Topic 2

Branching and Iterartion

LAST WEEK

§ Syntax and semantics

§ Scalar objects
§ Simple operations
§ Expressions, variables and values
§ Output statement print( … )
§ Converting something to int or float:
int( ….)
float( … )
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TODAY’S LECTURE

§ String object type

§ Type casting
§ Branching and conditionals
§ Indentation
§ Iteration and loops

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STRINGS
§ A string contains a sequence of letters, special characters,
spaces, digits enclosed in single quotes or double quotes
hi = 'hello there'
Py = "Python is fun"

§ concatenate two strings

name = "buddy"
greet = hi + name
greeting = hi + ' ' + name
§ do some operations on a string as defined in Python docs
silly = hi + (" " + name)*3
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STRINGS
§ You may use single quotes or double quotes
interchangeably. However, if the string contains a double
quote character, you may want to use single quotes:
hi = '"Good morning", said Mary'

§ And vice versa:

msg = "You've got an error"

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INPUT/OUTPUT: print

§ used to output stuff to the console (eg, terminal)

§ keyword is print
x = 5
print(x)

§ A numeric number such as 5 and a string "5" may look the

same when they are printed, but they are very different in
terms of the operations performed on them.

§ Sometimes, we need to convert a number to a string, or a

string to a number. Eg, convert a number to a string
x_str = str(x) 6
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print("my fav num is " + x_str )
INPUT/OUTPUT: input("")

§ prints whatever is in the quotes

§ user types in something as input and then hits enter
§ binds that value to a variable
text = input("Type anything... ")
print(5*text)

§ input gives you a string so must cast if working with

numbers (ie, converted to a number)
num = int(input("Type a number... "))
print(5*num)
Question: what would be printed
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 ACTIVITY

§ Write a program that takes the unit code and total mark in
that unit as input and prints following customized message.
unit = input("Type in your unit code: ")
mark = input("Type in your mark: ")
print("Your unit code is " + unit + "and your mark is " + mark)

§ Repeat the above, but increase the mark by 10%

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COMPARISON OPERATORS ON
int, float, string

§ i and j are variable names

§ comparisons below evaluate to a Boolean
i > j
i >= j
i < j
i <= j
i == j -> equality test, True if i is the same as j
i != j -> inequality test, True if i not the same as j
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LOGIC OPERATORS ON bools

§ a and b are variable names (with Boolean values)

not a -> True if a is False
False if a is True
a and b -> True only if both a and b are True
a or b -> True if either a or b is True

A B A and B A or B

True True True True

True False False True
False True False True
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False False False False 0
COMPARISON EXAMPLE

pset_time = 15
sleep_time = 8
print(sleep_time > pset_time)

drive = True
drink = False
both = drink and drive
print(both)

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CONDITION AND BRANCHING

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CONTROL FLOW - BRANCHING

if <condition>: if <condition>:
<statement> <statement>
<statement> <statement>
... ...
elif <condition>:
if <condition>: <statement>
<statement> <statement>
<statement> ...
... else:
else: <statement>
<statement> <statement>
<statement> ...

§ <condition> has a value True or False

§ Execute the statements in that block if <condition>
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is
True
INDENTATION AND BLOCK

§ matters in Python
§ how you denote blocks of code
x = float(input("Enter a number for x: "))
y = float(input("Enter a number for y: "))
if x == y:
print("x and y are equal")
if y != 0:
print("therefore, x/y is", x/y)
elif x < y:
print("x is smaller")
else:
print("y is smaller")
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print("thanks!") LECTURE 2
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INDENTATION AND BLOCK

§ Indentation is important
- Python replies on the indentation to define the scope of a block
- Statements in the same block MUST have the same indentation
- Although the number of spaces in an indentation can vary –
Ø it is recommended that you use the same indentation, such as 4 spaces,
throughout your program – don’t try to be smart!

Ø It is also recommended that you use space character rather than tab
character to create an indentation.

Ø You can define the size of indentation in Idle (go to Preferences)

§ Many other programming languages use explicit begin and

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end words to delineate a block: begin/end, {/}, etc. 5

INDENTATION AND BLOCK

§ Check the following code and identify errors:

x = float(input("Enter a number for x: "))
y = float(input("Enter a number for y: "))
if x == y:
print("x and y are equal")
if y != 0:
print("therefore, x/y is", x/y)
elif x < y:
print("x is smaller")
else:
print("y is smaller")
print("thanks!")
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ACTIVITIES

§ Write a program that takes the unit code and total mark in
that unit as input and prints the letter grade according to
following letter grade conversion table:

HD 80-100
D 70-79
C 60-69
P 50-59
N <50

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ACTIVITIES

§ Solution
unit = input("Type in your unit code: ")
mark = int(input("Type in your mark: "))
grade = 'N'
if mark >= 80:
grade = 'HD'
if mark >= 70 and mark <80:
grade = 'D'

# complete the rest of the code

# also try to use a single if-elif-else statement to do the same

print("Your unit mark is ", mark, " your unit grade is " + grade)

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CONTROL FLOW: while LOOPS

while <condition>:
<statement>
<statement>
...
§ <condition> evaluates to a Boolean
§ if <condition> is True, do all the steps inside
the while code block
§ check <condition> again
§ repeat until <condition> is False

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 CONTROL FLOW: while LOOPS

You are in the Lost Forest.

************
************
J
************
************
Go left or right?

PROGRAM:
n = input("You're in the Lost Forest. Go left or right? ")
while n == "right":
n = input("You're in the Lost Forest. Go left or right? ")
print("You got out of the Lost Forest!")

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CONTROL FLOW: while LOOPS

§ iterate through numbers in a sequence

# more complicated with while loop

n = 0
while n < 5:
print(n)
n = n+1

# shortcut with for loop

for n in range(5):
print(n)

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CONTROL FLOW: for LOOPS
for <variable> in range(<some_num>):
<statement>
<statement>
...
§ Python function range returns a sequence of number
starting with 0 and incremented by 1 by default
- So range(5) returns the sequence 0,1,2,3,4
§ each time through the loop, <variable> takes a value of the
sequence
- first time, <variable> starts at the 1st value (0)
- next time, <variable> gets the next value 2
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- etc.
 range(start,stop,step)

§ default values are start = 0 and step = 1 and optional

§ loop until value is stop - 1

mysum = 0
for i in range(7, 10):
mysum += i # same as mysum = mysum + 1
print(mysum)

mysum = 0
for i in range(5, 11, 2):
mysum += i
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break STATEMENT

§ immediately exits whatever loop it is in

§ skips remaining expressions in code block
§ exits only the innermost loop!

while <condition_1>:
<statement_b>
if <condition_2>:
break
<statement_c>
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break STATEMENT

mysum = 0
for i in range(5, 12, 2):
if mysum > 10:
break
mysum += i
print(mysum)

§ what happens in this program?

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 for VS while LOOPS

for loops while loops

§ know number of §unbounded number of
iterations iterations
§ can end early via break
§ can end early via
break §can use a counter but must
initialize before loop and
§ uses a counter increment it inside loop
§ can rewrite a for loop §may not be able to rewrite a
using a while loop while loop using a for loop

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

§ Sources used in this presentation include:

• Programiz.com
• MIT OCW

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