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CMPT 120: Topic: Python's Building Blocks - Variables, Values, and Types

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11 views21 pages

CMPT 120: Topic: Python's Building Blocks - Variables, Values, and Types

notes

Uploaded by

Alex Wu
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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CMPT 120

Topic: Python’s building blocks


-> Variables, Values, and Types
Last lecture
• Computer programming and computer
program
• Programming language
• Python

2
In this lecture we shall cover
• Python’s building blocks
• Variables
• Values
• Types
• and Literal values

3
Learning outcomes
At the end of this course, a student is expected to:
• Describe and apply fundamental concepts and
terminology of Python:
• Literals, variables, types,

4
From what we already know
to new knowledge
• As we learn to develop software this term
• we shall acquire new knowledge and skills

AND
• we shall also make use of knowledge we
have already learnt

5
In the real world, there are …
Real World
• Objects e.g.:

and

• Actions e.g.:

6
In the computer world, there
are …
Real World Computer World
• Objects • Data
• Variables (objects)
• Literal values

Expressions
• Actions • Statements
• Operators
• Functions + methods
7
Variable
• We saw in Lecture 3 that computers are very
good at manipulating lot’s of data

• But in order for the computer to manipulate this


data, we must tell the computer to remember
the data

• We do this by using variables in our programs

8
Variable
• Definition: A variable is a
• memory location
• to which we give a name
• to which we assign a value of a particular
data type
memory

snack
“Apple”

• In a computer program, variables are referred 9


to by their name
Variable name
• Can contain letters, numbers and underscores
(no spaces, no nothing else  ), and must start
with a letter or an “_” underscore
• Examples:
• Convention 1: use camelCase (see wikipedia)
• Example: finalLetterGrade
• Convention 2: user underscore between words
• Example: final_letter_grade

• Python is case sensitive:


• variable PRICE
• variable Price 3 different
10
variables
• variable price
Value and data type
• A value can either be
• an integral (whole) number
• Example: 26
• in Python, this data type is called: int (integer)
• an floating point number
• Example: 3.14
• in Python, this data type is called: float
• A sequence of character(s)
• Example: “Hello!” “” ‘1234567’
• in Python, this data type is called: str (string) 11
Variable – Demo - 1
• Let’s demonstrate
• How to create a variable in Python
• In doing so, we shall introduce the
Assignment operator “=“ (assignment statement)

1. Using Python IDLE Interpreter Shell

2. Using Python IDLE Program/Script Editor

12
Variable – Demo - 2
• Let’s demonstrate
• How to use a variable
• In doing so, we shall introduce the
output built-in function ”print” (output statement)

1. Using Python IDLE Interpreter Shell

2. Using Python IDLE Program/Script Editor

13
Variable – Demo - 3
• Let’s demonstrate
• How to assign another value to an already
existing variable
• In doing so, we shall use the
Assignment operator “=“ (assignment statement)

1. Using Python IDLE Interpreter Shell

2. Using Python IDLE Program/Script Editor


14
In summary
• Python is a weakly typed high level programming
language

• This means that when we need to use a variable


in our Python program, all we need to do is assign
a value to our variable
pi = 3.14

• Assigning a value to a variable creates that


variable
15
In summary
• This is not the case in strongly typed high level
programming languages like C, C++ and Java, where
a variable must first be declared, i.e., one must first
state the type of value this variable is to reference,
before the variable is used

• Example: in C
float pi; <- variable declaration
pi = 3.14; <- variable initialized
// area of circle = pi r2
areaCircle = pi * pow(radius,2)<- variable used

16
GPS (Good Programming
Style) - 1
• Variable name must be descriptive, i.e., it must
describe the purpose of the variable or the
meaning of its value

• For example:

• Why?
• Creates self-documented code

17
It follows that …
• Reusing variable for different purposes is never a
good idea!

• For example:

• Why?

18
GPS (Good Programming
Style) - 2
• We cannot use a Python keyword as a variable
name
• Python keywords: Section 2.3 (page 11) of our
online textbook

• For example:

• Why?

19
Skill: Hand-tracing Python code
• Let’s “hand-trace” the following Python code:
apple = 0.75
juice = 1.65
sandwich = 4.80
lunch = apple + juice + sandwich
and in doing so, let’s see how we can represent
a variable (and its value) in memory:

20
Lastly: literal value
• Examples
The values in red are literal values:
apple = 0.75
juice = 1.65
sandwich = 4.80

• They are called “literal values” because they


are literally typed into a program

21

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