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Introduction To Programming With Python: Lecturer: Chittesh

Python tutorial 1

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76 views

Introduction To Programming With Python: Lecturer: Chittesh

Python tutorial 1

Uploaded by

vcnee
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 17

Introduction to Programming

with Python
Lecturer: Chittesh
Computer Programming Basics

• Computer programs are a detailed set of instructions


given to the computer
• They tell the computer:
• What actions you want the computer to perform
• The order those actions should happen in
• An effective program therefore needs:
• A thorough understanding of the problem
• A well thought-out, step-by-step solution to the problem
Algorithm

• Developing an Algorithm is really just a type of Problem


Solving
– We have to:
• READ and understand the problem
• THINK about different solutions to the problem
• DESIGN an approach that will solve the problem
IF NEEDED • IMPLEMENT that design
• TEST to see if it works
Computer Programming Basics
THINKING about the solution often means breaking down
complex tasks into smaller, easier to understand tasks
These tasks must be well-defined so that we understand what the
action is acting on
– e.g. telling a person to grab a banana will only work if the person knows
what a banana is
The tasks have to be easy to understand
– e.g. telling a person to PEEL a banana will only work if they understand
what peeling means
Sequencing Tasks
RISE AND SHINE 1 RISE AND SHINE 2
• Get out of bed • Get out of bed
• Take off pyjamas • Take off pyjamas
• Take a shower • Get dressed
• Get dressed • Take a shower
• Eat breakfast • Eat breakfast
• Drive to school • Drive to school
RESULT RESULT
• Mr. Solomon arrives in a • Mr. Solomon arrives in not
great mood ready to too great a mood since he’s
teach  soaking wet 
Flow Charts
• The algorithm can also be written as a FLOW
CHART
• The FLOW CHART is a graphic organiser (a picture
that helps organize your thoughts)
• It uses a collection of basic symbols that are used to
organize your algorithm
• These symbols are connected by arrows that show how the
algorithm “flows”
Example of basic flow chart
START

READ A VALUE

MULTIPLY THE VALUE


BY 2 AND STORE IN x

DISPLAY THE VALUE


ENTERED AND x

STOP
Basic Terminology
• code or source code: The sequence of instructions in a program.
• syntax: The set of legal structures and commands that can be used in a
particular programming language.
• output: The messages printed to the user by a program.
• console: The text box onto which output is printed.
• Some source code editors pop up the console as an external window, and
others contain their own console window.
How computer understands a program?
• Many languages require you to compile (translate) your program into a
form that the machine understands.
compile execute
source code byte code output
Hello.java Hello.class

• Python is instead directly interpreted into machine instructions.


interpret
source code output
Hello.py
Data types
• Int 227, -6
• Float 2.0, -99.723856, 18., 2.379e-4
• Long 179649978352347889234562L
• Complex 2 + 4j, -3.15 +0.7j
• String ‘abc’, “abc”, ’’’abc’’’, ‘Happy days!!!!’
• Boolean True, False
Expressions
• expression: A data value or set of operations to compute a value.
Examples: 1 + 4 * 3
42
• Arithmetic operators we will use:
• + - * / addition, subtraction/negation, multiplication, division
• % modulus, a.k.a. remainder
• ** exponentiation

• precedence: Order in which operations are computed.


• * / % ** have a higher precedence than + -
1 + 3 * 4 is 13
• Parentheses can be used to force a certain order of evaluation.
(1 + 3) * 4 is 16

11
Math commands
• Python has useful commands for performing calculations.

Command name Description Constant Description


abs(value) absolute value e 2.7182818...
ceil(value) rounds up pi 3.1415926...
cos(value) cosine, in radians
floor(value) rounds down
log(value) logarithm, base e
log10(value) logarithm, base 10
max(value1, value2) larger of two values
min(value1, value2) smaller of two values
round(value) nearest whole number
sin(value) sine, in radians
sqrt(value) square root

• To use many of these commands, you must write the following at the top of your Python program:
from math import *

12
Variables
• variable: A named piece of memory that can store a value.
• Usage:
• Compute an expression's result,
• store that result into a variable,
• and use that variable later in the program.

• assignment statement: Stores a value into a variable.


• Syntax:
name = value
• Examples: x = 5
gpa = 3.14

• A variable that has been given a value can be used in expressions.


x + 4
=9

13
Rules for naming variables
• Only alpha-numeric characters and underscores are allowed. (Cannot
use any Python operator symbols)
• The variable name must start with a letter or the underscore character.
(Cannot start with a number)
• No blank spaces are allowed within the name. (Cannot have a number
of distinct words)
• Variable names are case-sensitive. E.g., var, Var and VAR would
represent three different variable.
• There are also 29 forbidden words corresponding to core Python
commands. See TCS p43m for the list.
print
• print : Produces text output on the console.
• Syntax:
print "Message"
print Expression
• Prints the given text message or expression value on the console,
and moves the cursor down to the next line.
print Item1, Item2, ..., ItemN
• Prints several messages and/or expressions on the same line.

• Examples:
print "Hello, world!"
age = 45
print "You have", 65 - age, "years until
15
retirement"
input
• input : Reads a number from user input.
• You can assign (store) the result of input into a variable.
• Example:
age = input("How old are you? ")
print "Your age is", age
print "You have", 65 - age, "years until
retirement"
Output:
How old are you? 53
Your age is 53
You have 12 years until retirement

16
References
• Two reference documents (without copyright restriction) are provided
on my network folder- Y:\Kevin.Tiernan\DT097A-1
• TCS.pdf How to Think Like a Computer Scientist - Learning with
Python, Allen Downey et al.
• BOP.pdf A Byte of Python, Swaroop C.H.
• Another good source for revision is the web site
https://www.w3schools.com/python/default.asp.

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