Getting started with python

Hey everyone, welcome to the new blog series. Starting today, we will be learning Python. I'll be covering all the major Python topics to get you started. Try to read each one of them and practice on the go. This is the first article of the series, and in this, I'll be sharing some basic things about Python. Without reading this, you can go further, but I felt it is necessary to tell these things because I'm assuming that anyone reading this is a complete beginner, so it could help them.

In each one of these articles, I'll be adding some questions for you to practice.

Now, without further ado, let's start.

What is Python?

Python is a high-level, object-oriented, interpreted dynamic and multipurpose programming language.

• Versions:

1. Python 2.x (October 16, 2000)

2. Python 3.x (December 3, 2000)

• Editor/Interpreter:

1. Online (Google Colab, Replit, etc.)

2. Offline (IDLE, Jupyter, Spyder, PyCharm, etc.)

Installation:

• Windows: Download and run the installer from python.org/downloads. Choose the version and installer that match your system. Alternatively, you can install Python from the Microsoft Store or the Windows Subsystem for Linux.

• Linux: Use the package manager and command that correspond to your Linux distribution. For example, on Ubuntu and Linux Mint, you can use sudo apt install python3. On Fedora, you can use sudo dnf install python3. On Arch Linux, you can use sudo pacman -S python.

• Mac: Install Homebrew from brew.sh and then use brew install python3 to install Python. Alternatively, you can download and run the installer from python.org/downloads or use other methods.

Working of Python

In the Python programming process, when we have a source code file, such as p1.py, it undergoes a two-step execution process. First, the source code is translated into a lower-level, platform-independent representation known as bytecode by the Python Virtual Machine (PVM). This bytecode is a set of instructions that the PVM can understand.

After the bytecode is generated, it is then executed by the computer's hardware, producing the final output. This separation of compilation into bytecode and subsequent execution is a key feature of Python's interpreted nature.

A[Source Code (p1.py)] -->|1. Compilation| B[Bytecode] B -->|2. Execution| C[Output]

To execute Python programs, you can use:

• Command/interactive mode: Run Python commands or code one by one in the Python interpreter. Type python in your command line or terminal to enter this mode.

• Script mode: Write Python code in a text file with the .py extension and run the whole file as a program. Type python filename.py in your command line or terminal to run a Python script.

Keywords in Python

As of now, there are a total of 35 keywords in Python:

Keyword	Description
and	Logical AND
as	Alias for module or variable name
assert	Asserts a condition
break	Breaks out of a loop
class	Declares a class
continue	Skips the rest of a loop
def	Defines a function
del	Deletes an object
elif	Else if condition
else	Else condition
except	Catches exceptions
False	Boolean false value
finally	Executes code regardless of try-except result
for	Iterates over a sequence
from	Import specific attributes or functions from a module
global	Declares a global variable
if	Conditional statement
import	Import a module
in	Membership test
is	Object identity test
lambda	Creates an anonymous function
None	Represents absence of a value
nonlocal	Declares a nonlocal variable
not	Logical NOT
or	Logical OR
pass	Placeholder, does nothing
raise	Raises an exception
return	Returns a value from a function
True	Boolean true value
try	Handles exceptions
while	Loops while a condition is true
with	Simplifies resource management using the 'with' statement
yield	Pauses a generator function and yields a value

Data Types

Data Type	Description	Example
int	Integer	x = 10
float	Floating-point number	y = 3.14
str	String (text)	name = 'John'
bool	Boolean (True or False)	is_true = True
list	List (ordered, mutable sequence)	numbers = [1, 2, 3]
tuple	Tuple (ordered, immutable sequence)	point = (x, y)
set	Set (unordered collection)	colors = {'red', 'green', 'blue'}
dict	Dictionary (key-value pairs)	person = {'name': 'John', 'age': 30}

In Python, every value is an object with a type and data. A variable name is a placeholder that points to an object. You can assign any object to any variable name, and the same object to multiple variable names. Changing a variable name does not change the object it points to.

For eg:

# Assign an integer object with the value 10 to the variable name x
x = 10

# Print the type and value of x
print(type(x)) # <class 'int'>
print(x) # 10

# Assign a string object with the value "Hello" to the variable name y
y = "Hello"

# Print the type and value of y
print(type(y)) # <class 'str'>
print(y) # Hello

# Assign the same object that x points to to the variable name z
z = x

# Print the type and value of z
print(type(z)) # <class 'int'>
print(z) # 10

# Change the value of x to 20
x = 20

# Print the value of x and z
print(x) # 20
print(z) # 10

Operators in Python

Operator	Description	Precedence Level	Type
**	Exponentiation	Highest	Arithmetic
+x, -x, ~x	Urinary positive, negation, bitwise NOT		Arithmetic, Bitwise
*, /, //, %	Multiplication, division		Arithmetic
+, -	Addition, subtraction		Arithmetic
<<, >>	Bitwise shift operators		Bitwise
&	Bitwise AND		Bitwise
^	Bitwise XOR		Bitwise
`	`	Bitwise OR
==, !=, <, <=, >, >=	Comparison operators		Relational
not	Logical NOT		Logical
and	Logical AND		Logical
or	Logical OR		Logical
=	Assignment	Lowest	Assignment
+=, -=, *=, /=, //=, %=	Compound Assignment		Assignment
is, is not	Identity comparison		Identity
in, not in	Membership test		Membership

Examples

Now let's take a few examples of how each one of these operators works:

# Arithmetic Operators
result_exponentiation = 2 ** 3  # 2 to the power of 3
result_arithmetic = 10 + 5  # Addition

# Bitwise Operators
bitwise_and = 5 & 3  # Bitwise AND
bitwise_shift_left = 4 << 1  # Bitwise left shift

# Relational Operators
is_equal = 10 == 5  # Equal to
is_not_equal = 10 != 5  # Not equal to

# Logical Operators
logical_not = not True  # Logical NOT
logical_and = True and False  # Logical AND

# Assignment Operators
x = 5  # Assignment
x += 3  # Compound assignment (addition)

# Identity Operators
is_identity = x is 8  # Identity (checks if x is 8)

# Membership Operators
list_example = [1, 2, 3]
is_member = 2 in list_example  # Membership (checks if 2 is in the list)

Now let's practice some questions on the same

Tell the result of each of the following expression

These are some basic questions for your practice. I will also provide the answers to these questions in the end but before looking at the answers try to solve all the questions yourself.

# Question 1
result1 = 3 ** 2 + 8 // 3 * 2

# Question 2
result2 = (5 + 3) * 2 % 4

# Question 3
x = 5
y = 2
result3 = x // y

# Question 4
result4 = True and not (False or True)

# Question 5
x = 10
x += 5
x //= 3

# Question 6
a = 4
b = 7
result6 = a * 2 + b // 3

# Question 7
result7 = 15 % 4 + 2 ** 3

# Question 8
y = 20
y //= 3
y += 4

# Question 9
result9 = (True or False) and not (False and True)

# Question 10
p = 5
q = 2
result10 = p % q * 3 + p

# Question 11
result11 = not (False or (True and False))

# Question 12
z = 15
z //= 4
z **= 2

# Question 13
m = 8
n = 2
result13 = m / n + m % n

# Question 14
result14 = (False and True) or (True and not False)

# Question 15
r = 10
s = 3
result15 = r % s * 2 - r // s

# Displaying the results
print("Results:")
print("1. ", result1)
print("2. ", result2)
print("3. ", result3)
print("4. ", result4)
print("5. ", x)  # Value of x after Question 5
print("6. ", result6)
print("7. ", result7)
print("8. ", y)  # Value of y after Question 8
print("9. ", result9)
print("10. ", result10)
print("11. ", result11)
print("12. ", z)  # Value of z after Question 12
print("13. ", result13)
print("14. ", result14)
print("15. ", result15)

Solutions

1.  13
3.  2
5.  5
7.  11
9.  True
11. True
13. 4.0
15. -1

Conclusion

In this article, We've covered essential concepts like Python's installation, working process, keywords, data types, and operators. I have also shown some examples and shared some questions. As we are moving forward, remember that practice is key. Take on the challenge of the exercises, and share your solutions in the comments.

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Your commitment to learning Python is commendable, and I'm excited to continue this journey with you. Thank you for being a part. Happy coding!💖