Overview Python Programming Basics

Introduction to Python Programming

This Quarto demo shows how to teach Python programming basics with interactive code examples and visualizations.

Variables and Data Types

Python supports various data types. Let’s explore them:

# Basic data types
name = "Alice"          # String
age = 25               # Integer
height = 5.6           # Float
is_student = True      # Boolean

print(f"Name: {name}")
print(f"Age: {age}")
print(f"Height: {height}")
print(f"Is Student: {is_student}")

Output:

Name: Alice
Age: 25
Height: 5.6
Is Student: True

Working with Lists

Lists are one of the most useful data structures in Python:

# Creating and manipulating lists
fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry", "date"]
numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

# List operations
print("Original fruits:", fruits)
fruits.append("elderberry")
print("After adding elderberry:", fruits)

# List comprehension
squares = [x**2 for x in numbers]
print("Squares:", squares)

Expected Output:

Original fruits: ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry', 'date']
After adding elderberry: ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry', 'date', 'elderberry']
Squares: [1, 4, 9, 16, 25]

Control Structures

Conditional Statements

def grade_classifier(score):
    """Classify grades based on score."""
    if score >= 90:
        return "A"
    elif score >= 80:
        return "B"
    elif score >= 70:
        return "C"
    elif score >= 60:
        return "D"
    else:
        return "F"

# Test the function
test_scores = [95, 87, 72, 58, 91]
for score in test_scores:
    grade = grade_classifier(score)
    print(f"Score {score}: Grade {grade}")

Loops

# For loop example
print("Counting with for loop:")
for i in range(1, 6):
    print(f"Count: {i}")

# While loop example
print("\nCountdown with while loop:")
countdown = 5
while countdown > 0:
    print(f"T-minus {countdown}")
    countdown -= 1
print("Blast off! 🚀")

Functions and Modules

import math

def calculate_circle_area(radius):
    """Calculate the area of a circle."""
    return math.pi * radius ** 2

def calculate_rectangle_area(length, width):
    """Calculate the area of a rectangle."""
    return length * width

# Using the functions
circle_radius = 5
rectangle_length = 8
rectangle_width = 6

circle_area = calculate_circle_area(circle_radius)
rectangle_area = calculate_rectangle_area(rectangle_length, rectangle_width)

print(f"Circle area (radius {circle_radius}): {circle_area:.2f}")
print(f"Rectangle area ({rectangle_length} x {rectangle_width}): {rectangle_area}")

Error Handling

def safe_division(numerator, denominator):
    """Perform division with error handling."""
    try:
        result = numerator / denominator
        return f"{numerator} ÷ {denominator} = {result}"
    except ZeroDivisionError:
        return "Error: Cannot divide by zero!"
    except TypeError:
        return "Error: Invalid input types!"

# Test error handling
test_cases = [(10, 2), (5, 0), (10, "2"), (15, 3)]

for num, den in test_cases:
    result = safe_division(num, den)
    print(result)

Key Learning Points

Python syntax is clean and readable
Dynamic typing makes variables flexible
List comprehensions provide powerful data processing
Functions promote code reusability
Error handling prevents program crashes

Exercises for Students

Create a function that finds the maximum number in a list
Write a program that counts vowels in a string
Implement a simple calculator with error handling
Create a class to represent a bank account with deposit/withdraw methods

Next: Explore data visualization with Python!

I, Oliver Bonham-Carter 👋

Associate Professor in The Department of Computer and Information Science, Allegheny College