Python Programming Basics

Python Concepts

• Python's origin is as a high-level, general-purpose programming language, known for its readability and versatility.

• Python's syntax differs from other languages like C++ or Java, emphasizing code clarity and brevity.

Comparison with Other Languages

• Python's syntax is often cited as more concise and easier to read than other languages, which promotes faster development.

Comments

• Comments are crucial for code maintainability. They explain code sections, making them understandable to yourself and others. Python single-line comments use the # symbol.

Variables and Assignment

• Variables store data. = assigns values to variables.

• Variable names must follow specific rules (e.g., start with a letter or underscore, can contain letters, numbers, and underscores)

Identifiers

• Identifiers give names to variables, functions, and other entities, following specific naming conventions to promote clarity and consistency.

Basic Style Guidelines

• Python follows specific formatting guidelines, including indentation, spacing, and naming conventions. Consistent style makes code professional.

Standard Types

• Built-in data structures like numbers (integers, floating-point), strings, and lists are fundamental to Python programming.

Internal Types

• Python uses internal data structures to manage its types and objects efficiently.

Operators

• Python operators, such as arithmetic (+, -, *, /), comparison (>, <, ==), and logical (and, or, not), are used in expressions.

Built-in Functions

• Python includes built-in functions like print(), len(), and input() that perform common operations.

Numbers and Strings

• Python supports various types of numbers (integers, floating-point, complex) and strings for textual data.

Sequences

• Strings and other data structures are ordered sequences, allowing access to individual elements based on their position.

String Operators & Functions

• Python has specific operators and functions for working with strings, including concatenation, slicing, and methods like upper(), lower(), and counting the character occurrences.

Special Features of Strings

• Python strings have unique features like immutability and the capability to be indexed, sliced, and searched for substrings.

Memory Management

• Python handles memory allocation and deallocation automatically through garbage collection, simplifying programmer tasks.

Python Programs and Examples

• Working examples of Python code, demonstrating how to use variables, operators, and data structures are critical learning tools.

Conditionals and Loops

• Python uses conditional statements (if-elif-else) and loops (for, while) to control program flow based on conditions or repetition.

if Statement

• The if statement executes a block of code only if a certain condition is true.

else Statement

• The else statement provides an alternative block of code when the if condition is false.

elif Statement

• The elif (else if) statement allows for testing multiple conditions in sequence if the initial if conditions are false.

while Statement

• The while statement executes a block of code repeatedly as long as a condition is true.

for Statement

• The for statement is used to iterate over a sequence of items.

break Statement

• The break statement exits a loop prematurely.

continue Statement

• The continue statement skips the rest of the current iteration of a loop and proceeds to the next iteration.

pass Statement

• The pass statement is a null operation; it does nothing. useful as a placeholder when a statement is syntactically required but no action is needed.

else Statement (with Loops)

• The else clause associated with while and for loops executes if the loop finishes normally (without a break).