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Learning to Program in Python


Synopsis


This book is a straightforward guide to the Python programming language and programming techniques. It covers all of the practical programming skills that may be required up to GCSE level and for those at AS Level with limited exposure to Python. It is suitable for both experienced programmers, students or individuals with very little or no programming experience in other languages.  It teaches basic syntax and programming techniques, and introduces three inbuilt Python modules: Tkinter, used for building a graphical user interface, which is an option that some users may like to include in their project work. SQLite, which enables the creation and processing of a database from within a Python program. This provides an alternative to writing to a text file when data needs to be stored and retrieved. pdb, Python's debugging module, which can be used to help find elusive logic errors.

P. M. Heathcote

Summary

Chapter 1: Getting Started with Python

* Introduces Python and its benefits.
* Explains how to install and run Python.
* Covers basic concepts like variables, data types, and operators.

Example:

```python
# Assign a number to a variable
num = 10

# Print the value of the variable
print(num)
```

Chapter 2: Input and Output

* Demonstrates how to get input from the user and display output.
* Covers string manipulation and formatted output.

Example:

```python
# Get user input as a string
name = input("Enter your name: ")

# Print a formatted string with the input
print(f"Hello, {name}!")
```

Chapter 3: Control Flow

* Introduces conditional statements (if-elif-else) and loops (for, while).
* Explains how to control the flow of execution in a program.

Example:

```python
# Check if a number is even
number = int(input("Enter a number: "))
if number % 2 == 0:
print("The number is even.")
else:
print("The number is odd.")
```

Chapter 4: Functions

* Defines and explains the concept of functions.
* Covers how to define, call, and use functions.

Example:

```python
# Define a function to calculate the area of a circle
def circle_area(radius):
return math.pi * radius2

# Call the function with a radius and print the result
print(circle_area(5))
```

Chapter 5: Data Structures: Lists and Dictionaries

* Introduces lists and dictionaries as data structures.
* Explains how to create, access, and manipulate data within them.

Example:

```python
# Create a list of numbers
numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

# Create a dictionary of names and ages
names = {"John": 25, "Jane": 30}
```

Chapter 6: File Handling

* Demonstrates how to read and write to files.
* Explains different modes of file handling and error handling.

Example:

```python
# Open a file for writing
with open("output.txt", "w") as f:
f.write("Hello, world!")

# Open the file for reading and display its contents
with open("output.txt", "r") as f:
print(f.read())
```

Chapter 7: Object-Oriented Programming

* Introduces the concepts of object-oriented programming (OOP).
* Explains classes, objects, inheritance, and polymorphism.

Example:

```python
# Define a class representing a Person
class Person:
def __init__(self, name, age):
self.name = name
self.age = age

# Create an object of the Person class
person = Person("John", 25)
```

Chapter 8: Exception Handling

* Explains how to handle errors and exceptions in Python.
* Covers different types of exceptions and how to catch and process them.

Example:

```python
try:
# Some code that may raise an exception
except Exception as e:
# Handle the exception and provide feedback to the user
print(f"Error: {e}")
```

Chapter 9: Advanced Python Features

* Discusses advanced concepts like generators, iterators, and context managers.
* Explores Python's built-in modules and packages.

Example:

```python
# Use a generator to iterate over a range of numbers
numbers = (x for x in range(10))
```

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