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Python Tutorial
Lesson 1Installing PythonLesson 2Very Simple ProgramsLesson 3Variables, and Programs in a ScriptLesson 4Loops and ConditionalsLesson 5FunctionsLesson 6Tuples, Lists, and DictionariesLesson 7The for loopLesson 8ClassesLesson 9Importing ModulesLesson 10File I/OLesson 11Error Handling
1 - Installing Python
What is python?
If you don't understand this, don't worry. Just skip it and move on.Python is an
interpreted
 
 programming language
. For those who don't know, a programminglanguage is what you write down to tell a computer what to do. However, the computer doesn'tread the language directly - there are hundreds of programming languages, and it couldn'tunderstand them all. So, when someone writes a program, they will write it in their language of choice, and then compile it - that is, turn it in to lots of 0s and 1s, that the computer can easily andquickly understand. A windows program that you buy is already compiled for windows - if youopened the program file up, you'd just get a mass of weird characters and rectangles. Give it a go -find a small windows program, and open it up in notepad or wordpad. See what garbled mess youget.But that windows program is compiled for windows - no other machine can run that program,unless it has windows. What Python is, is a language which is never actually compiled in full -instead, an interpreter turns each line of code into 0s and 1s that your computer can understandthis. And it is done on the fly - it compiles the bits of the program you are using as you are usingthem. If you were to quit the program and come back another day, it would compile the bits youare using, as you are using them, again. Seems a waste of time? Maybe, but the fact is that whenyou come back another day, you might be using a Windows instead of a Mac. You might send the program to a friend, who uses another type of computer. Or you might post your program on theinternet, where everyone using all different types of systems might download it. That is thewonder of an interpreted programming language - it is like a language that EVERYONE canunderstand.
So why will civIV use Python?
Remember that garbled mess that you got when opening a program in notepad? Not much use toanyone, apart from the computer. And there is no reliable (or legal) way of turning that program back in to a programming language that you or I could understand.
 
The same is with Civ3 AI - it is compiled into a garbled mess. Nobody can understand it, andmost of all, nobody can change it. Only Firaxis can change the AI, and they can't share the logic behind it with anyone.With cIV, they decided to change that - they would leave the AI uncompiled in the language of Python, and have it compiled on-the-fly by an interpreter. This is so that Joe modder can look atthe AI and change it, yet when it is needed to be used, the python interpreter turns it into 0s and 1sfor your computer to understand. And it isn't permanently compiled into a garbled mess - you arestill left with python code, that you can read, understand, and MODIFY!!!!!
How to install python
1.First download Python-2.4.1.exeby following this link. If you are a dialup user, keep in mind that the file is around 10MB2.Run the file you just downloaded, and follow the prompts.OK! Hopefully now everything is good! Now, to test if that just worked, type this in your DOSwindow:Code Example 1 - Testing the installation
python -V
If you forgot a CAPITAL V, you will accidently load python in verbose mode. Give it a go, seewhat happens. Just press CTRL-D to quit, or type 'quit' for quit instructions.
conclusion
Good work! Lesson 1 over! Next lesson, we learn our way around Python Interactive Mode, andwrite simple one-line pieces of code. I'll also have a lesson plan drawn up by then, so you can seewhere you are going. If any of our more experienced members have suggestions for the lesson plan, tell me!Thanks to all,
2 - Very simple 'programs'
Introduction
OK! We have python installed, now what? Well, we program!And it is that simple (at least for now). Python makes it easy to run single lines of code - one-liner  programs. Lets give it a go.
Opening IDLE
Go to the start menu, find Python, and run the program labelled 'IDLE' (Stands for IntegratedDevelopment Environment. Now you are in the IDLE environment. This is the place you will be spending most time in. Hereyou can open a new window to write a program, or you can simply mess around with single lines
 
of code, which is what we are going to do. Type the following and press enter: (don't type >>> asit should already be there)Code Example 1 - Hello, World!
>>> print "Hello, World!"
What happened? You just created a program, that prints the words 'Hello, World'. The IDLEenvironment that you are in immediately compiles whatever you have typed in. This is useful for testing things, e.g. define a few variables, and then test to see if a certain line will work. That willcome in a later lesson, though.
Math in Python
 Now try typing the stuff in bold. You should get the output shown in blue. I've given explainationsin brackets.Code Example 2 - Maths
>>> 1 + 12>>> 20+80100>>> 18294+449566467860(These are additions)>>> 6-51(Subtraction)>>> 2*510(Multiply, rabbits!)>>> 5**225(Exponentials e.g. this one is 5 squared)>>> print "1 + 2 is an addition"1 + 2 is an addition(the print statement, which writes something onscreen)>>> print "one kilobyte is 2^10 bytes, or", 2**10, "bytes"one kilobyte is 2^10 bytes, or 1024 bytes(you can print sums and variables in a sentence.The commas seperating each section are a way ofseperating clearly different things that you are printing)>>> 21/37>>> 23/37>>> 23.0/3.07.6666...(division, 2nd time ignoring remainder/decimals,3rd time including decimals)>>> 23%32>>> 49%109(the remainder from a division)
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