Python

Getting Started with Python Programming

CodeMastery Team

Published on May 15, 2023 • 8 min read

Python is a versatile and powerful programming language that's perfect for beginners and experts alike. In this tutorial, we'll cover the fundamentals you need to start your Python journey.

What is Python?

Python is a high-level, interpreted programming language known for its simplicity and readability. Created by Guido van Rossum and first released in 1991, Python has grown to become one of the most popular programming languages in the world.

Python's design philosophy emphasizes code readability with its notable use of significant whitespace. Its language constructs and object-oriented approach aim to help programmers write clear, logical code for small and large-scale projects.

Installing Python

Before we can start coding, we need to install Python on your computer. Follow these steps:

1. Visit the official Python website at python.org
2. Download the latest version for your operating system
3. Run the installer and follow the setup instructions
4. Verify the installation by opening a terminal and typing python --version

Your First Python Program

Let's write the traditional "Hello, World!" program in Python:

# This is a simple Python program
print("Hello, World!")
                            

To run this program, save it as hello.py and execute it from your terminal with python hello.py.

Python Variables and Data Types

Python has several built-in data types. Here are the most common ones:

# String
name = "Alice"

# Integer
age = 25

# Float
height = 5.7

# Boolean
is_student = True

# List
fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]

# Print the variables
print("Name:", name)
print("Age:", age)
print("Height:", height)
print("Is student:", is_student)
print("Fruits:", fruits)
                            

Basic Operations

Python supports various mathematical operations:

# Basic arithmetic
a = 10
b = 3

print("Addition:", a + b)        # 13
print("Subtraction:", a - b)     # 7
print("Multiplication:", a * b)  # 30
print("Division:", a / b)        # 3.333...
print("Floor Division:", a // b) # 3
print("Modulus:", a % b)         # 1
print("Exponent:", a ** b)       # 1000
                            

Conclusion

Congratulations! You've taken your first steps into Python programming. In this tutorial, we covered:

• What Python is and why it's popular
• How to install Python
• Writing and running your first Python program
• Basic data types and variables
• Mathematical operations

In our next tutorial, we'll explore conditional statements and loops to make our programs more dynamic.