Python 101:

Python for Absolute Beginners

PyTexas 2014
What is programming?
A computer is a machine that stores
pieces of information.

A computer also moves, arranges, and

controls that information (or data).

A program is a detailed set of

instructions that tells a computer
what to do with that data.
CodeSkulptor!
CodeSkulptor
 Developed by Scott Rixner of Rice
University to use for COMP 200.
 Based on CodeMirror and Skulpt.
 www.codeskulptor.org
 If you want to learn more about
using Python with CodeSkulptor
after this class, check out the
Coursera course “An Introduction
to Interactive Programming in
Python”! (9/15 – 11/16)
 https://www.coursera.org/course/
interactivepython
Interacting with CodeSkulptor

 Run
 Save
 Fresh URL
 Open Local
 Reset
Additional Resources
 Docs (documentation)
 Demos
 Viz Mode
Let’s see what this thing can do…
Recap:

 Explore! Makes changes, see how they

impact the program as a whole.
 When in doubt, check the
documentation.
 When super in doubt, Google it.
Math
Math

Try typing this into CodeSkuptor:

>>> print 3 + 12
>>> print 12 - 3
>>> print 9 + 5 – 15 + 12

Operators:
add: +
subtract: -

Note: don’t type the arrows >>> !

Math
Rule: If you want Python to answer in floats, you have to talk to it in floats.

More operators:
divide: /
multiply: *

>>> print 3 * 12
>>> print 12 / 3
>>> print 11 // 3
>>> print 12.0 / 3.0
>>> print 11.0 / 3.0
>>> print 11.0 // 3.0
Math

Comparison operators:

== Equal to
!= Not equal to
< Less than
> Greater than
<= Less than or equal to
>= Greater than or equal to
Math

Practice:

>>> print 2 < 3 True

>>> print 2 <= 2 False
>>> print 3 > 2 True
>>> print 2 != 3 True
>>> print False < True True
Strings
Strings

Examples: >>> “It’s a beautiful day!”

>>> “Goodbye, cruel world.”

Try typing one without quotes: >>> Aggies

What’s the result?
>>> “Aggies”
>>> “Rice fight, never die!”
>>> “3 + 2”
Strings

String operators:
concatenation: +
multiplication: *

>>> print “Hello” + “ “ + “world!”

Try concatenating:
>>> print “HAHA” * 250
Try multiplying:
Variables
Variables

Calculate a value: >>> print 21 + 21

42

How can you save

that value?

Give the value a name: >>> ultimate_answer = 42

>>> ultimate_answer
42
Variables
Create a variable >>> headmaster = “Dumbledore”

and give it a value: >>> print headmaster

‘Dumbledore’

>>> headmaster = “Hardcastle”

Now assign a
>>> print headmaster
new value: ‘Hardcastle’

>>> color = “Brad Neely”

>>> color = 12
Variables
 You can calculate a variable once, but keep the result to use later.
 You can keep the same name for a variable, but change the value.

Some other things that we can do with variables:

Get an index from a string: >>> headmaster = “Dumbledore”

>>> print headmaster[2]

Do some math: >>> number = 3

>>> print headmaster[number - 2]
Types of data
Data Types
We already know about three types of data:
“Whoop!” string
42 integer
3.14159 float

Python can tell us about types using the type() function:

>>> print type(“Whoop!”)
<type ‘str’>

How would we get Python to output int and float types?

Data Type: Lists
Lists
List: a sequence of objects
>>> Beatles = [“John”, “Paul”, “George”, “Ringo”]
>>> grades = [82, 93, 67, 99, 100]

Guess what this will output:

>>> type(Beatles)

>>> type(grades)
Lists
List: a sequence of objects
>>> Beatles = [“John”, “Paul”, “George”, “Ringo”]
>>> grades = [82, 93, 67, 99, 100]

Guess what this will output:

>>> type(Beatles)
<type ‘list’>

>>> type(grades)
<type ‘list’>
Lists
Index: Where an item is in the list
>>> Beatles = [“John”, “Paul”, “George”, “Ringo”]
>>> Beatles[0]
‘John‘

[“John”, “Paul”, “George”, “Ringo”]

0 1 2 3

Python always starts at zero!

Data Type: Booleans
Booleans
A boolean value can be: True or False.

Is 1 equal to 1? >>> print 1 == 1

True

>>> print 15 < 5

Is 15 less than 5?
False
Booleans
What happens when we type
Boolean values in the >>> True
interpreter? >>> False

When the words ‘True’ and >>> true

‘False’ begin with upper case >>> false
letters, Python knows to >>> type(True)
treat them like Booleans >>> type(“True”)
instead of strings or integers.
Booleans
and
If both comparisons are True: >>> 1==1 and 2==2
True
If only one of the
comparisons is True: >>> 1==1 and 2==3
False
If both of the
comparisons are False: >>> 1==2 and 2==3
False
Booleans
or
If both comparisons are True: >>> 1==1 or 2==2
True
If only one of the
comparisons is True: >>> 1==1 or 2!=2
True
If both of the
comparisons are False: >>> 1==2 or 2==3
False
Booleans
not
You can use the word not to >>> 1==1
reverse the answer that True
Python gives:
>>> not 1==1
False

Any expression that is True

can become False: >>> not True
False
Booleans
You can also use Booleans in their own expressions:

>>> True and True

>>> True and False
>>> False and False

>>> True or True

>>> False or True
>>> False or False

>>> not True and True

>>> not True or True
Logic
if Statements
if Statements

Making decisions: “If you’re hungry, let’s eat lunch.”

“If you like Frisbee, let’s play!”

>>> state = “Texas”

If a condition is met, >>> if state == “Texas”:
perform an action: print “TX”

TX
if Statements

Adding a choice: “If you’re hungry, let’s eat lunch. Or else we

can eat in an hour.”
“If you like Frisbee, let’s play! Or else we can
play rugby.”

Adding a choice in our code

with the else clause: >>> if state == “Texas”
print “TX”
else:
print “[inferior state]”
if Statements

Adding many choices: “If you like Frisbee, let’s play! Or else we
can play rugby. Or else we can play
Bioshock, or Half-Life, or Portal…”

>>> if name == “Paige”

print “Hi Paige!”
Adding more choices in our code
with the elif clause: elif name == “Walker”:
print “Hi Walker!”
else:
print “Imposter!”
Loops
Loops
Loops are chunks of code that repeat a task over and over again.

 Counting loops repeat a certain number of times.

 Conditional loops keep going until a certain thing happens
(or as long as some condition is True).
Loops
Counting loops repeat a certain number of times – they keep going until they get
to the end of a count.

>>> for mynum in [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]:

print "Hello", mynum
Hello 1
Hello 2
Hello 3
Hello 4
Hello 5

The for keyword is used to create this kind of loop, so it is usually just called a
for loop.
Loops
Conditional loops repeat until something happens
(or as long as some condition is True).

>>> count = 0
>>> while (count < 4):
print 'The count is:', count
count = count + 1
The count is: 0
The count is: 1
The count is: 2
The count is: 3

The while keyword is used to create this kind of loop, so it is usually just called a
while loop.
Algorithms
Algorithms

 Really just means “set of instructions”

Secret: computers
aren’t very smart.
How would I make a pot of coffee?
1. Get a flavor of ground coffee.
2. Get a coffee maker.
3. Get filter paper.
4. Get a pot of water.
5. Make sure the coffee maker is plugged in…

…and on, and on, and on.

But to us, it’s just “make a pot of coffee”.

Functions
Remember how Algorithms are just instructions?
 Functions are just a concise way to group instructions into a bundle.

What it's like in our minds:

“Make a pot of coffee.”  bundle
In Python, you could say it like this:
make_coffee(coffee_grounds, coffee_pot, water, filter_paper)
^ ^-----------------^---------------^-----------------^
function name function parameters
Functions
Let’s define a function in CodeSkulptor:

>>> def beverage():

print ‘Have you had a cup of coffee today?’

Now we’ll call the function:

>>> beverage()
Have you had a cup of coffee today?
Functions
But what if not everyone wants a cup of coffee?

Let’s define a function with parameters:

>>> def beverage(drink):

print “Have you had a cup of ” + drink + “ today?’

Now we’ll call the function:

>>> beverage(“Monster Zero”)

Have you had a cup of Monster Zero today?
Functions
 Functions are defined using def.
 Functions are called using parentheses ().
 Functions take parameters and return outputs.
 print displays information, but does not give a value.
 return gives a value to the caller.
Thanks so much!
Any questions?