Welcome to the world of Python! This tutorial is designed for new users who want to learn how to program using Python. Python is a simple, powerful, and widely used programming language that's great for beginners and professionals alike.
Python is an interpreted, high-level programming language that emphasizes code readability and simplicity. It's used for:
Go to the official Python website: https://www.python.org Download the latest version of Python (3.x is recommended). Follow the installation instructions. Make sure to check the box that says "Add Python to PATH" during installation.
Open your terminal or command prompt and type:
python --version
If Python is installed correctly, it will display the version number.
Let's write our first Python program. Open a text editor (like Notepad, VS Code, or any code editor), and write the following:
print("Hello, World!")
Save the file with a .py extension, for example: hello.py. Now, open your terminal or command prompt and run the program:
python hello.py
You should see the output:
Hello, World!
That's your first Python program! You just wrote and executed code.
Python uses indentation (spaces or tabs) to define blocks of code, not curly braces {} like in some other languages.
x = 10
if x > 5:
print("x is greater than 5")
else:
print("x is less than or equal to 5")
Output:
x is greater than 5
Python is dynamically typed, which means you don't need to declare the type of a variable when you create it.
name = "Alice"
age = 25
is_student = False
height = 5.8
print(name)
print(age)
print(is_student)
print(height)
Output:
Alice 25 False 5.8
Strings are sequences of characters. You can use single or double quotes.
greeting = "Hello, Python!"
print(greeting)
print(greeting.upper())
print(greeting.replace("Python", "World"))
Output:
Hello, Python! HELLO, PYTHON! Hello, World!
For Loop
for i in range(1, 6):
print(i)
Output:
1 2 3 4 5
While Loop
count = 0
while count < 5:
print(count)
count += 1
Output:
0 1 2 3 4
Python supports basic arithmetic operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
a = 10
b = 3
print("Addition:", a + b)
print("Subtraction:", a - b)
print("Multiplication:", a * b)
print("Division:", a / b)
print("Modulo:", a % b)
Output:
Addition: 13 Subtraction: 7 Multiplication: 30 Division: 3.3333333333333335 Modulo: 1
You can add comments to your code using the # symbol.
# This is a comment
print("This line is executed")
Functions are blocks of code that can be reused.
def greet(name):
print("Hello, " + name + "!")
greet("Alice")
greet("Bob")
Output:
Hello, Alice! Hello, Bob!
Try these simple exercises to reinforce your learning:
I wrote a flashcard game in python for learning python commands, you can download it here.
Once you download it use this command to start it: python3 pythoncommands.py
Now that you've learned the basics, you can explore:
You've taken your first steps into the world of programming. Keep practicing, and you'll be amazed at what you can build with Python!
If you have any questions or need help with anything, feel free to ask!
Happy coding!