Principles of Computing

Basic Elements of Python Programs

By Dr. Joydeep Chandra

Indian Institute of Technology, Patna

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 Today…

• Last Class:
• Motivation
• Introduction to Hardware Basics & Programming
Languages
• Writing Simple Python Commands

• Today’s Class:
• Basic Elements of Python Programs: Literals,
Assignments, Datatype Conversion, Identifiers, and
Expressions

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 Literals
• In the following example, the parameter values
passed to the print function are all technically
called literals
• More precisely, “Hello” and “Programming is fun!” are
called textual literals, while 3 and 2.3 are called
numeric literals

>>> print("Hello")
Hello
>>> print("Programming is fun!")
Programming is fun!
>>> print(3)
3
>>> print(2.3)
2.3

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 Simple Assignment Statements

• A literal is used to indicate a specific value, which

can be assigned to
a variable >>> x = 2
x is a variable and 2 is its value >>> print(x)
2
>>> x = 2.3
>>> print(x)
2.3

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 Simple Assignment Statements

• A literal is used to indicate a specific value, which

can be assigned to
a variable >>> x = 2
x is a variable and 2 is its value >>> print(x)
2
 x can be assigned different values;
>>> x = 2.3
hence, it is called a variable >>> print(x)
2.3

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 Simple Assignment Statements: Box View

• A simple way to view the effect of an assignment

is to assume that when a variable changes, its old
value is replaced
>>> x = 2 x = 2.3
Before After
>>> print(x)
2 x 2 x 2.3
>>> x = 2.3
>>> print(x)
2.3

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 Simple Assignment Statements: Actual View

• Python assignment statements are actually

slightly different from the “variable as a box”
model
• In Python, values may end up anywhere in memory,
and variables are used to refer to them
x = 2.3
>>> x = 2 After
Before
>>> print(x) What will
2 2 happen to
x 2 x
>>> x = 2.3 value 2?
>>> print(x)
2.3
2.3

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 Garbage Collection
• Interestingly, as a Python programmer you do not have
to worry about computer memory getting filled up with
old values when new values are assigned to variables

• Python will automatically clear old

values out of memory in a After
Memory location
process known as
garbage collection
x 2
X will be
automatically
reclaimed by the
garbage collector
2.3

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 Assigning Input

• So far, we have been using values specified by programmers and

printed or assigned to variables
• How can we let users (not programmers) input values?

• In Python, input is accomplished via an assignment statement

combined with a built-in function called input
<variable> = input(<prompt>)

• When Python encounters a call to input, it prints <prompt> (which

is a string literal) then pauses and waits for the user to type some
text and press the <Enter> key

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 Assigning Input
• Here is a sample interaction with the Python
interpreter:
>>> name = input("Enter your name:
")
Enter your name: Mohammad
Hammoud
>>> name
'Mohammad Hammoud'
>>>

• Notice that whatever the user types is then stored

as a string
• What happens if the user inputs a number?

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 Assigning Input
• Here is a sample interaction with the Python interpreter:

>>> number = input("Enter a number:

")
Enter a number: 3
>>> number
Still a string! '3'
>>>

• How can we force an input number to be stored as a

number and not as a string?
• We can use the built-in eval function, which can be “wrapped
around” the
input function

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 Assigning Input

• Here is a sample interaction with the Python

interpreter:
>>> number = eval(input("Enter a
number: "))
Enter a number: 3
>>> number
Now an int
3
(no single quotes)!
>>>

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 Assigning Input

• Here is a sample interaction with the Python

interpreter:
>>> number = eval(input("Enter a
number: "))
Enter a number: 3.7
>>> number
And now a float
3.7
(no single quotes)!
>>>

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 Assigning Input

• Here is another sample interaction with the

Python interpreter:
>>> number = eval(input("Enter an equation:
"))
Enter an equation: 3 + 2
>>> number
5
>>>

The eval function will evaluate this formula and

return a value, which is then assigned to the variable “number”

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 Datatype Conversion

• Besides, we can convert the string output of the

input function into an integer or a float using the
built-in int and float functions
>>> number = int(input("Enter a number:
"))
Enter a number: 3
An integer >>> number
(no single quotes)! 3
>>>

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 Datatype Conversion

• Besides, we can convert the string output of the

input function into an integer or a float using the
built-in int and float functions
>>> number = float(input("Enter a number:
"))
Enter a number: 3.7
A float >>> number
(no single quotes)! 3.7
>>>

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 Datatype Conversion

• As a matter of fact, we can do various kinds of

conversions between strings, integers and floats
using the built-in int, float, and str functions

>>> x = 10 >>> y = >>> z =

>>> "20" 30.0
float(x) >>> >>> int(z)
10.0 float(y) 30
>>> str(x) 20.0 >>> str(z)
'10' >>> int(y) '30.0'
>>> 20 >>>
>>>

integer  float string  float float  integer

integer  string string  integer float  string

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 Simultaneous Assignment

• Python allows us also to assign multiple values to multiple

variables all at the same time
>>> x, y = 2, 3
>>> x
2
>>> y
3
>>>

• This form of assignment might seem strange at first, but it can

prove remarkably useful (e.g., for swapping values)

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 Simultaneous Assignment

• Suppose you have two variables x and y, and you

want to swap their values (i.e., you want the value
stored in x to be in y and vice versa)

>>> x = 2
>>> y = 3
>>> x = y
X CANNOT be done with
two simple assignments

>>> y = x
>>> x
3
>>> y
3

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 Simultaneous Assignment

• Suppose you have two variables x and y, and you

want to swap their values (i.e., you want the value
stored in x to be in y and vice versa)
>>> x = 2
Thus far, we have been >>> y = 3
using >>> temp = x CAN be done with
different names for >>> x = y three simple assignments,
variables. These names
are technically called
>>> y = temp
>>> x
 but more efficiently with
simultaneous assignment
identifiers 3
>>> y
2
>>>

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 Identifiers
• Python has some rules about how identifiers
can be formed
• Every identifier must begin with a letter or
underscore, which may be followed by any sequence
of letters, digits, or underscores
>>> x1 = 10
>>> x2 = 20
>>> y_effect = 1.5
>>> celsius = 32
>>> 2celsius
File "<stdin>", line 1
2celsius
^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

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 Identifiers

• Python has some rules about how identifiers

can be formed
• Identifiers are case-sensitive

>>> x = 10
>>> X = 5.7
>>> print(x)
10
>>> print(X)
5.7

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 Identifiers
• Python has some rules about how identifiers
can be formed
• Some identifiers are part of Python itself (they are
called reserved words or keywords) and cannot be
used by programmers as ordinary identifiers
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
Python Keywords

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 Identifiers
• Python has some rules about how identifiers
can be formed
• Some identifiers are part of Python itself (they are
called reserved words or keywords) and cannot be
used by programmers as ordinary identifiers

>>> for = 4
File "<stdin>", line 1
An example… for = 4
^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

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 Expressions

• You can produce new data (numeric or text)

values in your program using expressions
>>> x = 2 + 3
 This is an expression that uses the
>>> print(x)
addition operator 5
>>> print(5 * 7)
35
>>> print("5" + "7")
57

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 Expressions

• You can produce new data (numeric or text)

values in your program using expressions

>>> x = 2 + 3
 This is an expression that uses the
>>> print(x)
addition operator 5
>>> print(5 * 7)
 This is another expression that uses the
35
multiplication operator >>> print("5" + "7")
57

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 Expressions

• You can produce new data (numeric or text)

values in your program using expressions
>>> x = 2 + 3
 This is an expression that uses the >>> print(x)
addition operator 5
>>> print(5 * 7)
 This is another expression that uses the 35
multiplication operator >>> print("5" + "7")
57
 This is yet another expression that uses the
addition operator but to concatenate (or glue)
strings together

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 Expressions

• You can produce new data (numeric or text)

values in your program using expressions
>>> x = 6 >>> print(x*y)
>>> y = 2 12
>>> print(x - y) >>> print(x**y)
Another 4 Yet another 36
example… >>> print(x/y) example… >>> print(x%y)
3.0 0
>>> print(x//y) >>> print(abs(-x))
3 6

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Expressions: Summary of Operators

Operator Operation
+ Addition
- Subtraction
* Multiplication
/ Float Division
** Exponentiation
abs() Absolute Value
// Integer Division
% Remainder

Python Built-In Numeric Operations

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 Explicit and Implicit Data Type Conversion

• Data conversion can happen in two ways in Python

1. Explicit Data Conversion (we saw this earlier with the int, float, and
str
built-in functions)

2. Implicit Data Conversion

• Takes place automatically during run time between ONLY numeric values
• E.g., Adding a float and an integer will automatically result in a float value
• E.g., Adding a string and an integer (or a float) will result in an error since string
is not numeric
• Applies type promotion to avoid loss of information
• Conversion goes from integer to float (e.g., upon adding a float and an integer)
and not vice versa so as the fractional part of the float is not lost

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 Implicit Data Type Conversion: Examples

 The result of an expression that involves >>> print(2 + 3.4)

5.4
a float number alongside (an) integer
>>> print( 2 + 3)
number(s) is a float number
5
>>> print(9/5 * 27 + 32)
80.6
>>> print(9//5 * 27 + 32)
59
>>> print(5.9 + 4.2)
10.100000000000001
>>>

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 Implicit Data Type Conversion: Examples

 The result of an expression that involves >>> print(2 + 3.4)

5.4
a float number alongside (an) integer
>>> print( 2 + 3)
number(s) is a float number
5
 The result of an expression that involves >>> print(9/5 * 27 + 32)
80.6
values of the same data type will not result
>>> print(9//5 * 27 + 32)
in any conversion
59
>>> print(5.9 + 4.2)
10.100000000000001
>>>

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Write down a python program to take input of two numbers, print the addition,
subtraction, and multiplication results.

# Input
num1 = float(input("Enter the first number: "))
num2 = float(input("Enter the second number: "))

# Addition
sum_result = num1 + num2
print("Addition result:", sum_result)

# Subtraction
sub_result = num1 - num2
print("Subtraction result:", sub_result)

# Multiplication
mul_result = num1 * num2
print("Multiplication result:", mul_result)
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Write down a python program to take input of two numbers in
two different integers, swap them and print
# Input
num1 = int(input("Enter the first integer: "))
num2 = int(input("Enter the second integer: "))

# Swapping values using a temporary variable

temp = num1
num1 = num2
num2 = temp

# Printing the swapped values

print("After swapping:")
print("First integer:", num1)
print("Second integer:", num2)

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 Modules

• One problem with entering code interactively into a Python shell

is that the definitions are lost when we quit the shell
• If we want to use these definitions again, we have to type them all over
again!

• To this end, programs are usually created by typing definitions

into a separate file called a module or script
• This file is saved on disk so that it can be used over and over again

• A Python module file is just a text file with a .py extension, which
can be created using any program for editing text (e.g., notepad
or vim)

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Programming Environments and IDLE

• A special type of software known as a programming

environment simplifies the process of creating
modules/programs

• A programming environment helps programmers write

programs and includes features such as automatic indenting,
color highlighting, and interactive development

• The standard Python distribution includes a programming

environment called IDLE that you can use for working on the
programs of this course

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 Summary

• Programs are composed of statements that are built from

identifiers and expressions

• Identifiers are names

• They begin with an underscore or letter which can be followed by a
combination of letter, digit, and/or underscore characters
• They are case sensitive

• Expressions are the fragments of a program that produce data

• They can be composed of literals, variables, and operators

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 Summary

• A literal is a representation of a specific value (e.g., 3 is a

literal representing the number three)

• A variable is an identifier that stores a value, which can

change (hence, the name variable)

• Operators are used to form and combine expressions into

more complex expressions (e.g., the expression x + 3 * y
combines two expressions together using the + and *
operators)

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 Summary

• In Python, assignment of a value to a variable is done using the

equal sign (i.e., =)

• Using assignments, programs can get inputs from users and

manipulate them internally

• Python allows simultaneous assignments, which are useful for

swapping values of variables

• Datatype conversion involves converting implicitly and explicitly

between various datatypes, including integer, float, and string

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 Next Lecture…

• Functions- Part I

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