be perfect before you get anything to run
• If there are any translation errors during the compilation process, no machine language
executable will be produced (nothing to execute)
• If there are no translation errors during compilation then a machine language program is created
which can then be executed .
• Advantage: faster, translate once

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 Compiling and Linking in Python
• Python first compiles your source code (.py file) into a format known
as byte code . Compilation is simply a translation step, and byte code is a
lower-level, and platform-independent, representation of your source code.
Compiled code is usually stored in .pyc files , and is regenerated when the
source is updated, or when otherwise necessary. In order to distribute a
program to people who already have Python installed, you can ship either
the .py files or the .pyc files.

• The bytecode (.pyc file) is loaded into the Python runtime and interpreted
by a Python Virtual Machine , which is a piece of code that reads each
instruction in the bytecode and executes whatever operation is indicated.

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 Variables
• Set aside a location in memory.
• Used to store information.
– This location can store one ‘piece’ of information.
• Putting another piece of information at an existing location overwrites previous
information.
– At most the information will be accessible as long as the program runs i.e., it’s
temporary
• Some types of information which can be stored in variables include: integer
(whole), floating point (fractional), strings (essentially any characters you
can type and more)
Format (creating):
<name of variable> = <Information to be stored in the variable>

Examples (creating):
– Integer (e.g., num1 = 10)
– Floating point (e.g., num2 = 10.0)
– Strings: alpha, numeric, other characters enclosed in quotes.
• e.g., name = "james"
• To be safe get in the habit of using double (and not single) quotes
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 Variable Naming Conventions

• Naming requirements:
– The name should be meaningful.
– Names must start with a letter (Python requirement) and
should not begin with an underscore (style requirement).
– Names are case sensitive
– Variable names should generally be all lower case.
– For names composed of multiple words, separate each word
by capitalizing the first letter of each or by using an
underscore.
– Can't be a keyword.

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 Key Words In Python1
and del from not while
as elif global or with
assert else if pass yield
break except import print
class exec in raise
continue finally is return
def for lambda try

1 From “Starting out with Python” by Tony Gaddis

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 Named Constants
•They are similar to variables: a memory location that’s been
given a name.
•Unlike variables their contents shouldn’t change.
• This means changes should not occur because of style reasons rather
than because Python prevents the change
•The naming conventions for choosing variable names generally
apply to constants but the name of constants should be all
UPPER CASE. (You can separate multiple words with an
underscore).
•Example PI = 3.14
•They are capitalized so the reader of the program can
distinguish them from variables.
– For some programming languages the translator will enforce the
unchanging nature of the constant.
– For languages such as Python it is up to the programmer to recognize a
named constant and not to change it.
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 Why Use Named Constants
1. They make your program easier to read and understand
# NO
populationChange = (0.1758 – 0.1257) * currentPopulation

Avoid unnamed constants

Vs. whenever possible!

#YES
BIRTH_RATE = 17.58
MORTALITY_RATE = 0.1257
currentPopulation = 1000000
populationChange = (BIRTH_RATE - MORTALITY_RATE) *
currentPopulation

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 Why Use Named Constants (2)
2) Makes the program easier to maintain
– If the constant is referred to several times throughout the program,
changing the value of the constant once will change it throughout the
program.
– Using named constants is regarded as “good style” when writing a
computer program.

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 Purpose Of Named Constants (3)
BIRTH_RATE = 0.998
MORTALITY_RATE = 0.1257
populationChange = 0
currentPopulation = 1000000
populationChange = (BIRTH_RATE - MORTALITY_RATE) *
currentPopulation
if (populationChange > 0):
print("Increase")
print("Birth rate:", BIRTH_RATE, " Mortality rate:",
MORTALITY_RATE, " Population change:", populationChange)
elif (populationChange < 0):
print("Decrease")
print("Birth rate:", BIRTH_RATE, " Mortality rate:",
MORTALITY_RATE, "Population change:", populationChange)
else:
print("No change")
print("Birth rate:", BIRTH_RATE, " Mortality rate:",
MORTALITY_RATE, "Population change:", populationChange)

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 Operators in python
Python divides the operators in the following groups:

1. Arithmetic operators
2. Assignment operators
3. Comparison operators
4. Logical operators
5. Bitwise operators
6. Identity operators
7. Membership operators

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Arithmetic Operators: Arithmetic operators in Python allow you to
perform basic mathematical operations such as addition, subtraction,
multiplication, division, and more. They include:
Addition (+)
Subtraction (-)
Multiplication (*)
Division (/)
Modulo (%) – Gives reminder of a division operation
Floor Division (//)- Gives only integer portion of division.
Exponentiation (**)

print(5/2)
>>2.5
#but if want only the integer part of 2.5 then we have to use //
print(5//2)
>>2
#modulo(%) is used to find the remainder
print(5%2)
>>1
#power operator is **
print(3**2)
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Assignment Operators:

Assignment operators are used to assign values to variables. They provide

a concise way to update variable values based on computations. Examples
of assignment operators in Python are:

1. Assignment (=)
2. Addition Assignment (+=)
3. Subtraction Assignment (-=)
4. Multiplication Assignment (*=)
5. Division Assignment (/=)
6. Modulo Assignment (%=)
7. Exponentiation Assignment (**=)
8. Floor Division Assignment (//=)

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Comparison Operators:
Comparison operators are used to compare two values and determine their
relationship. They return a Boolean value (True or False) based on the
comparison. Some common comparison operators in Python include:

1. Equal to (==)
2. Not equal to (!=)
3. Greater than (>)
4. Less than (<)
5. Greater than or equal to (>=)
6. Less than or equal to (<=)

Logical Operators: Logical operators are particularly useful in controlling

program flow and making decisions based on multiple conditions. The three
logical operators in Python are:

1. Logical AND (and)

2. Logical OR (or)
3. Logical NOT (not)

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Membership Operators:
Membership operators are used to test whether a value belongs to a sequence
or collection(list, tuple, or string). Python provides two membership operators:

1. In
2. Not in

Identity Operators:
Identity operators are used to compare the memory locations of two objects.
They determine if two variables point to the same object in memory. Python has
two identity operators:

1. is
2. is not

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Input/Output Function

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 Displaying Output Using The Print() Function

• This function takes zero or more arguments (inputs)

– Multiple arguments are separated with commas
– print() will display all the arguments followed by a blank line (move the
cursor down a line).
– end="" isn’t mandatory but can be useful to prevent Python from adding the
extra line (when precise formatting is needed)
– Zero arguments just displays a blank line

print("hi")

print("hey",end="")

print("-sup?")

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 Print("… ") Vs. Print(<name>)
• Enclosing the value in brackets with quotes means the value in
between the quotes will be literally displayed onscreen.
• Excluding the quotes will display the contents of a memory
location.
• Example:
aString = "Some message"
print(aString)
print("aString")

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 Escape Codes/Characters
• The back-slash character enclosed within quotes won’t be
displayed but instead indicates that a formatting (escape) code
will follow the slash:
Escape sequence Description

\a Alarm: Causes the program to beep.

\n Newline: Moves the cursor to beginning of

the next line.
\t Tab: Moves the cursor forward one tab stop.

\' Single quote: Prints a single quote.

\" Double quote: Prints a double quote.

\\ Backslash: Prints one backslash.

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 Escape Codes

print ("\a*Beep!*")

print ("hi\nthere")

print ("he\\y \"you\"")

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input()

The print() function makes it easy to send your data as text to standard out
(see also: print()).
The Python function input() goes the other direction, letting the user type
something that goes in a Python variable.

Eg-

>>>name = input('what is your name? ')

what is your name? Samir
>>> Samir
‘Samir’
>>>

The parameter to input() is a prompt string that prints out, prompting the
user what they are supposed to type.

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String Conversion

The result from input() is always a string, so it may need a conversion like
int() to convert it to a number

>>> age = int( input('what is your age? ‘))

what is your age? 25
>>>25

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