Python Fundamentals
Getting Started
Robert Smallshire Austin Bingham
@robsmallshire @austin_bingham
rob@sixty-north.com austin@sixty-north.com
Presenter
Sunday, 28 July, 13
Sunday, 28 July, 13
>>> if h > 50:
... print("Greater than 50")
... elif h < 20:
... print("Less than 20")
... else:
... print("Between 20 and 50")
...
Between 20 and 50
Sunday, 28 July, 13
Python Release Timeline
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Python 2
Python 3
Sunday, 28 July, 13
Python Release Timeline
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Python 2
straightforward
2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 upgrade path
Python 3
3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4
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Portable
Platform Specific
Installation
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Sunday, 28 July, 13
Sunday, 28 July, 13
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>>> Read
Evaluate
Print
Loop
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>>> R E P L
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Significant Indentation in Python
"""Class model for aircraft flights."""
class Flight:
"""A flight with a particular aircraft."""
def __init__(self, number, aircraft):
if not number[:2].isalpha():
raise ValueError("No airline code in '{}'".format(number))
if not number[:2].isupper():
raise ValueError("Invalid airline code '{}'".format(number))
if not (number[2:].isdigit() and int(number[2:]) <= 9999):
raise ValueError("Invalid route number '{}'".format(number))
self._number = number
self._aircraft = aircraft
rows, seats = self._aircraft.seating_plan()
self._seating = [None] + [ {letter:None for letter in seats} for _ in rows ]
def _passenger_seats(self):
"""An iterable series of passenger seating allocations."""
row_numbers, seat_letters = self._aircraft.seating_plan()
for row in row_numbers:
for letter in seat_letters:
passenger = self._seating[row][letter]
if passenger is not None:
yield (passenger, "{}{}".format(row, letter))
Sunday, 28 July, 13
Significant Indentation in Python
Sunday, 28 July, 13
Significant Indentation in Python
Four spaces per level of indentation
:
4
:
4 :
4
:
4
:
4
:
4
:
4 :
4 :
4
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Significant Whitespace
1.Requires readable code
2.No clutter
3.Human and computer can’t get
out of sync
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Significant Whitespace
Rules
1.Prefer four spaces
2.Never mix spaces and tabs
3.Be consistent on consecutive lines
4.Only deviate to improve readability
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Programming as Guido intended it
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Moment of Zen
Readability Counts
Clarity Matters
So readability makes
For valuable code
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Python Standard Library
import module_name
d
de
lu
nc
sI
rie
tte
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n = 13
32-bit int
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Scalar types and values
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Scalar types and values
int
arbitrary precision integer
42
float
64-bit floating point numbers
4.2
NoneType
None the null object
bool bool
True False boolean logical values
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int
unlimited precision signed integer
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float
IEEE-754 double precision (64-bit)
53 bits of binary precision
15 to 16 bits of decimal precision
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None The sole value of NoneType.
Often used to represent the absence of a value.
Not displayed by the REPL.
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bool
Boolean logical value.
Either True or False.
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Relational Operators
== value equality / equivalence
!= value inequality / inequivalence
< less-than
> greater-than
<= less-than or equal to
>= greater-than or equal to
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Conditional Statements
if expr:
print("expr is True")
exp r is co nve rte d to b oo l as if by
the bool() constructor
Sunday, 28 July, 13
if h > 50:
print("Greater than 50")
else:
if h < 20:
print("Less than 20")
else:
print("Between 20 and 50")
Sunday, 28 July, 13
if h > 50:
print("Greater than 50")
else:
if h < 20:
print("Less than 20")
else:
print("Between 20 and 50")
Sunday, 28 July, 13
if h > 50:
print("Greater than 50")
else:
if h < 20:
print("Less than 20")
else:
print("Between 20 and 50")
th e i f k e y w o r d to
Python provides e l
fo r n e s te d i f .. . e l s e
eliminate the need
structure s in m a n y c a s es .
Sunday, 28 July, 13
if h > 50:
print("Greater than 50")
elif h < 20:
print("Less than 20")
else:
print("Between 20 and 50")
th e i f k e y w o r d to
Python provides e l
fo r n e s te d i f .. . e l s e
eliminate the need
structure s in m a n y c a s es .
Sunday, 28 July, 13
Flat is better
than nested
if h > 50:
print("Greater than 50")
elif h < 20:
print("Less than 20")
else:
print("Between 20 and 50")
th e i f k e y w o r d to
Python provides e l
fo r n e s te d i f .. . e l s e
eliminate the need
structure s in m a n y c a s es .
Sunday, 28 July, 13
while loops
while expr:
print("loop while expr is True")
exp r is co nve rte d to b oo l as if by
the bool() constructor
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breaking out
while True:
if expr:
break
print("Go here on break")
The break keyword
terminates the
innermost loop, tran
sferring execution
to the first statement
after the loop
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Getting Started – Summary
Obtaining and installing Python 3
Windows
Ubuntu Linux
Mac OS X
Read-Eval-Print-Loop or REPL
Simple arithmetic with + - * / % and //
Assigning objects to named variables with the = operator
print()
Exiting the REPL
Ctrl-Z on Windows
Ctrl-D on Linux and Mac.
Significant indentation - usually four spaces
Python Enhancement Proposals
PEP 8 – Python Style Guide
PEP 20 – The Zen of Python
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Getting Started – Summary
Importing Python Standard Library modules:
import module
from module import function
from module import function as alias
Finding and browsing help()
Scalar built-in types
int float None bool
conversions between types
Relational operators == != < > <= >= for equivalence and ordering
Conditional statements with if ... elif ... else
while loops
Interrupting execution with Ctrl-C to create a KeyboardInterrupt
exception
Breaking out of loops with break
Augmented assignment operators for modifying objects in-place
Requesting text from the user with input()
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