DEV Community: Mary Nyandia

Understanding Variables

Mary Nyandia — Thu, 28 May 2026 09:18:31 +0000

Today I explored one of the most important building blocks in Python ; variables. Variables are like containers that store information we can use later in our program. They make our code dynamic and reusable.

✨ What I Learned

1. Declaring Variables
You can assign values to variables using the = operator:

first_name = 'Asabeneh'
last_name = 'Yetayeh'
country = 'Finland'
city = 'Helsinki'
age = 250
is_married = True

Here, I stored text (strings), numbers (integers), and even a boolean (True/False).

2. Storing Collections
Variables can also hold lists and dictionaries:

skills = ['HTML', 'CSS', 'JS', 'React', 'Python']
person_info = {
    'firstname': 'Asabeneh',
    'lastname': 'Yetayeh',
    'country': 'Finland',
    'city': 'Helsinki'
}

This is powerful because it lets us group related information together.

3. Printing Values
Using print(), I displayed the values stored in variables

print('First name:', first_name)
print('Skills:', skills)
print('Person information:', person_info)

4. Declaring Multiple Variables in One Line
Python makes it easy to declare several variables at once:

first_name, last_name, country, age, is_married = 'Asabeneh', 'Yetayeh', 'Helsinki', 250, True

This is a neat shortcut when you want to initialize multiple values quickly.

🎯 My Take
Variables are the foundation of Python programming. They let us store, organize, and manipulate data in flexible ways. Whether it’s a single number or a collection of skills, variables make our programs meaningful.

Mastering the print() Function in Python

Mary Nyandia — Thu, 28 May 2026 08:53:23 +0000

When learning Python, one of the very first functions you’ll use is print(). It may look simple, but it’s incredibly powerful and flexible. On Day 3 of my Python journey, I decided to dive deeper into how print() works and all the ways you can use it.

✨ What is print()?
The print() function displays information on the screen. It can show text, numbers, variables, or even complex data structures. Think of it as your program’s way of “talking back” to you.

1.Printing Text
The simplest use of print() is to display text. By wrapping words in quotes, Python knows you want to show them exactly as written. For example:

print("Hello, Python!")

Output: Hello, Python!

2. Printing Variables
Variables store data, and print() lets you see what’s inside them.

name = "Mary"
age = 28
print("Name:", name)
print("Age:", age)

Output: Name: Mary Age: 28

3. Printing Multiple Items
Sometimes you want to display several things at once. print() allows you to pass multiple items separated by commas. For example:

print("Python", "is", "fun")

Output: Python is fun.
Python automatically adds spaces between items, so you don’t need to worry about formatting them manually.

4.Using f‑strings (Formatted Strings)
F‑strings are one of Python’s most powerful features for printing. They let you embed variables directly inside text using curly braces {}. For example:

name = "Mary"
age = 28
print(f"My name is {name} and I am {age} years old.")

Output: My name is Mary and I am 28 years old.
F‑strings make your output cleaner and easier to read compared to using commas.

5. Special Parameters in print()
The print() function has optional arguments that give you more control:

(sep) changes the separator between items. For example:

print("Python", "is", "fun", sep="-")

Outputs: Python-is-fun.

(end) changes what happens at the end of the line. By default, print() ends with a new line, but you can override it:

print("Hello", end=" ")
print("World")

Output: Hello World on one line

(file) lets you send output to a file instead of the screen, which is useful for logging.

6. Escape Characters
Escape characters let you format text in special ways. For example, \n creates a new line, and \t adds a tab space.

print("Line1\nLine2")
print("Tab\tSpace")

Output:

Line1
Line2
Tab    Space

These little tricks make your output more readable and professional.

🎯My Take
The print() function may look simple, but it’s incredibly versatile. From showing text and variables to formatting output with f‑strings, separators, and escape characters, mastering print() early will make your Python journey smoother. It’s not just about displaying information , it’s about communicating clearly with your code.

Understanding Python Data Types: A Beginner’s Guide

Mary Nyandia — Wed, 27 May 2026 20:42:39 +0000

When learning Python, one of the first things you’ll encounter is data types. Data types define the kind of values your program can work with whether it’s numbers, text, or logical values. In this article, I’ll walk you through the basics using a simple program that demonstrates Python’s core data types.

1.Integers (Whole Numbers)

Integers are numbers without decimals. They can be positive, negative, or zero.

age = 25
score = 100
temperature = -5

print(f"Age: {age}")
print(f"Score: {score}")
print(f"Temperature: {temperature}")
print(f"Type of age: {type(age)}")

2.Floats (Decimal Numbers)

Floats are numbers with decimals. They’re useful when precision matters.

height = 1.75
price = 9.99
pi = 3.14

print(f"Height: {height}")
print(f"Price: ${price}")
print(f"Pi: {pi}")
print(f"Type of height: {type(height)}")

3.Strings (Text)

Strings represent text data. They’re enclosed in quotes (" " or ' ').

name = "Alice"
city = "New York"
message = "Hello, World!"

print(f"Name: {name}")
print(f"City: {city}")
print(f"Message: {message}")
print(f"Type of name: {type(name)}")

4.Booleans (True/False)

Booleans represent logical values: either True or False.

is_student = True
is_raining = False

print(f"Is student? {is_student}")
print(f"Is raining? {is_raining}")
print(f"Type of is_student: {type(is_student)}")

5.Finding Data Types

Python makes it easy to check the type of any value using the type() function.

num_int = 42
print(f"Value: {num_int}")
print(f"Data Type: {type(num_int)}")

is_true = True
print(f"Value: {is_true}")
print(f"Data Type: {type(is_true)}")

text = "Python"
print(f"Value: {text}")
print(f"Data Type: {type(text)}")

decimal = 3.14
print(f"Value: {decimal}")
print(f"Data Type: {type(decimal)}")

My Take

Understanding data types is the foundation of programming in Python. Once you know how to work with integers, floats, strings, and booleans, you’ll be ready to explore more advanced concepts like lists, dictionaries, and classes that we are going to learn later as we proceed.

Introduction to Python: My First Program

Mary Nyandia — Tue, 26 May 2026 12:12:32 +0000

Python is a high‑level, interpreted programming language that has become one of the most popular tools for developers worldwide. Its simplicity and readability make it an excellent choice for beginners, while its versatility ensures professionals can use it across countless domains.

Why Python?

Python can be used in many areas of technology, including:

Web Development .
Data Science & Machine Learning .
Automation & Scripting .
Game Development .
Software Development.

My First Python Program

In Python, printing text to the screen is straightforward:

# Introduction to Python
# Python is a high-level, interpreted programming language known for its simplicity and readability.

# Python can be used for:
# 1. Web Development
# 2. Data Science and Machine Learning
# 3. Automation and Scripting
# 4. Game Development
# 5. Software Development
# 6. Scientific Computing

print("Welcome to Python Programming!")
print("This is my first python program.")
print("Python is great for beginners and professionals alike.")

print() is a built‑in function that displays text on the screen.

Comments (#) are ignored by Python but help explain what the code does.

Each line of code runs in order, making Python easy to follow.

Why This Matters

This simple program shows how approachable Python is. With just a few lines of code, you can start interacting with your computer. From here, you can explore variables, loops, functions, and eventually dive into advanced topics like data analysis or web development.

cloud computing.

Mary Nyandia — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 08:00:03 +0000

I recently completed a full-stack build using AWS services DynamoDB for data modeling, Lambda for serverless logic, and API Gateway for routing. We wrapped it up with a frontend that ties everything together beautifully.
This project sharpened my skills in cloud architecture and frontend-backend synergy.
Let’s keep building.

Exploring backend development through Akili Mtuwangu—a Flutter app for mental wellness and meaningful design

Mary Nyandia — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 10:58:07 +0000