BTECH.

CPS & ICT

PYTHON
PROGRAMMING
Lecture 2

Dr. Ben B. K. Ayawli

What is Python?
• Python is a popular programming
language.
• It was created by Guido van Rossum
• Released in 1991.
What can Python do?
• Python can be used on a server to create
web applications.
• Python can be used alongside software to
create workflows.
• Python can connect to database systems
• Python can be used to handle big data
and perform complex mathematics.
• Python can be used for rapid prototyping,
or for production-ready software
development.
Why Choose Python?
• Python works on different platforms
(Windows, Mac, Linux, Raspberry Pi, etc).
• Python has a simple syntax similar to the
English language.
• Python has syntax that allows developers to
write programs with fewer lines than some
other programming languages.
• Python runs on an interpreter system,
meaning that code can be executed as soon
as it is written
• Python can be treated in a procedural way,
an object-oriented way or a functional way.
Python Syntax compared to other
programming languages
• Designed for readability, with some
similarities to the English language with
influence from mathematics.
• Python uses new lines to complete a
command, as opposed to other
programming languages which often use
semicolons or parentheses.
• Python relies on indentation, using
whitespace, to define scope; such as the
scope of loops, functions and classes. Other
programming languages often use curly-
brackets for this purpose.
• print("Hello, World!")
 The Python Command Line
• To test a short amount of code in
python sometimes it is quickest and
easiest not to write the code in a file.

C:\Users\Your Name>python
Or
C:\Users\Your Name>py
Execute Python Syntax

• In the Command Line:

• print("Hello, World!") #Print function
• exit() #Exit function

• >>> print("Hello, World!")

Hello, World!
• Or
• by creating a python file on the server, using
the .py file extension, and running it in the
Command Line:
• C:\xxxxx>py myfile.py
• Where xxxx = file location
 Python Indentation
• Indentation refers to the spaces at the
beginning of a code line.
• Indentation is very important in Python
• Used to indicate a block of code.
• Example
• if 5 > 2:
print("Five is greater than two!")
 Python Indentation
(cont)
• Python will give you an error if you skip the
indentation:
• Example
• Syntax Error:
if 5 > 2:
print("Five is greater than two!")

• The number of spaces is up to you, but it has to be

at least one.
• Example
if 5 > 2:
print("Five is greater than two!")
OR
if 5 > 2:
print("Five is greater than two!")
Python Indentation (cont)
• Use the same number of spaces in the
same block of code, otherwise Python
will give you an error:
• Example
• Syntax Error:
• if 5 > 2:
print("Five is greater than two!")
print("Five is greater than
two!")
 Python Variables
• Variables are created when you assign
a value to it
• Python has no command for declaring
a variable.

• Example
•x = 5
y = "Hello, World!"
 Python Comments
• Python has commenting capability for the
purpose of in-code documentation.
• Comments start with a #
• Text after # on the line is considered as a
comment
• Example
• #This is a comment.
print("Hello, World!")
 Uses of Python Comments
• Comments can be used to explain
Python code.
• Comments can be used to make the
code more readable.
• Comments can be used to prevent
execution when testing code.
 Python Comments
• Comments can be placed at the end of a line,
and Python will ignore the rest of the line:
• Example
print("Hello, World!") #This is a comment

• A comment does not have to be text that

explains the code, it can also be used to
prevent Python from executing code:
• Example
#print("Hello, World!")
print("Cheers, Mate!")
 Multi Line Comments
• Python does not really have a syntax for
multi line comments.
• To add a multiline comment you could insert a # for
each line:
• Example
• #This is a comment
#written in
#more than just one line
print("Hello, World!")
 Multi Line Comments (cont)
• Add a multiline string (triple quotes)
in your code, and place your comment
inside it:
• Example
"""
This is a comment
written in
more than just one line
"""
print("Hello, World!")
 Python Variables
• Variables are containers for storing data
values.

Creating Variables
• Python has no command for declaring a variable.
• A variable is created the moment you first assign
a value to it.
• Example
x = 5
y = "John"
print(x)
print(y)
 Python Variables (cont)
• Variables do not need to be declared with any
particular type, and can even change type
after they have been set.

• Example
•x = 4 # x is of type int
x = “Victoria" # x is now of type str
print(x)
 Casting
• If you want to specify the data
type of a variable, this can be
done with casting.
• Example
• x = str(3) # x will be '3'
y = int(3) # y will be 3
z = float(3) # z will be 3.0
 Get the Type

You can get the data type of a

variable with the type() function.

Example
x = 5
y = “Kwesi”
print(type(x))
print(type(y))
Single or Double Quotes?
• String variables can be declared
either by using single or double
quotes:

• Example
• x = "John"
# is the same as
x = 'John'
 Variable Names

• Case-Sensitivity -- Variable names are case-

sensitive.
• Example
• The codes below will create two different
variables:
•a = 4
A = "Sally"
#A will not overwrite a
 Variable Names
• A variable can have a short name (like x and
y) or a more descriptive name.
• Rules for Python variables: A variable name
must start with a letter or the underscore
character
• A variable name cannot start with a number
• A variable name can only contain alpha-
numeric characters and underscores (A-z, 0-9,
and _ )
• Variable names are case-sensitive (age, Age
and AGE are three different variables)
 Python Variables (cont)
• Examples
• Legal variable names:
myvar = "John"
my_var = "John"
_my_var = "John"
myVar = "John"
MYVAR = "John"
myvar2 = "John"

• Example
• Illegal variable names:
2myvar = "John"
my-var = "John"
my var = "John"
Multi Words Variable Names
• Variable names with more than one
word can be difficult to read.
• Techniques to make them more
readable:
• Camel Case
• Pascal Case
• Snake Case
Camel Case
• Each word, except the first, starts
with a capital letter:

myVariableName = "John"
Pascal Case
• Each word starts with a capital letter:

MyVariableName = “kwesi”

• Snake Case
• Each word is separated by an underscore
character:

my_variable_name = “kwesi”
 Many Values to Multiple
Variables
• Python allows you to assign values to
multiple variables in one line:
• Example
x, y, z = "Orange", "Banana", "Cherry"
print(x)
print(y)
print(z)

Note: Make sure the number of variables

matches the number of values, or else you will
get an error.
 One Value to Multiple
Variables
• And you can assign the same value to
multiple variables in one line:
• Example
• x = y = z = "Orange"
print(x)
print(y)
print(z)
Unpack a Collection
• If you have a collection of values in a list,
tuple etc.
• Python allows you to extract the values into
variables. This is called unpacking.

• Example
• Unpack a list:
fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]
x, y, z = fruits
print(x)
print(y)
print(z)
Output Variables
The Python print statement is often used
to output variables.
To combine both text and a variable,
Python uses the + character:

• Example
x = "awesome"
print("Python is " + x)
 Output Variables
• You can also use the + character to add a
variable to another variable:
x = "Python is "
y = "awesome"
z = x + y
print(z)

• For numbers, the + character works as a

mathematical oprator:
• Example
x = 5
y = 10
print(x + y)
• Note: Combining a string and a number
in Python will give you an error:
• Example
•x = 5
y = "John"
print(x + y)
Global Variables
• Variables that are created outside of a
function are known as global variables.
• Global variables can be used by everyone,
both inside of functions and outside.

• Example
• Create a variable outside of a function, and
use it inside the function
x = "awesome"
def myfunc():
print("Python is " + x)
myfunc()
 Global Variables (cont)
• If you create a variable with the same name inside
a function, this variable will be local, and can only
be used inside the function. The global variable with
the same name will remain as it was, global and
with the original value.
• Example
• Create a variable inside a function, with the same
name as the global variable
x = "awesome"
def myfunc():
x = "fantastic"
print("Python is " + x)
myfunc()
print("Python is " + x)
:
The global Keyword
• Normally, when you create a variable inside a
function, that variable is local, and can only be
used inside that function.
• To create a global variable inside a function, you
can use the global keyword.

Example
• def myfunc():
global x
x = "fantastic"
myfunc()
print("Python is " + x)
 The global Keyword
• Use the global keyword if you want to change a
global variable inside a function.
• To change the value of a global variable inside a
function, refer to the variable by using
the global keyword:
• Example
x = "awesome"
def myfunc():
global x
x = "fantastic"
myfunc()
print("Python is " + x)