{"id":250934,"date":"2023-06-08T08:10:24","date_gmt":"2023-06-08T08:10:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/imarticus.org\/?p=250934"},"modified":"2024-04-03T11:23:32","modified_gmt":"2024-04-03T11:23:32","slug":"a-guide-to-basic-python-programming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/imarticus.org\/blog\/a-guide-to-basic-python-programming\/","title":{"rendered":"A Guide to Basic Python Programming"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">learn Python<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> means to practice Python. Python is a popular high-level, interpreted, interactive, and object-oriented programming language invented by Guido van Rossum in 1991. Its popularity rests on its simplicity, readability, and ease of use, making it a popular option for novices and professionals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-243301 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/imarticus.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/shutterstock_790098781-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"best big data analytics course\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imarticus.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/shutterstock_790098781-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/imarticus.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/shutterstock_790098781-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imarticus.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/shutterstock_790098781-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/imarticus.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/shutterstock_790098781.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It may be processed in a procedural, object-oriented, or functional style and operates on an interpreter system. It features a clean and focused syntax centred on readability and a vast and active community offering assistance, tools, and libraries to help developers solve issues and build new things.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Getting started with Python<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Here are some key points to consider:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Choose an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) or code editor to develop and execute Python code. Some prominent choices are:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PyCharm\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Visual Studio Code\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sublime Text\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Atom\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">IDLE<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Install Python on your PC. You may grab the latest version of Python from the official website: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.python.org\/downloads\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.python.org\/downloads\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Learn the basic principles of Python programming language, including:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Variables and data types<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Operators<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Control structures (if\/else statements, loops)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Functions<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Modules and packages<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Practice developing Python code by tackling exercises and challenges. Some resources for Python exercises are: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pynative.com\/python-exercises-with-solutions\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/pynative.com\/python-exercises-with-solutions\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.w3resource.com\/python-exercises\/python-basic-exercises.php\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.w3resource.com\/python-exercises\/python-basic-exercises.php<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Join online groups and forums to network with other Python developers and seek support when required. Some popular communities are:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reddit&#8217;s r\/learnpython<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Python Discord server<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stack Overflow<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Read Python documentation and tutorials to learn more about the language and its capabilities. Some resources for Python tutorials are:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.python.org\/3\/tutorial\/index.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/docs.python.org\/3\/tutorial\/index.html<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/realpython.com\/\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Data types in Python<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Python includes various built-in data types used to represent different sorts of data. Here are the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/imarticus.org\/blog\/top-5-python-libraries-for-data-science\/\">most popular data types in Python<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Numeric types:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> int, complex, float\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>String type:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> str<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Sequence types:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> list, range, tuple<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Set types:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> frozenset, set<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Mapping type:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> dict<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Boolean type:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> bool<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>None type:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> None<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Binary types:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> memoryview, bytes, bytearray<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Here are a few examples in detail:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><b>Integers:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Whole numbers, such as 1, 2, 3, and so on.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Floating-point numbers:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> They are decimals, such as 7.21, 5.168, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Tuples<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Tuples are ordered, immutable collections of elements, such as (1, 2, 3), (&#8220;apple&#8221;, &#8220;banana&#8221;, &#8220;cherry&#8221;), and others.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Strings:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> They are sequences of characters, such as &#8220;hello&#8221;, &#8220;world&#8221;, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Dictionaries:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Dictionaries are unordered collections of key-value pairs, such as {&#8220;name&#8221;: &#8220;John&#8221;, &#8220;age&#8221;: 30}, {&#8220;fruit&#8221;: &#8220;apple&#8221;, &#8220;colour&#8221;: &#8220;red&#8221;}, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Lists:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> They are ordered collections of elements, such as [&#8220;apple&#8221;, &#8220;banana&#8221;, &#8220;cherry&#8221;], and others.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Here&#8217;s an example of how to create variables of different data types in Python:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a = 42<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">b = 3.14<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">c = 2 + 3j<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">str_var = &#8220;Hello, world!&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">lst_var = [1, 2, 3]<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">tpl_var = (4, 5, 6)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">rng_var = range(10)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">dct_var = {&#8220;name&#8221;: &#8220;Alice&#8221;, &#8220;age&#8221;: 30}<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">st_var = {1, 2, 3}<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">fst_var = frozenset({4, 5, 6})<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">bool_var = True<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">bts_var = b&#8221;hello&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ba_var = bytearray(bts_var)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">mv_var = memoryview(ba_var)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">none_var = None<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Functions in Python<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blocks of code called functions may be reused to carry out different tasks. Using the def keyword in Python, you may create your functions. Here is an example of a function that computes a number&#8217;s factorial:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">def factorial(t):<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0if t == 0:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0return 1<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0else:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0return t * factorial(t &#8211; 1)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>The following is how your Python code should call this function:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">def factorial(n):<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">result = 1<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">for i in range(1, n + 1):<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">result *= i<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">return result<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">num = 5<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">print(factorial(num)) # Output: 120<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Control structures in Python<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Python has several control structures that let you manage the application&#8217;s flow. These consist of try-except blocks, for loops, while loops, and if-else expressions. An overview of various control structures is provided below:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>If-else clauses:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> If-else clauses let you run several chunks of code in response to a condition. For instance:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">if y &gt; 0:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">print(&#8220;y is positive&#8221;)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">else:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">print(&#8220;y is non-positive&#8221;)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>For loops:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> For loops allow you to iterate over a sequence of elements. For example:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">for k in range(20):<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0print(k)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>While loops:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> While loops let you continually run a section of code as long as a condition is met. For instance:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">x = 0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">while x &lt; 10:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">print(x)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">x += 1<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Try-except blocks:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Try-except blocks allow you to manage potential exceptions in your code. For instance:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">try:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0num = int(input(&#8220;Enter a number: &#8220;))<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0result = 1 \/ num<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">except ValueError:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0print(&#8220;Invalid input&#8221;)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">except for ZeroDivisionError:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0print(&#8220;Cannot divide by zero&#8221;)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">else:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0print(&#8220;Result:&#8221;, result)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This guide covers Python fundamentals such as data types, control structures, functions, and modules. The <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">best way to learn Python<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is to start with the basics and then slowly master it by practising coding or taking part in a workshop.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Conclusion\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Imarticus Learning offers a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/imarticus.org\/postgraduate-program-in-data-science-analytics\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Postgraduate Programme in Data Science and Analytics<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (PGA). This programme uses data science and creates analytical models that enhance corporate performance. Machine learning and Python programming are among the basic and advanced data science and analytics techniques covered in the curriculum. The course is one of the best to <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/imarticus.org\/blog\/python-course-for-beginners-about-python-program-salary-and-trends-in-2022\/\">learn Python for beginners<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It offers certification programmes and job assurance.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>To learn Python means to practice Python. Python is a popular high-level, interpreted, interactive, and object-oriented programming language invented by Guido van Rossum in 1991. Its popularity rests on its simplicity, readability, and ease of use, making it a popular option for novices and professionals.\u00a0 It may be processed in a procedural, object-oriented, or functional [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":243048,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_mo_disable_npp":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[779],"class_list":["post-250934","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-analytics","tag-learn-python-programming"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"modified_by":"Imarticus Learning","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/imarticus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/250934","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/imarticus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/imarticus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/imarticus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/imarticus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=250934"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/imarticus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/250934\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":262641,"href":"https:\/\/imarticus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/250934\/revisions\/262641"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/imarticus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/243048"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/imarticus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=250934"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/imarticus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=250934"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/imarticus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=250934"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}