TRAINING & REFERENCE

murach’s
Python
programming
2nd Edition
(Chapter 1)

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What developers have said about previous editions
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Section 1

Essential concepts
and skills
The eight chapters in this section get you off to a fast start by presenting
a complete subset of the essential concepts and skills that you need for
Python programming. First, chapter 1 introduces you to Python and shows
you how to use an integrated development environment (IDE) called IDLE
to develop and run programs. Then, chapters 2, 3, and 4 present skills that
let you develop substantial programs of your own.
At that point, you’re going to need to improve your testing and
debugging skills, so that’s what chapter 5 shows you how to do. Then,
chapters 6, 7, and 8 continue your development. When you complete this
section, you’ll be able to design, code, test, and debug Python programs
that can work with data that’s stored in files.
 1
An introduction to Python
programming
This chapter starts by showing why Python is considered by many to be the
best language for teaching beginners how to program. Next, this chapter
presents the concepts and terms that you need to know before you start
programming. Then, it shows how to use an integrated development
environment (IDE) called IDLE to develop and test Python programs.

Introduction to Python............................................................4
Why Python works so well as your first programming language....................4
Three types of Python applications..................................................................6
The source code for a console application.......................................................8
How Python compiles and runs source code.................................................10
How disk storage and main memory work together.......................................12
How to use IDLE to develop programs...............................14
How to use the interactive shell......................................................................14
How to work with source files........................................................................16
How to compile and run a program................................................................18
How to fix syntax and runtime errors.............................................................20
Perspective............................................................................22
4 Section 1 Essential concepts and skills

Introduction to Python
The Python programming language was developed in the 1990s by Guido
van Rossum of the Netherlands. It was intended to be a simple, intuitive
language that is as powerful as traditional languages, and it succeeded at that.
Guido named the language Python because he was a big fan of “Monty Python’s
Flying Circus,” and he continues to be involved in the development of Python. In
fact, some developers in the Python community refer to him as the “Benevolent
Dictator for Life (BDFL)”, although he officially stepped down from that role in
2018.

Why Python works so well

as your first programming language
Figure 1-1 summarizes the case for learning Python as your first
programming language. Here, you can see a short excerpt from a Java program
and an excerpt from a Python program that does the same thing. This shows
how much closer to plain English Python is and how much simpler the syntax
for Python is. In fact, you’ll often be able write a Python program with far less
code than the same program would take in C++, Java, C#, or other traditional
programming languages. And yet, you can learn most of the concepts and skills
that you need for those languages when you learn Python, without getting
slowed down by trivial coding details.
Beyond that, Python supports a wide range of applications. It is used by
many successful companies. And it is open source, which means that its source
code is available to the entire Python community.
In short, Python is a powerful programming language that lets you develop
programs in less time and with less code than other programming languages.
That’s why it’s a great language for learning how to program. But it’s also a
great language if you already know how to use another language or two.
In this figure, the Python timeline shows that Python 2 became available in
the year 2000. This was replaced by Python 3 in 2008. However, Python 3 isn’t
backward compatible. That means that Python 3 can’t run most programs written
for Python 2. Conversely, Python 2 isn’t forward compatible. That means that it
can’t run most programs written for Python 3.
In this book, you’ll learn how to write programs for Python 3, and you’ll
learn how to use Python 3 to run those programs. As a result, compatibility
won’t be a problem. That’s a great way to learn Python.
 Chapter 1 An introduction to Python programming 5

Four general-purpose programming languages

C++
Java
C#
Python

The Python timeline

Year Month Release Description
2000 October 2.0 First release of Python 2
2008 December 3.0 A redesign of Python that isn’t backward compatible
2010 July 2.7 Last release of Python 2 with support until 2020
2020 October 3.9 The latest release at this writing

Syntax differences between Python and Java

Some Java code
private static double calculateFutureValue(
double monthlyInvestment, double monthlyRate, int months)
{
double futureValue = 0.0;
for (int i = 1; i <= months; i++) {
futureValue =
(futureValue + monthlyInvestment) * (1 + monthlyRate);
}
return futureValue;
}

Python code that works the same

def calculateFutureValue(monthlyInvestment, monthlyRate, months):
futureValue = 0.0
for i in range(months):
futureValue =
(futureValue + monthlyInvestment) * (1 + monthlyRate)
return futureValue

Why Python is a great first language

•• Python has a simple syntax that’s easier to read and use than most other languages.
•• Python has most of the features of traditional programming languages. As a result,
you can use Python to learn the concepts and skills that apply to those languages
too.
•• Python supports the development of a wide range of programs, including games,
web applications, and system administration.
•• Python is used by many successful companies, including Google, IBM, Disney, and
EA Games. As a result, knowing Python is a valuable skill.
•• Python is open source. There are many advantages to being open source.

Figure 1-1 Why Python works so well as your first programming language
6 Section 1 Essential concepts and skills

Three types of Python applications

An application, or app, is computer software that performs a task or related
set of tasks. However, applications can also be referred to as programs, even
though one application may actually consist of many related programs. In
practice, most people use these terms interchangeably. In this book, we use the
term program to refer to the short applications that it presents.
In any event, figure 1-2 shows three types of applications that you can create
with Python. The first type is a console application. In this type of application,
you enter commands at the command prompt in the console that’s available from
your operating system.
In this case, a console application is being run on a Windows system. As a
result, it uses the Command Prompt window that’s available from Windows. On
a macOS system, though, a console application runs in the Terminal window.
Because console applications are the easiest type of application to develop,
you’ll work with console applications in the first three sections of this book.
The second type of Python application is a GUI application. That’s an
application that has a graphical user interface (GUI). In this figure, the GUI
application performs the same tasks as the console application. In other words,
it gets the same input from the user, performs the same calculation, and displays
the same result. However, the GUI application is more user-friendly and
intuitive. You’ll learn how to develop this type of application in the last section
of this book.
The third type of application shown in this figure is a web application.
Unlike a desktop application, which runs directly on your computer, a web
application can be called by a web browser that’s running on a computer or
mobile device and can use a server to process or store data. In this figure, the
web application performs the same task as the console and GUI applications.
Although this book doesn’t show how to develop web applications, you should
know that Python frameworks are available to help you develop that type of
application with Python.
You should also know that you can use Python as a scripting language
to work with other software applications or to develop system administration
programs that perform tasks like automatically backing up a server or rotating
log files. Because programs like this usually run in the background, they don’t
always have a user interface. When you finish this book, though, you will have
the skills you need to write this type of program.
In addition, Python is a popular language for data analysis and visualization.
Data analysis is the process of cleaning, preparing, analyzing, and modeling
data to better understand and use it to make decisions. Data visualization
involves creating a graphic representation of data by using visual elements like
charts, graphs, and maps. This often makes the data easier to interpret. Python
is popular in these areas partly due to the existence of many open-source Python
libraries. For example, Pandas is commonly used for Python data analysis.
Similarly, Mattplotlib and Seaborn are commonly used for data visualization.
To get started with these subjects, you can check out our book titled Murach’s
Python Data Analysis. It should be available in the second half of 2021.
 Chapter 1 An introduction to Python programming 7

A console application

A GUI application

A web application

Description
•• A console application is a desktop application that uses the console to interact with
the user.
•• A GUI application is an application that uses a graphical user interface (GUI) to
interact with the user.
•• A web application typically gets requests from a web browser, processes them on a
web server, and returns the responses to the web browser.

Figure 1-2 Three types of Python applications

8 Section 1 Essential concepts and skills

The source code for a console application

To show you what a Python program looks like, figure 1-3 shows the source
code for a console application. This application gets three values from the user: a
monthly investment amount, a yearly interest rate, and a number of years. Then,
the program takes these entries and calculates the future value of the monthly
investments with the interest calculated each month.
For now, just note that the code begins with a line that starts with a hash (#)
and a bang (!). This line is commonly called the shebang line. It is ignored by
Windows, but it’s used by Unix-like operating systems, including macOS, to
specify the interpreter for the program. In this case, the shebang specifies that
this program should be run using Python 3. As a result, you can use this shebang
line for all programs in this book.
In the next chapter, you’ll start learning how to write the code in this
program. Then, by the time you complete chapter 3, you’ll know how most of
the code in this program works, and you’ll be able to write comparable programs
of your own.
 Chapter 1 An introduction to Python programming 9

The source code for a console application

#!/usr/bin/env python3

import locale

# set the locale for use in currency formatting

locale.setlocale(locale.LC_ALL, 'en_US')

# display a welcome message

print("Welcome to the Future Value Calculator")
print()

choice = "y"
while choice.lower() == "y":

# get input from the user

monthly_investment = float(input("Enter monthly investment:\t"))
yearly_interest_rate = float(input("Enter yearly interest rate:\t"))
years = int(input("Enter number of years:\t\t"))

# convert yearly values to monthly values

monthly_interest_rate = yearly_interest_rate / 12 / 100
months = years * 12

# calculate the future value

future_value = 0
for i in range(months):
future_value = future_value + monthly_investment
monthly_interest_amount = future_value * monthly_interest_rate
future_value = future_value + monthly_interest_amount

# format and display the result

print("Future value:\t\t\t" + locale.currency(
future_value, grouping=True))
print()

# see if the user wants to continue

choice = input("Continue? (y/n): ")
print()

print("Bye!")

Discussion
•• This application gets three values from the user: monthly investment amount,
yearly interest rate, and number of years. Then, it calculates and displays the future
value of the investments at the specified interest rate for the specified number of
years.
•• The first line in this program is called the shebang line, or shebang. It specifies
the interpreter that should be used to run this program. In this book, all programs
should be run by Python 3.

Figure 1-3 The source code for a console application

10 Section 1 Essential concepts and skills

How Python compiles and runs source code

The code in a program like the one in the last figure can be referred to
as Python source code. To create the file that contains this source code, the
programmer uses a text editor or integrated development environment (IDE),
which you’ll learn more about in a moment.
However, before the Python source code can be run (or executed) on a
computer, the code must be translated into code that the computer can
understand, as shown in figure 1-4. Here, you can see that the files that contain
the source code have the .py extension. Then, the Python interpreter is used to
translate (or compile) the source code into bytecode.
This bytecode can be run by any computer that has the Python virtual
machine installed on it. This virtual machine translates the bytecode so it can be
run by the operating system of the computer.
Since the Python virtual machine is part of the Python interpreter, it is
available on all platforms that support Python. In fact, that’s why Python is said
to be platform-independent. In other words, it is the virtual machine that makes
it possible for Python to run on a wide variety of operating systems.
Although this compilation process is complicated, it’s done automatically
with the push of a single key when you’re using an IDE to develop your Python
programs as shown later in this chapter. For now, all you need to take away from
this figure is that Python source code is compiled into bytecode that’s run by the
computer’s operating system.
 Chapter 1 An introduction to Python programming 11

How Python compiles and runs source code

Procedure
Step 1 The programmer uses a text editor or IDE to enter and edit the source
code. Then, the programmer saves the source code to a file with a .py
extension.
Step 2 The source code is compiled by the Python interpreter into bytecode.
Step 3 The bytecode is translated by the Python virtual machine into instructions
that can interact with the operating system of the computer.

Description
•• Although this procedure is complicated, it runs behind the scenes when you’re
developing Python programs. As a result, it’s mostly invisible to the developer.
•• Python bytecode can be run on any operating system that has a Python virtual
machine. That’s why Python is said to be platform-independent.
•• Most programs import one or more modules, which are files that contain reusable
code. The Python interpreter saves the compiled bytecode for those modules in files
that have .pyc or .pyo extensions. This is an import optimization that can improve
the startup time for a program.

Figure 1-4 How Python compiles and runs source code

12 Section 1 Essential concepts and skills

How disk storage and main memory work together

Now that you know how a program is compiled and run, it’s worth taking a
minute to go over how the main memory of a computer and the disk storage of a
computer work together as an application runs. This conceptual background can
help you understand what needs to be done when you develop a program that
works with data in disk storage. In addition, figure 1-5 presents the terms that
you need to be familiar with.
To start, you should know that a computer consists of a Central Processing
Unit (CPU) and main memory, which is often referred to as RAM (Random
Access Memory). When an application runs, its bytecode is stored in main
memory and its instructions are executed by the CPU. In addition, the data that
the application is currently using is stored in main memory. This type of storage
is temporary, however, so the data is lost when the application ends.
To store the data of an application, disk storage is commonly used. This
type of storage remains after the application ends, so it is called persistent data
storage. In chapter 7, you’ll learn how to work with persistent data that’s stored
in a file. Then, in chapter 17, you’ll learn how to work with persistent data that’s
stored in a database.
In general, two types of software are stored on disk. Systems software
consists of the programs that control the operation of the system. That includes
the operating system for the computer, like Windows for a PC or macOS for
a Mac. By contrast, application software consists of the applications that are
available on the system. That includes applications such as web browsers, word
processors, and spreadsheet programs.
When a computer starts, it loads the operating system from disk storage into
main memory. Then, when you start an application, the operating system loads
the application from disk storage into main memory, and it runs the application.
If the application requires persistent data while it is running, it reads the data
from disk storage into main memory and then processes it. If the application
updates the data or creates new data, it writes the data from main memory back
to disk storage.
The storage capacity of main memory and disk storage is measured in bytes.
For instance, main memory used to be measured in megabytes (MB), which is
millions of bytes, but now it is usually measured in gigabytes (GB), which is
billions of bytes. For the record, a byte consists of eight binary digits, or bits, and
each byte is roughly equivalent to one character of data, like an A or a B.
If you’re comfortable with these concepts and terms, you’re ready to learn
how to use an IDE to create, test, and debug Python programs as shown in the
next few figures. Otherwise, it’s worth taking a few minutes to review the terms
in this figure because they’re terms that every programmer should know.
 Chapter 1 An introduction to Python programming 13

Main memory and disk storage as an application runs

Main memory Disk storage

How disk storage and main memory work together

•• When you start the computer, it loads the operating system into main memory.
Then, you use the features of the operating system to start an application.
•• When you start an application, the operating system loads it into main memory.
Then, it runs the application.
•• As the application runs, it may read data from disk storage into main memory or
write data from main memory to disk storage.

Description
•• The systems software for a computer provides all of the software that is needed for
running the applications, including the operating system.
•• The applications software consists of the applications that are available on the
system.
•• A computer consists of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and main memory, also
known as RAM (Random Access Memory).
•• The data in main memory is lost when an application ends. Disk storage is used for
persistent data storage, which remains after an application ends.
•• Main memory and disk storage are commonly measured in megabytes (MB) and
gigabytes (GB), and a byte is roughly equivalent to one character of data.

Figure 1-5 How disk storage and main memory work together
14 Section 1 Essential concepts and skills

How to use IDLE to develop programs

Although you can use a text editor to develop Python programs, most
programmers use an integrated development environment (IDE) because an IDE
usually helps you get more done in less time. One IDE that’s popular for Python
programming is PyCharm, which is a free, open-source IDE that runs on most
operating systems. Another is Eclipse, which is a general-purpose IDE that has a
plugin called pyDev for doing Python development.
However, for this book, we recommend using an IDE named IDLE. This
IDE is included with the Python distributions for Windows and macOS and can
be easily installed on Linux. Besides that, it’s easy to use. Note that the name of
this IDE is the same as the last name of Eric Idle, a sly reference to one of the
founding members of the Monty Python comedy group.

How to use the interactive shell

Figure 1-6 shows how to use IDLE’s interactive shell. This shell makes it
easy to enter and test Python statements without writing full programs. This is
another feature that makes Python work so well as a first programming language.
When you start the shell, it displays some version and copyright information
followed by its prompt (>>>). At this prompt, you can type any Python code
that you want to run. Then, when you press the Enter key, Python runs the code,
displays the results if there are any, and displays another prompt.
In this figure, the first prompt executes a print() function that prints “Hello
out there!” to the console. This displays the characters coded within the
quotation marks immediately after the prompt. Then, the next three prompts
evaluate arithmetic expressions and display the result of each expression
immediately after the prompt.
The fifth prompt executes another print() function. However, this print()
function doesn’t include quotation marks around the characters, and those
quotation marks are required. As a result, the shell displays an error message for
a SyntaxError that says “invalid syntax”.
The next two prompts show what happens when you set a variable named x
equal to 5 and then add 10 to that variable. The result is 15.
The last statement attempts to add 15 to X. This displays a NameError
message that says “name ‘X’ is not defined”. That’s because variable names are
case sensitive, so x and X refer to two different variables. The variable named x
has been defined earlier in this session, but the variable named X has not been
defined yet in this session.
This interactive session shows how the Python shell can help you build your
coding skills. That’s why this book encourages you to use it whenever you need
to experiment with Python code. In fact, one of the exercises at the end of this
chapter walks you through your first use of this shell.
Incidentally, when you see a notation like FileClose, it means to pull down
the File menu and select the Close command. Similarly, RunPython Shell
means to pull down the Run menu and select the Python Shell command. You’ll
see this notation throughout the book.
 Chapter 1 An introduction to Python programming 15

IDLE’s interactive shell

How to open, close, and restart the interactive shell

•• To start IDLE, use the features of your operating system. This opens an interactive
shell.
•• To close the interactive shell, click on its close button or select FileClose.
•• To restart an interactive shell, select RunPython Shell from another IDLE
window.

How to use the interactive shell

•• Enter Python code after the >>> prompt. Then, press Enter.
•• If you enter valid code that produces a result, the shell displays the results.
•• If you enter invalid code, the shell displays an error message.

Description
•• The interactive shell makes it easy to experiment with Python code and view the
results right away. This is another feature that makes Python a good first language
for beginning programmers.

Figure 1-6 How to use the interactive shell

16 Section 1 Essential concepts and skills

How to work with source files

Figure 1-7 shows IDLE’s editor window. In general, this editor works like
a simple word processor. So, to edit the source code for a program, you can use
many of the same techniques that you use with your word processor.
On a Windows system, for example, you can use Ctrl+X or Ctrl+C to cut or
copy the selected characters, Ctrl+V to paste the characters in a new location,
and Ctrl+Z to undo the last change that you made. You can also use Ctrl+Del or
Ctrl+Backspace to delete an entire word at a time. And you can right-click on
a selection to get a context menu with commands that are appropriate for the
selected text.
You can also use the drop-down menus to find the commands that you may
want to use. For instance, you can use the commands in the File menu to create,
open, save, and close source files. You can use the Window menu to switch
between open files. And you can use the Edit and Format menus to edit and
format a selection.
If you want to make a copy of a source file that you’re working on, you can
use the Save As command. This command is useful when you want to experiment
with a variation of the same program. It’s also useful if you want to start a new
program from an existing program. Then, you can delete the parts of the program
that you don’t want, keep the parts that you do want, and get your program off to
a fast start.
 Chapter 1 An introduction to Python programming 17

IDLE’s editor with a source file displayed

How to create, open, save, and close source files

•• Use the File menu and common techniques for your operating system.

How to switch between a source file window and its shell window
•• Use the Window menu. Or, arrange the windows on your screen so both are visible,
and then click on the window you want to use.

How to enter and edit Python code

•• Use the Edit and Format menus, common editing keystrokes, and context menus.

Description
•• Like other programs that you’ve used, IDLE provides menus for working with files,
editing and formatting selected text, and switching from one window to another.

Figure 1-7 How to work with Python source files

18 Section 1 Essential concepts and skills

How to compile and run a program

To compile and run a Python program when you’re using IDLE, you can just
press the F5 key. Then, Python compiles the source code into bytecode and runs
it. It’s that simple. This is summarized in figure 1-8, and you can compare that to
the procedure in figure 1-4, which is done automatically by IDLE.
Note that on some laptop keyboards, you need to hold down the Fn key to
access function keys like the F5 key. If that’s not what you want, you can change
the system preferences for your keyboard so it isn’t necessary to use the Fn key.
If you’re compiling and running a program that works with the console,
IDLE uses the interactive shell as the console. This makes it easy to test the
program and to switch between the shell and the editor as you do that.
This assumes that the source code doesn’t have any errors. However, it’s
common for source code to have errors. In that case, you need to fix the errors
before Python can compile and can run the program. The next figure shows how
to do that.
Incidentally, if you’re developing a professional program that uses the
console, you have to do the final testing by using the real console of a system.
However, you don’t need to do that when you’re learning Python with IDLE.
Instead, you can use the IDLE shell as the console for all of your programs.
 Chapter 1 An introduction to Python programming 19

A console application that’s being run in the shell

How to compile and run a Python program

•• From the editor window, press the F5 key or select RunRun Module.
•• If IDLE displays a dialog box that indicates that you must save the program first,
press the Enter key or click OK to save it. Then, if the program doesn’t have any
errors, IDLE runs the program in the interactive shell.

Description
•• When you run a program, Python attempts to compile it, as shown in figure 1-4. If
it doesn’t detect any errors, it executes the code for the program.
•• However, if Python detects any errors, it usually alerts you as shown in the next
figure, and it doesn’t execute the code.
•• When you use IDLE to run a console application, it uses the shell as the console.
•• On most platforms, IDLE’s shell automatically becomes active when you run a
console application. If it doesn’t, you have to switch to the shell after you run the
application.

A note about function keys (F1, F2, etc.)

•• On some laptop keyboards, you need to hold down the Fn key to access the
function keys. So, you must press Fn+F5 to access the F5 key. However, you can
change this behavior by editing the system preferences for your keyboard.
Figure 1-8 How to compile and run a Python program
20 Section 1 Essential concepts and skills

How to fix syntax and runtime errors

After you write the code for a program, you need to test the program.
When you do that, your goal is to find all of the errors (or bugs) in the program.
Whenever you find a bug, you need to debug it by fixing it. Then, you need to
test the program again, fix the next bug that’s found, and continue this process
until you finish debugging the entire program.
When you’re ready to test a program and you try to compile and run it, two
types of errors are likely to be detected. The first type is a syntax error. These are
errors that occur because the Python coding rules have been violated. As a result,
the program can’t be compiled.
The first example in figure 1-9 shows the dialog box that’s displayed when
a syntax error is detected. In addition, the point at which the error was detected
is highlighted in the source code. Keep in mind, though, that the error may not
be exactly at that point. In fact, it is likely to be in the previous statement. In this
example, the error occurs because the statement before the highlighted statement
should end with another right parenthesis.
The other type of error is a runtime error. This type occurs after all the code
has compiled cleanly and the program is being executed. Then, an error message
is displayed that helps you identify the cause of the error. This type of error is
also known as an exception.
When an exception occurs, the program ends, or “crashes,” unless the
exceptions are handled by the program. In chapter 8, you’ll learn how to handle
the exceptions that occur so your programs won’t crash. However, you can
often prevent exceptions from occurring in the first place by fixing the code that
caused the exception.
The second example in this figure shows a message that’s displayed for an
exception. Here, the last line of the message says that a NameError has occurred
because “year” is not defined. If you look at the first example, you can see
that this variable is coded as “years”, not “year”, which is why the exception
occurred. To fix it, you just add the “s” to “year”. Although this may not make
sense to you right now, it will as soon as you start developing programs of your
own.
When you fix the errors for a program, you’ll note that IDLE catches just
one error each time. As a result, you need to correct an error, try to run the
program again, fix the next error, and continue until all of the syntax errors have
been fixed. After that, you need to do the same for the runtime errors.
 Chapter 1 An introduction to Python programming 21

A dialog box for a syntax error

A message that’s displayed for a runtime error

Description
•• After you write the code for a Python program, you test the program to make sure it
works. As part of that process, you will usually find errors (bugs) so you will have
to debug the program.
•• A syntax error violates one of the rules of Python coding so the source code can’t
be compiled. By contrast, a runtime error occurs when a Python statement can’t be
executed as the program is running.
•• When you try to run a program, IDLE detects one syntax error at a time. For each
error, a dialog box is displayed and the point at which the error was detected is
highlighted. Then, you close the dialog box, fix the error, and try again.
•• When all of the errors have been fixed, the program will run. But here again, only
one runtime error is detected at a time. So you have to fix the error, run the program
again, and keep going until all of runtime errors have been debugged.
•• A runtime error is also known as an exception, and how to handle exceptions is one
of the critical skills that you’ll learn in chapter 8 of this book.

Figure 1-9 How to fix syntax and runtime errors

22 Section 1 Essential concepts and skills

Perspective
Now that you’ve finished this chapter, you should understand the concepts
and terms that have been presented. You should also be familiar with the way
IDLE works. At this point, you’re ready to start learning how to program. And
that’s what you’re going to do in the next chapter.

Terms
Python CPU (Central Processing Unit)
open source main memory
backward compatible RAM (Random Access Memory)
forward compatible disk storage
application persistent data storage
app systems software
program operating system
console application application software
console byte
command prompt bit
GUI application megabyte (MB)
web application gigabyte (GB)
desktop application integrated development
scripting language environment (IDE)
shebang line IDLE
source code interactive shell
compile testing
interpreter debugging
bytecode syntax error
virtual machine runtime error
platform-independent exception
module exception handling
 Chapter 1 An introduction to Python programming 23

Summary
•• Python is a powerful programming language with a simple syntax that’s
easy to read and understand. That’s why it’s such a good first language for
beginners.
•• Python can be used to develop desktop applications such as console
applications and GUI applications. Python can also be used to develop web
applications. And Python can be used as a scripting language for purposes
such as system administration.
•• Before the source code for a Python program can be run, it is compiled by
the Python interpreter into bytecode that can be run by the Python virtual
machine for a computer. The bytecode and virtual machine are what makes
Python platform-independent.
•• When a program is being run, the operating system, the program, and the
program’s data are all stored in the main memory of the computer.
•• Disk storage provides persistent data storage for the data that’s operated
upon by a program. Disk storage also stores all of the systems software and
applications software of the system.
•• An integrated development environment (IDE) like IDLE makes it easier to
develop Python programs.
•• You can use IDLE’s interactive shell to enter and test Python code such as
expressions, functions, and statements. You use its editor to enter and edit
Python source code.
•• To run a program with IDLE, you can press the F5 key. If the program uses
the console, the IDLE shell is used as the console.
•• The goal of testing is to find all of the errors in a program. The goal of
debugging is to fix all the errors.
•• If a program has syntax errors, you need to correct them before the program
can be compiled. If a program has runtime errors, you need to debug each
one until the program runs correctly.
•• A runtime error is also known as an exception. To make sure that a program
doesn’t crash, you must learn how to handle the exceptions that occur.
24 Section 1 Essential concepts and skills

Before you do the exercises for this chapter

Before you do any of the exercises in this book, you need to install Python. In
addition, you need to install the source code for this book from our website
(www.murach.com). For details, see the appendix for your operating system.

Exercise 1-1 Experiment with IDLE’s interactive

shell
This exercise guides you through experimenting with Python’s interactive shell.
1. Start IDLE. That should display a window for the interactive shell.
2. Enter the following print() functions and arithmetic expressions into the
interactive console:
>>> print("The meaning of life")
The meaning of life
>>> print()

>>> 30 + 12
42
>>> 30-12
18
>>> 3 * 4
12
>>> 12/3
4.0
>>> 1 / 3
0.3333333333333333
>>> 3 * 4 + 30
42
>>> 3 * (4 + 30)
102

Note that (1) the print() function prints a blank line if you don’t code anything
between the parentheses, (2) the * is used for multiplication in an arithmetic
expression, (3) the spaces before and after arithmetic operators aren’t required,
and (4) parentheses are used just as they are in algebraic expressions. If you
make entry errors, the shell should display appropriate error messages.
3. Try entering these statements to see how they work:
var1 = 30
var2 = 25
var1 + 10
var1
var1 + var2
var_2
The last one is deliberately incorrect, so it should display an error message.
4. Continue experimenting if you like. However, this should make more sense
after you read the next chapter and learn how to start writing Python code.
 Chapter 1 An introduction to Python programming 25

Exercise 1-2 Use IDLE to run programs

This exercise guides you through the process of using IDLE to compile and run
three programs.

Run the console version of the Future Value program

1. Start IDLE and open the future_value.py file that should be in this folder:
murach/python/book_apps/ch01
2. Press F5 to compile and run the program. Then, enter values for monthly
investment, yearly interest rate, and years when you’re prompted for them.
This should display the future value that’s calculated from your entries.
3. When you’re asked if you want to continue, enter “y” if you want to do
another calculation or “n” to exit the program. Then, close the IDLE window
for the source code.
Run the GUI version of the Future Value program
4. Open the future_value_gui.py file that should be in the same folder as the
future_value.py file.
5. Select RunRun Module to compile and run the program. Then, enter values
for the first three text boxes, and click the Calculate button to view the future
value that’s calculated from your entries.
6. If you want to do another calculation, enter new values and click the Calculate
button. When you’re through, click the Exit button to exit the program. Then,
close the IDLE window for the source code.
Run the Guess the Number program of chapter 4
7. Open the guess_the_number.py file that’s in this folder:
murach/python/book_apps/ch04
8. Compile and run the program. Then, guess the number. This demonstrates the
type of program that you’ll be able to write by the time you complete chapter 4.
9. Close the window for the source code.
26 Section 1 Essential concepts and skills

Exercise 1-3 Use IDLE to test

and debug a program
This exercise guides you through the process of using IDLE to test and debug
a program that has one syntax error and one runtime error. This walks you
through the procedure that’s shown in figure 1-9.
1. Start IDLE and open the future_value_errors.py file that should be in this
folder:
python/exercises/ch01
2. Press F5 to compile and run the program. This should display a dialog box
for a syntax error, and it should highlight the variable named “years” in the
statement that gets the number of years.
3. Fix this syntax error by adding a right parenthesis at the end of the statement
in the preceding line.
4. Press F5 again, and press Enter to save the updated file when the dialog box
is displayed. This time, the program should compile cleanly and run in the
interactive shell.
5. Enter the values for monthly investment, yearly interest rate, and years. This
should cause a NameError exception that says “year” is not defined in this
statement:
months = year * 12
6. Fix this runtime error by changing “year” to “years”.
7. Compile and run this program again. This time, the program should be able to
calculate and display a future value for the three values that you enter.
8. To exit this program, enter “n” at the last prompt. Otherwise, the program will
continue running.
How to become a Python programmer
The easiest way is to let Murach’s Python Programming
(2nd Edition) be your guide! So if you’ve enjoyed this
chapter, I hope you’ll get your own copy of the book today.
You can use it to:
• Teach yourself the foundational skills that you’ll use to
code any Python program, in any field you choose to go
on to (web development, game development, data
analysis, scientific computing...there are many areas where
Python programmers are in demand today) Mike Murach, Publisher

• Plan the functions of your programs using hierarchy charts

and test and debug them using the best Python techniques

• Use object-oriented programming techniques the way the pros do

• Pick up a new skill whenever you want or need to by focusing on material that’s
new to you
• Look up coding details or refresh your memory on forgotten details when you’re in
the middle of developing a Python program
• Loan to your colleagues who will be asking you more and more questions about
Python
To get your copy, you can order online at www.murach.com or call us at
1-800-221-5528. And remember, when you order directly from us, this book comes
with my personal guarantee:

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