Class :XI

L-3 Brief overview of Python

An ordered set of instructions or commands to be executed by a computer is
called a program. The language used to specify those set of instructions to the
computer is called a programming language for example Python, C, C++, Java,
etc.
This chapter gives a brief overview of Python programming language. Python is
a very popular and easy to learn programming language, created by Guido van
Rossum in 1991. It is used in a variety of fields, including software
development, web development, scientific computing, big data and Artificial
Intelligence.
The programs given in this book are written using Python 3.7.0.
Execution Modes : There are two ways to run a program using the Python
interpreter: a) Interactive mode b) Script mode
(A) Interactive Mode- In the interactive mode, we can type a Python statement
on the >>> prompt directly. As soon as we press enter, the interpreter executes
the statement and displays the result(s). Working in the interactive mode is
convenient for testing a single line code for instant execution. But in the
interactive mode, we cannot save the statements.
(B) Script Mode- In the script mode, we can write a Python program in a file,
save it and then use the interpreter to execute the program from the file. Such
program files have a .py extension and they are also known as scripts. Usually,
beginners learn Python in interactive mode, but for programs having more than
a few lines, we should always save the code in files for future use. Python
scripts can be created using any editor. Python has a built-in editor called IDLE
which can be used to create programs. After opening the IDLE, we can click
File>New File to create a new file, then write our program on that file and save
it with a desired name. By default, the Python scripts are saved in the Python
installation folder.
IDLE : Integrated Development and Learning Environment
To execute a Python program in script mode,
a) Open the program using an editor
b) In IDLE, go to [Run]->[Run Module] to execute the program
c) The output appears on shell
Python Keywords - Keywords are reserved words. Each keyword has a
specific meaning to the Python interpreter. As Python is case sensitive,
keywords must be written exactly as given in Table Python keywords
False class finally is return None
continue for lambda try True def
from nonlocal while and del global
not with as elif if or
yield assert else import pass break
except in raise
Identifiers- In programming languages, identifiers are names used to identify a
variable, function, or other entities in a program. The rules for naming an
identifier in Python are as follows:
• The name should begin with an uppercase or a lowercase alphabet or an
underscore sign (_). This may be followed by any combination of characters a-
z, A-Z, 0-9 or underscore (_). Thus, an identifier cannot start with a digit.
• It can be of any length. (However, it is preferred to keep it short and
meaningful).
• It should not be a keyword or reserved word.
• We cannot use special symbols like !, @, #, $, %, etc. in identifiers.
Variables - Variable is an identifier whose value can change. For example
variable age can have different value for different person. Variable name should
be unique in a program. Value of a variable can be string
In Python, we can use an assignment statement to create new variables and
assign specific values to them. gender = 'M' message = "Keep Smiling"
price = 987.9
Variables must always be assigned values before they are used in the program,
otherwise it will lead to an error. Wherever a variable name occurs in the
program, the interpreter replaces it with the value of that particular variable.
Literals : Literals are the pool of data items that have fixed values. Python
allows several kinds of literals: (a) string literals (b) Numerical literals (c)
Boolean Literals (d) Special Literal None
Operators - Operators are special symbols which trigger some computation
and action when applied to variables or identifiers. Variables or identifies to
which computation is applied are called operands.
Punctuators - Punctuators are the symbols that are used in programming
languages to organize the sentence structures, and indicate the rhythm and
emphasis of program structure. Most common punctuators are ‘ “ \ ( )
{ } [ ] @ . =