Introduction To

Programming Using Python

Objectives

In this session, you will learn to:

Identify the Need for Writing Programs.

Explore Computer Hardware Architecture.
Understand Programming.
Converse with Python.
Why Should You Learn to
Write Programs?

Writing a program is a creative task.

Programs are written for different purposes, for instance
To automate Reservation System.
To automate Office Work Environment.
To automate Traffic Management System.
To automate Banking Transactions .
Computers are like “personal assistants” who take care of day
to day tasks.
A program can be defined as a set of instructions given to a
computer to achieve any objective.
Computer Program

Computers are fast and have a huge amount of memory to

store data.
Computers are helpful in automating any type of task related to
day to day activities.
Tasks can be automated by giving instructions to the
computers.
Instructions can be given to a computer by writing programs.
Repetitive tasks like counting words are very painful for
humans, where as computers can do it easily with the help of
programs.
Users Vs Programmers

Users use the tools available in a computer like word

processor, spreadsheet and map, whereas programmers learn
the computer language and develop those tools.
Programmers use software development tools available in a
computer to develop software for the computer.
A Programmer may write the program to automate the task
for himself or for any other client.
At the initial stage, there is no difference between a
programmer and an end user.
But later, after learning programming language, the
programmer can develop the software that can be utilized by
end users.
Computer Hardware
Architecture

Computer Hardware Components

Computer Hardware
Architecture (Contd.)

Defining Computer Hardware Components

Components Definition
Central Processing Unit[CPU] It helps in processing the instructions.

Main Memory It provides storage support during execution of any program in

computer .
Example: RAM
The Secondary Memory It helps to store the data permanently inside the computer.

Example: Disk drives , flash memory, DVD & CD

The Input and Output Devices Input device helps user to generate any command or input any data.
Output device helps user to get output from computer.

Example : Mouse, Keyboard, Monitor & Printer etc.

Programmer and
Computer Hardware

Programmer needs to coordinate with each of these

components to solve the problem.
The data need to be analyzed to arrive at a solution.
Program will mostly be “talking” to the CPU and instructing it
what to do next.
Skills Required for
Programming

There are two important skills required for programming.

Knowledge of the programming language

The vocabulary and the grammar of the language.
Construct well formed “sentences” in the new language.

Ability to “Tell a Story”

In writing a story, words and sentences need to be combined to
convey required logic to the computer.
There is a skill and art in constructing the story and skill in story
writing is improved by doing some writing and getting some
feedback.
Words and Sentences

Vocabulary are the reserved words that have very special

meaning to Python.
Reserved words have one and only one meaning for Python.
A variable provides a named storage that the program can
manipulate.
Variables can have any name, but Python reserved words
cannot be used.
A sentence starts with a reserved word like ‘print’ followed by
a string of text enclosed in single quotes.
Words and Sentences
(Contd.)

Reserved
words in
Python
Just a Minute

To learn a programming
language,
____________and
__________ are required.
Just a Minute

To learn a programming
language,
____________and
__________ are required.

Answer: Vocabulary and

Grammar
Conversing with Python

To converse with Python, Python software must be installed

on the computer.
The following link can be used to install Python. There are
certain steps provided to install the python on various
platforms.

http://www.pythonlearn.com/install.php

After successful installation, the terminal or command

window opens and on typing ‘Python’, the Python
interpreter will start executing in the interactive mode.
 Activity

Activity : Displaying Hello World

Problem Statement:

Write a program in Python to print ‘Hello World’ on the display screen.

Hint: Use print() to display any content on the display screen.

Conversing with Python
(Contd.)

Example of a Python Program

Machine Language

Python is a high-level language like other high-level languages

such as Java, C++, PHP, Ruby, Basic, and Perl etc.
The actual hardware inside the Central Processing Unit (CPU)
does not understand any of these high-level languages.
The CPU understands a language which we call machine
language.
Machine language is very complex and very tiresome to write
because it is represented all in zero's and ones:
01010001110100100101010000001111
11100110000011101010010101101101
...
Machine
Language(Contd.)

Machine language is tied to the computer hardware.

Machine language is not portable across different types of
hardware.
Programs written in high-level languages can be moved
between different computers by using a different interpreter.
To execute the program on a new machine with new
hardware, the code need to be recompiled to create the
machine language version of the program for the new
Machine.
Interpreter Vs Compiler

Programming language translators fall into two general

categories:
1. Interpreters 2. Compilers

Interpreter reads the source code of the program, line by line, parses
the source code, and interprets the instructions.
When Python is run interactively, Python processes every line
immediately and is ready for next line.

When Python is run interactively, Python processes every line

immediately and is ready for next line.
Interpreter Vs Compiler
(Contd.)

It is not easy to read or write machine language, so it is

nice to have interpreters and compilers that allow codes
to be written in high-level languages like Python or C
The Python interpreter is written in a high-level language
called “C”.
The actual source code for the Python interpreter can be
viewed in www.python.org.
So Python is a program itself and it is compiled into
machine code
Sample Program

In the above program

x=6 [Assignment]
y=x*7 [Arithmetic Expression ]
print(y) [Printing Statement]
What is a Program?

It is a basic sequence of Python statements that is executed

to do a particular task.
Even one line can be a program in Python
Python script will have “.py” extension. So “Hello.py” is a Python script
file
The Python language acts as an intermediator between the end user
and the programmer
Building Blocks of a Program

These are some of the conceptual patterns that are used to

construct a program
Building Blocks Descriptions
Input Input will come from the user typing data on the keyboard.
Output Display the results of the program on a screen or store them in
a file.
Sequential Execution Perform statements one after another in the order in which
they are encountered in the script.
Conditional Execution Check for certain conditions and then execute or skip a
sequence of statements.
Repeated Execution Perform some set of statements repeatedly, usually with some
variation.
Reuse Write a set of instructions once then reuse those instructions in
the program.
Just a Minute

_________is used to
execute the program
statements line by line
Just a Minute

_________is used to execute

the program statements line
by line.

Answer: Interpreter
 What Could Possibly Go
Wrong?

In Python, when programs become increasingly sophisticated, the

following types of errors can occur
1. Syntax Error 2. Logic Error 3. Semantic Error

Syntax Errors
A syntax error occurs when the “grammar” rules of Python are
violated
The following example shows a syntax error
 What Could Possibly Go
Wrong? (Contd.)
Logic Errors

A logic error is when the program has good syntax but there is
a mistake in the order of the statements.
The following are some of the instances which creates a logic
error.
Using the wrong variable name
Indenting a block to the wrong level
Using integer division instead of floating-point division
Making a mistake in a boolean expression

Semantic Errors
A semantic error is when the description of the steps to take is
syntactically perfect but the program does not do what it was
intended to do.
Just a Minute

A ________ error is when your

program has good syntax but
there is a mistake in the order of
the statements or perhaps a
mistake in how the statements
relate to one another.
Just a Minute

A ________ error is when your

program has good syntax but
there is a mistake in the order of
the statements or perhaps a
mistake in how the statements
relate to one another.

Answer: Logic Error

 Summary

In this session, you learned:

 Writing programs (or programming) is a very creative and rewarding

activity. You can write programs for many reasons, ranging from making
your living to solving a difficult data analysis problem, to having fun, to
helping someone else solve a problem.
 Computer hardware architecture involves various components to
execute and define a particular task.
 Every programming language has a vocabulary and Grammar.
 Interpreter executes code line by line, where as compiler executes the
code as a whole.
 Program is a set of instructions used to execute a particular task.
 There are three types of errors : Syntax, Semantic and Logic Errors.