IST 1025

Overview of Programming
 What Is a Program?

A program is like an algorithm, but describes

a process that is ready or can be made ready
to run on a real computer.

An algorithm is in pseudocode. To produce a

program, you translate the algorithm into a
programming language, such as Python.
 Obtaining Python
• Python was invented by Guido van Rossum in
1992

• Python comes with most Unix-based computer

systems

• Python for Windows or any other operating

system can be downloaded from http://www.python.org/
 Developing Python Programs
• Can experiment with small pieces
interactively in shell mode

• Can compose longer segments with an

editor and run them in script mode
Evaluating Python Expressions in
Shell Mode

Read an expression Evaluate it Print the result

 Basic Elements: Data
• Numbers
– Integers: 3, 77
– Floats: 3.14, .22

• Strings: ‘Hi there!’, “Hi there!”, ‘\n’

• Truth values (Booleans): True, False

 Basic Operations: Arithmetic
Symbol Meaning Example
+ Addition or concatenation x+y
- Subtraction x-y
* Multiplication x*y
/ or // Division x / y or x // y
% Remainder x%y
** Exponentiation x ** y
 Operator Precedence
• Exponentiation has the highest precedence
• Unary negation is evaluated next
• Multiplication, division and remainder are
next
• Addition and subtraction are last.
 Associativity
• Operations of equal precedence are left
associative, except the following:
• Assignment and exponentiation are right
associative.
• You can use brackets to change the order of
evaluation. Brackets then take highest
priority.
Some Arithmetic Expressions
 Built-In Functions
• A function is an operation that expects zero or
more data values (arguments) from its user and
computes and returns a single data value

• Examples:

abs(-5)

max(33, 66)
 Library Functions
• A library is a collection of resources, including functions,
that can be imported for use in a program

• Example:

import math

math.sqrt(2)
 Variables and Assignment
• Variables are used to name data and other resources

• Instead of typing 3.14 for π, define a variable named pi to mean 3.14

• Assignment (=) is used to set (or reset) a variable to a value

pi = 3.14

34 * 34 * pi

• Variables make programs more readable and maintainable

 Library Variables
• Typically define standard constants, such as pi and e

• Example:

import math

3 * math.pi

• Or:

from math import pi

3 * pi
 Script Mode
• Longer programs can be edited and saved to a file and then run as
scripts (synonymous with programs)

• IDLE is a script-mode development environment that can be used on

any computer system
Developing a Python Script

IDLE editor
Python source code

Python compiler
Byte code

Inputs from user Python Virtual Machine (PVM)

Outputs to user
 Terminal-Based Programs
• A terminal allows a user to
– run a program
– view output as text on a screen or in a window
– enter input as text from the keyboard

• Early computer systems were entirely

terminal-based, modern systems have added
a GUI (graphical user interface)
 Behavior of Terminal-Based
Programs
Inputs Computations Outputs

• Prompt the user for some information

• Use that information to perform some computations

• Output the results

• Exercise: Write a program that takes a radius and prints out

the area of the circle.
Structure of Terminal-Based
Programs
Inputs Computations Outputs

docstring

import statements

input statements

computation statements

output statements

Program code goes in a file with a .py extension.

 The docstring
"""
Author: Ken Lambert
This program does nothing
yet, but just you wait!
"""

Not evaluated, but used to document Python

programs for other programmers

Should appear at the beginning of each file

Just as important as the evaluated code!!!

 import Statements
import math

print(math.pi)
print(math.sqrt(2))

Imports usually occur before the beginning of

the executable program code

They make available resources from other

Python modules

A module is just a file of Python code

 import Statements
from math import pi

print(pi)

Alternatively, one can import particular

resources from a given module and then omit
the module qualifier from the reference
 import Statements
from math import *

print(pi)
print(sqrt(2))

Or, one can import all the particular resources

from a given module and then omit the module
qualifier from all the references
 Input of Text
input('Enter your name: ')

The input function prints its string argument

and waits for user input.

The function then returns the string of

characters entered at the keyboard.
 Input of Numbers
int(input('Enter your age: '))

When an integer is expected, you must convert

the input string to an int.

float(input('Enter your hourly wage: '))

When a real number (with a decimal point) is

expected, you must convert the input string to a
float.
 Simple Assignment Statements
name = input('Enter your name: ')

income = float(input('Enter your income: '))

The = operator evaluates the expression to its

right and sets the variable to its left to the
resulting value.

We use variables to retain data for further use.

Note: = does not mean equals in Python!

 Syntax Template for
Simple Assignment
<variable> = <expression>

A syntax template expresses a grammar rule in

a language.

The angle brackets enclose the names of

phrases or terms that are defined by other rules.

area = math.pi * radius ** 2

century = 100
squarerootof2 = math.sqrt(2)
 More on Variables
firstname = input('Enter your first name: ')

Any variable can name any thing.

Variables must begin with a letter or the _ character.

They can contain any number of letters, digits, or _.

Variables cannot contain spaces.

Python is case-sensitive. Use lowercase letters for now.

 Variable References
x = 10 # x begins as 10
x = x + 1 # x is reset to 11
y = y + x # Error! Can't find value of y

When Python sees a variable in an expression, it must

be able to look up its value.

If a variable has no established value, the program

halts with an error message.

Variables are given values by assignment statements

 End of Line Comments
x = 10 # x begins as 10
x = x + 1 # x is reset to 11
y = y + x # Error! Can't find value of y

# begins an end of line comment - Python ignores text

from # to the end of line
 Evaluating Expressions
print(totalincome - deduction * rate)

print((totalincome - deduction) * rate)

print(10 + x * y ** 2)

Expressions are evaluated left to right, unless operator

precedence overrides this order.

Use parentheses to override standard precedence when

necessary.
 Mixed-Mode Arithmetic
print(5 * 100) # Prints 500

print(5 * 100.0) # Prints 500.0

The value of an expression depends on the types of its

operands.

In general, two ints produce an int, whereas at least

one float produces a float.

Exception: x / y always produces a float.

 Type Conversion Functions
str(3.72) # Returns'3.72'

float('3.72') # Returns 3.72

int(3.72) # Returns 3

float(3) # Returns 3.0

Each data type has a function to convert values of

some other types to values of that type.

int truncates a float by removing the fractional part.

 Rounding and Precision
round(3.72) # Returns 4

round(3.72, 1) # Returns 3.7

round(3.729, 2) # Returns 3.73

round’s optional second argument specifies the

number of digits of precision in the fractional part
 Using Functions
round(3.72) # Returns 4

abs(-5) # Returns 5

math.sqrt(2) # Returns 1.4142135623730951

<function name>(<any arguments>)

A function can have one or more required arguments

and/or some optional arguments

Arguments must be of the appropriate types

 Composing Expressions
squareofa = a ** 2
squareofb = b ** 2
sumofsquares = squareofa + squareofb
c = math.sqrt(sumofsquares)
print('The hypotenuse is', c)

Use assignment to name the results of computations

 Composing Expressions
squareofa = a ** 2
squareofb = b ** 2
sumofsquares = squareofa + squareofb
c = math.sqrt(sumofsquares)
print('The hypotenuse is', c)

Use assignment to name the results of computations

c = math.sqrt(a ** 2 + b ** 2)
print('The hypotenuse is', c)

Or just compose the expression and pass it as an

argument to the function
 Getting the Directory of a Module
>>> import math

>>> dir(math)
['__doc__', '__file__', '__name__', 'acos', 'asin',
'atan', 'atan2', 'ceil', 'cos', 'cosh', 'degrees', 'e',
'exp', 'fabs', 'floor', 'fmod', 'frexp', 'hypot',
'ldexp', 'log', 'log10', 'modf', 'pi', 'pow',
'radians', 'sin', 'sinh', 'sqrt', 'tan', 'tanh']

>>>

The dir function returns a list of all of the named

components in a module
 Getting Help on a Function
>>> import math

>>> dir(math)
['__doc__', '__file__', '__name__', 'acos', 'asin',
'atan', 'atan2', 'ceil', 'cos', 'cosh', 'degrees', 'e',
'exp', 'fabs', 'floor', 'fmod', 'frexp', 'hypot',
'ldexp', 'log', 'log10', 'modf', 'pi', 'pow',
'radians', 'sin', 'sinh', 'sqrt', 'tan', 'tanh']

>>> help(math.sqrt)
sqrt(x)

Return the square root of x.

 Output
print(3, 4) # displays 3 4

print(str(3) + str(4)) # displays 34

print('Hello there\nKen!') # displays two lines

print('Hello there ', end = '') # displays one line

print('Ken')

print always ends output with a newline, unless its

last argument is end = ''
The Software Development Life Cycle

Software development
The Waterfall Model: Trickle-down
Analysis

Design

Implementation
(coding)

Testing

Maintenance
 The Waterfall Model:
Back up to earlier phase
Analysis

Design

Implementation
(coding)

Testing

Maintenance
 Analysis

Client request Program

Analysis
requirements

The analyst discovers what clients really

need by listening to what they want.

The output of analysis is a precise

description of what the program does,
not how it does it.
 Design

Program Pseudocode
Design
requirements algorithms

The designer determines how the

program will do what it does.

The output of design is a precise

description of how the program will do
what it does.
Implementation (coding)

Pseudocode Implementation Program

algorithms (coding) code

The coder translates the design

description into a program in a particular
programming language.
 Testing
Analysis

Program
Testing
code

The quality assurance specialist verifies

that the program behaves as expected,
according to the requirements provided
by the analysis phase.
 Maintenance

Program
Maintenance
code

Program errors are discovered years after

a program is released.

Most of the time and $ are spent not in

the initial construction of a program, but
in fixing and improving it after its initial
release.
Cost of Correcting a Fault
Distribution of Cost of Software
Development
 Analysis:
Start with a User Request

Write a program that converts pounds to kilograms.

Determine the Inputs and Outputs
• The input will be the number of pounds, as
an integer or floating-point number

• The output will be

– a prompt for the number of pounds
– A label, and the number of kilograms as a
floating-point number
 Example Session with the
Program

>>> Enter the number of pounds: 330

The number of kilograms is 150.0
>>>
Gather Information About the
Problem

There are 2.2 pounds in a kilogram

 Design the Algorithm in
Pseudocode

Prompt the user for the number of pounds

Input the pounds
Set the kilograms to the pounds / 2.2
Output the number of kilograms
 Code as the convert Script
"""
File: convert.py
convert.py
This program converts pounds to kilograms.
Input: the number of pounds, as an integer or float.
Output: the number of kilograms, as a float, suitably
labeled.
"""

Start with the prefatory docstring, not as an afterthought!!!

 Code as the convert Script
"""
File: convert.py
convert.py
This program converts pounds to kilograms.
Input: the number of pounds, as an integer or float.
Output: the number of kilograms, as a float, suitably
labeled.
"""

pounds = float(input("Enter the number of pounds: "))

kilograms = pounds / 2.2
print("The number of kilograms is", kilograms)

Test the program in IDLE first!

Then Test in a Terminal Window
with Several Inputs