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Python Notes

Python notes for software development

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119 views

Python Notes

Python notes for software development

Uploaded by

aknumsn7724
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Python Introduction

What is Python?
Python is a popular programming language. It was created by Guido van
Rossum, and released in 1991.

It is used for:

 web development (server-side),


 software development,
 mathematics,
 system scripting.

What can Python do?


 Python can be used on a server to create web applications.
 Python can be used alongside software to create workflows.
 Python can connect to database systems. It can also read and modify
files.
 Python can be used to handle big data and perform complex
mathematics.
 Python can be used for rapid prototyping, or for production-ready
software development.

Why Python?
 Python works on different platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux, Raspberry
Pi, etc).
 Python has a simple syntax similar to the English language.
 Python has syntax that allows developers to write programs with fewer
lines than some other programming languages.
 Python runs on an interpreter system, meaning that code can be
executed as soon as it is written. This means that prototyping can be
very quick.
 Python can be treated in a procedural way, an object-oriented way or a
functional way.

Good to know
 The most recent major version of Python is Python 3, which we shall be
using in this tutorial. However, Python 2, although not being updated
with anything other than security updates, is still quite popular.
 In this tutorial Python will be written in a text editor. It is possible to
write Python in an Integrated Development Environment, such as
Thonny, Pycharm, Netbeans or Eclipse which are particularly useful
when managing larger collections of Python files.

Python Syntax compared to other


programming languages
 Python was designed for readability, and has some similarities to the
English language with influence from mathematics.
 Python uses new lines to complete a command, as opposed to other
programming languages which often use semicolons or parentheses.
 Python relies on indentation, using whitespace, to define scope; such
as the scope of loops, functions and classes. Other programming
languages often use curly-brackets for this purpose.

Python Install
Many PCs and Macs will have python already installed.

To check if you have python installed on a Windows PC, search in the start
bar for Python or run the following on the Command Line (cmd.exe):

C:\Users\Your Name>python --version

To check if you have python installed on a Linux or Mac, then on linux open
the command line or on Mac open the Terminal and type:

python --version

If you find that you do not have Python installed on your computer, then you
can download it for free from the following website: https://www.python.org/

Python Quickstart
Python is an interpreted programming language, this means that as a
developer you write Python (.py) files in a text editor and then put those files
into the python interpreter to be executed.

The way to run a python file is like this on the command line:

C:\Users\Your Name>python helloworld.py

Where "helloworld.py" is the name of your python file.


Let's write our first Python file, called helloworld.py, which can be done in any
text editor.

Simple as that. Save your file. Open your command line, navigate to the
directory where you saved your file, and run:

C:\Users\Your Name>python helloworld.py

The output should read:

Hello, World!

Congratulations, you have written and executed your first Python program.

The Python Command Line


To test a short amount of code in python sometimes it is quickest and easiest
not to write the code in a file. This is made possible because Python can be
run as a command line itself.

Type the following on the Windows, Mac or Linux command line:

C:\Users\Your Name>python
Or, if the "python" command did not work, you can try "py":
C:\Users\Your Name>py

From there you can write any python, including our hello world example from
earlier in the tutorial:

C:\Users\Your Name>python
Python 3.6.4 (v3.6.4:d48eceb, Dec 19 2017, 06:04:45) [MSC v.1900 32 bit
(Intel)] on win32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> print("Hello, World!")

Which will write "Hello, World!" in the command line:

C:\Users\Your Name>python
Python 3.6.4 (v3.6.4:d48eceb, Dec 19 2017, 06:04:45) [MSC v.1900 32 bit
(Intel)] on win32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> print("Hello, World!")
Hello, World!
Whenever you are done in the python command line, you can simply type the
following to quit the python command line interface:

exit()

Execute Python Syntax


As we learned in the previous page, Python syntax can be executed by
writing directly in the Command Line:

>>> print("Hello, World!")


Hello, World!

On this page

Execute Python SyntaxPython IndentationPython VariablesPython CommentsExercises

Or by creating a python file on the server, using the .py file extension, and
running it in the Command Line:

C:\Users\Your Name>python myfile.py

Python Indentation
Indentation refers to the spaces at the beginning of a code line.

Where in other programming languages the indentation in code is for


readability only, the indentation in Python is very important.

Python uses indentation to indicate a block of code.

ExampleGet your own Python Server


if 5 > 2:
print("Five is greater than two!")
Try it Yourself »

Python will give you an error if you skip the indentation:


Example
Syntax Error:

if 5 > 2:
print("Five is greater than two!")
Try it Yourself »

The number of spaces is up to you as a programmer, the most common use


is four, but it has to be at least one.

Example
if 5 > 2:
print("Five is greater than two!")
if 5 > 2:
print("Five is greater than two!")
Try it Yourself »

You have to use the same number of spaces in the same block of code,
otherwise Python will give you an error:

Example
Syntax Error:

if 5 > 2:
print("Five is greater than two!")
print("Five is greater than two!")
Try it Yourself »

Python Variables
In Python, variables are created when you assign a value to it:
Example
Variables in Python:

x=5
y = "Hello, World!"
Try it Yourself »

Python has no command for declaring a variable.

You will learn more about variables in the Python Variables chapter.

Comments
Python has commenting capability for the purpose of in-code documentation.

Comments start with a #, and Python will render the rest of the line as a
comment:

Example
Comments in Python:

#This is a comment.
print("Hello, World!")
Try it Yourself »

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