Python Lesson Two

Computing: Introduction to
Python
Lesson Two
Data Types
Think back to last lesson when we learned about variables.
We can think of variables as like boxes. Each box

has a label, and we can store information (data) in
each box.
This information can vary during the running of a
program. The boxes are emptied of data when the
program ends. When we store
>>> name = input(“What is your information (data) in a
name?”) “Monty” Python program, we need
What is your name? Monty to know the data type of
>>> the information.
na m
e
Data Types
Python has four data types:
• String (text or alphanumeric information);
• Integer (a whole number, a number which is not a fraction);
• Float (a number which can be a fraction);
• Boolean (can only be one of two values, True or False).
“y” 47 23.68 False
Strin Integ Floa Bool

g er t ean
Data Type Derby
Which data type is this value?
Float 3.142

g er t ean
Data Type Derby
String Monty

g er t ean
Data Type Derby
Boolean True

g er t ean
Data Type Derby
Integer 47

g er t ean
Data Type Derby
String “1234”
Did this answer surprise
you?
Any data enclosed within
“quotes” is always a
string!

g er t ean
Data Type Derby
Integer -23

g er t ean
Data Types in Python
• Python has a useful command called type.
• This command tells us the data type of our
information.
• In the Python IDLE interactive mode window, enter
this code and then press the enter key:
type(“hello”)
• You should then see the following:
• Class ‘str’ means that the data

type of “hello” is string.
Data Types in Python
Try these examples and see what happens:
• type(1234)
• type(76.54)
• type(True)
• type(“Monty”)
• type(“4321”)
Type Casting
In programming, we sometimes need to change the data type of
information. This is known as type casting.
In Python, type casting is quite easy.
•To change data to an integer data type we use int().

•To change data to a string data type we use str().
•To change data to a float data type we use float().
•To change data to a Boolean data type we use bool().
In Python IDLE try these:

• float(13)
• int(56.32)
• int(“1234”)
A word of caution: trying to cast a string of text into an integer or

float will cause an error! Try int(“hello”) and see what
happens!
Type Casting
Do you remember the input command we used in last
lesson?
• input works fine with strings, but we have to take care with
numbers.
• Try entering this Python code into the script mode window,
then save and run your program:
Type Casting
According to our program, 6 + 7 = 67!
What’s gone wrong?
Python thinks that any information we
enter using input is always a string.
In other words, “6” + “7” = “67”.
Instead of adding the numbers together, the “6” and “7” are just
joined together. (The technical term for adding strings is
concatenation.)
Try your program again with different numbers just to make sure.
To fix this problem, and enable us to add our numbers together,
we simply make use of the type casting method int().
Let’s see this in action …
Type Casting
Change your program by including int as shown here.
Be careful to add an extra bracket at the end of the first two lines:
Running our program now gives us the correct

answers.
Awesome Annotation
• So far, our Python programs have been quite short.
• More complex programs can have hundreds of lines of code (or
even thousands).
• When programs start to get longer, or if we come back to a program
that
we’ve not looked at for a while, it’s easy to forget how our code
works or
why we did things in a certain way.
• Therefore, we need a method to help us remember what our code
does, and to explain it to others.
• Programmers use annotation to explain their code.
• It’s very easy to add annotation. In Python, we use a # (you might
call it a hashtag…) at the start of each line of annotation.
• When we run our programs, Python ignores any lines that start with
a #.
• Annotation is for humans, not computers.
• Using annotations is very good programming practice, and will help
Awesome Annotation
You can add as many lines of annotation as you
like.
Notice how Python IDLE changes annotation lines
into red.
Snakes Alive!
• The Python programming language first appeared in February
1991.
• In a sense, we could say that this was when Python was born.
• Have you ever wondered how many days you’ve been alive?
Or hours, minutes or seconds?
Snakes Alive Quick Challenge:
In script mode write a short program that
will input your age in years, and print the
number of seconds you’ve been alive for.
Start your code like this …
Quick now,
seconds are
ticking away!
Snakes Alive!
Possible solution – easy version:
There are 365 days in a year,

24 hours in a day,
60 minutes in every hour,
and 60 seconds in every
minute.
Therefore to find how many
seconds you’ve been alive,
multiply your age by
365 x 24 x 60 x 60
Snakes Alive!
Possible solution – better version:
Let’s Bring It All Together
Variables
We can think of variables as like boxes. Each box has a label, and
we can store information (data) in each box. This information can
vary during the running of a program. The boxes are emptied of
data when the program ends.
Data Types
Python has four data types:
•String (text or alphanumeric information);
•Integer (a whole number, a number which is not a fraction);
•Float (a number which can be a fraction);
•Boolean (can only be one of two values, True or False).
Key Terms
Adding strings together is
called concatenation
(con - cat - en - ay - shun).
Let’s Bring It All Together
Type Casting
In programming we sometimes need to change the data
type
of information. This is known as type casting.
Annotation
Programmers use annotation to explain their code.
Annotation is useful for when programs start to get longer,
or if we come back to a program that we’ve not looked at for a
while.
In Python we use a # at the start of each line of annotation.
When we run our programs, Python ignores any lines that start
with a #.
Annotation is for humans, not computers. Using annotation is
very good programming practice, and will help you make less
errors with your code.
Rate Your Progress
Red Light: you have understood some of the
objective and you will think about it some more
later on, perhaps asking a friend or teacher for
help.
Amber Light: you have understood most of the
objective and you are happy with your progress.
Green Light: you feel fully confident with this

objective and you understand it well.
Success Criteria:
• To know why programming languages use data types.
• To use type casting in Python to enable numerical
inputs.
• To understand the importance of annotating code.
Nailing It Down
We have learned a lot today about data types and annotation in
Python.
There are many other programming languages, some are easier

to learn than others.
You can find out about different languages at this interesting

website: http://rosettacode.org/wiki/Rosetta_Code
The purpose of this website is to present solutions to the same
problems for lots of different programming languages.
See if you can find out how the Fibonacci
Sequence is coded in Python and other
languages:
http://rosettacode.org/wiki/Fibonacci_sequen
ce

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Computing: Introduction to

We can think of variables as like boxes. Each box

“y” 47 23.68 False

Strin Integ Floa Bool

Strin Integ Floa Bool

Strin Integ Floa Bool

Strin Integ Floa Bool

Strin Integ Floa Bool

Strin Integ Floa Bool

Strin Integ Floa Bool

• Class ‘str’ means that the data

•To change data to an integer data type we use int().

In Python IDLE try these:

A word of caution: trying to cast a string of text into an integer or

Running our program now gives us the correct

Start your code like this …

There are 365 days in a year,

Green Light: you feel fully confident with this

There are many other programming languages, some are easier

You can find out about different languages at this interesting

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