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Chapter 1 Introduction To Python

This document introduces Python as a high-level, open source, and community driven programming language that is dynamic, interpreted, and can interface with other systems. It discusses why Python is a good choice compared to other languages like Visual Basic. It also provides an overview of Python interfaces like IDLE and the Python shell, and demonstrates basic Python code examples. Key Python objects like strings, lists, tuples, and dictionaries are introduced along with common methods.

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Joshua C. Abella
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
58 views

Chapter 1 Introduction To Python

This document introduces Python as a high-level, open source, and community driven programming language that is dynamic, interpreted, and can interface with other systems. It discusses why Python is a good choice compared to other languages like Visual Basic. It also provides an overview of Python interfaces like IDLE and the Python shell, and demonstrates basic Python code examples. Key Python objects like strings, lists, tuples, and dictionaries are introduced along with common methods.

Uploaded by

Joshua C. Abella
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Introduction to Python

Programming Languages
CHAPTER 1
Introduction to Python
• Python is a high-level programming language
• Open source and community driven
• “Batteries Included”
– a standard distribution includes many modules
• Dynamic typed
• Source can be compiled or run just-in-time
• Similar to perl, tcl, ruby
Why Python?
• Unlike AML and Avenue, there is a considerable
base of developers already using the language
• “Tried and true” language that has been in de-
velopment since 1991
• Can interface with the Component Object Model
(COM) used by Windows
• Can interface with Open Source GIS toolsets
Why not Visual Basic?
• Visual Basic is still the method of configuring
and customizing ArcMap
• If you have a button on the toolbar, it’s VB
• Python scripts can be placed in ArcToolbox
• Python can be run from the command line
without ArcMap or ArcCatalog being open
• Using just the GIS Engine, lower overhead
• Rapid prototyping, ease of authoring, etc.
Python Interfaces
• IDLE – a cross-platform Python development
environment
• PythonWin – a Windows only interface to
Python
• Python Shell – running 'python' from the
Command Line opens this interactive shell
• For the exercises, we'll use IDLE, but you can
try them all and pick a favorite
IDLE – Development
Environment

IDLE helps you program in Python by


– color-coding your program code
– debugging
– auto-indent
– interactive shell
Example Python

• Hello World
print “hello world”
• Prints hello world to standard out
• Open IDLE and try it out yourself
• Follow along using IDLE
More than just printing
• Python is an object oriented language
• Practically everything can be treated
as an object
• “hello world” is a string
• Strings, as objects, have methods
that return the result of a function on
the string
String Methods

• Assign a string to a variable


• In this case “hw”
• hw.title()
• hw.upper()
• hw.isdigit()
• hw.islower()
String Methods
• The string held in your variable
remains the same
• The method returns an altered by
string
• Changing the variable requires
reassignment
– hw = hw.upper()
– hw now equals “HELLO WORLD”
Other Python Objects
• Lists (mutable sets of strings)
– var = [] # create list
– var = [‘one’, 2, ‘three’, ‘banana’]
• Tuples (immutable sets)
– var = (‘one’, 2, ‘three’, ‘banana’)
• Dictionaries (associative arrays or
‘hashes’)
– var = {} # create dictionary
– var = {‘lat’: 40.20547, ‘lon’: -74.76322}
– var[‘lat’] = 40.2054
• Each has its own set of methods
Lists
• Think of a list as a stack of cards, on
which your information is written
• The information stays in the order
you place it in until you modify that
order
• Methods return a string or subset of
the list or modify the list to add or
remove components
• Written as var[index], index refers to
order within set (think card number,
starting at 0)
• You can step through lists as part of
a loop
List Methods
• Adding to the List
– var[n] = object
• replaces n with object
– var.append(object)
• adds object to the end of the list
• Removing from the List
– var[n] = []
• empties contents of card, but
preserves order
– var.remove(n)
• removes card at n
– var.pop(n)
• removes n and returns its value
Lists in ArcToolbox
You will create lists:
• Layers as inputs
• Attributes to match
• Arrays of objects
You will work with lists:
• List of field names
• List of selected fea-
tures
Tuples
• Like a list, tuples are iterable arrays of objects
• Tuples are immutable –
once created, unchangeable
• To add or remove items, you must redeclare
• Example uses of tuples
– County Names
– Land Use Codes
– Ordered set of functions
Dictionaries
• Dictionaries are sets of key & value pairs
• Allows you to identify values by a descrip-
tive name instead of order in a list
• Keys are unordered unless explicitly sorted
• Keys are unique:
– var[‘item’] = “apple”
– var[‘item’] = “banana”
– print var[‘item’] prints just banana
Indentation and Blocks

• Python uses whitespace and indents to denote


blocks of code
• Lines of code that begin a block end in a colon:
• Lines within the code block are indented at the
same level
• To end a code block, remove the indentation
• You'll want blocks of code that run only when
certain conditions are met
Thank you

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