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Introduction to Python |
Python |
Python is a general-purpose programming language suitable for a wide variety of tasks in the digital humanities. Learning Python fundamentals is a gateway to analyzing data, creating visualizations, composing interactive websites, scraping the internet, and engaging in the distant reading of texts. This workshop first introduces participants to core programming concepts such as data types, variables, and functions. Participants will then learn about basic control flow by writing small programs with loops and conditional statements. They will also learn to problem solve, and practice searching for answers and debugging scripts. The workshop wraps up by exposing participants to intermediate tools for further exploration. |
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This workshop is meant to be interactive--it intends to immediately engage you with the concepts you are learning. To that end, all of the Python programming you will learn about can be done here, directly in your browser. Throughout the workshop, you will encounter several designated code sections in which you can write and run your Python code. These emulators are meant to allow you quick and easy access to coding principles. However, there are many ways to interact with Python, and you will also learn about how to interact with your Python installation locally on your machine.
With that said, let's get started!
One of the most basic ways to interact with Python is through an "interactive session." This is a special space that allows us to run little one-line bits of Python, experimenting and exploring what it can do, without having to save it. Think of this interactive space as a playground. Later on, we will be working with Python in a more robust way, executing longer Python scripts.
An interactive session, otherwise known as the REPL (Read-Evaluate-Print Loop), is a basic environment that takes single user inputs, executes them, and returns the results to the user. A typical REPL environment in the terminal looks as follows:
Python 3.7.6 (default, Jan 8 2020, 13:42:34)
[Clang 4.0.1 (tags/RELEASE_401/final)] :: Anaconda, Inc. on darwin
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>>As you can see, it first shows the current Python version along with some hints for help or licensing information. Next, you will see three very important greater-than signs: >>>.
These greater-than symbols >>> are how you know that you have entered an interactive session with Python, as distinct from the normal $ terminal prompt (or % if you are on MacOS). Let's work with this environment a bit.
Let's try a little math in the Python prompt. In the Python REPL environment below (shown in green text), type the following mathematical operations after the Python prompt (the >>>), and hit enter or return after each operation.
>>> 2 + 3
>>> 14 - 10
>>> 10 * 10
>>> 6 / 3
>>> 21 % 4The first four operations above are addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, respectively. The last operation is modulo, or mod, which returns the remainder after division.
Note the way you interact with Python at the prompt. After entering an expression such as 2 + 3, Python "evaluates" it to a simpler form, 5, and then prints out the answer for you. This process is what is meant by the Read Eval Print Loop, or REPL. Reading takes commands from you, the input is evaluated or run, the result is printed out, and the prompt is shown again to wait for more input.
The REPL is useful for quick tests and, later, can be used for exploring and debugging your programs interactively. As mentioned, you might consider it a kind of playground for testing and experimenting with Python expressions.
Although we have provided you with an emulated REPL environment to work with here in your browser, you can also begin an interactive session locally in your own computer's terminal or command prompt. If you have Python installed, you simply need to open your terminal and type:
$ pythonat the prompt and hit enter. This will start the Python REPL environment, and you can interact it with it just as you did with the math example above. You can get out of Python by hitting control + d (or control + z or control + z + enter if you're on a computer running Windows) or by typing exit(). You can get back in the REPL again by typing python at the regular $ prompt.
Remember that you're in the Python REPL when you see >>>, and you're in bash or your terminal when you see the $.
One operator (math symbol) we didn't learn is the exponent—e.g., "x raised to the power of..." If you were Guido van Rossum, the creator of Python, how would you define this operator?
The exponent operator is two asterisks. For example, the number 3 to the power of 2 would be expressed as 3**2.
What are the characteristics of the REPL? Select all that apply.
- The REPL has a prompt that begins with `$`. - The REPL has a prompt that begins with `>>>`.* - The REPL and the terminal are the same thing. - The REPL can be used to evaluate mathematical expressions like `2 + 2`.*Do you remember the glossary terms from this section?
- REPL REPL stands for Read, Eval, Print, Loop. It is also known as the Python Interpreter or Interactive Shell, and it refers to a Python environment that processes your code as soon as you press enter. First, it **Reads** your code, then **Evaluates** what you wrote, then **Prints** the result (if there is a result), and finally **Loops** back to the initial prompt, allowing the user to start the loop again.The REPL is useful for testing code on the fly, seeing if it works or what will happen. Since the REPL doesn't save your data after each session, though, you need a text editor to write and save longer scripts. Think of the REPL as a sandbox or playpen for exploring Python commands and expressions in the moment.
To use the REPL, just type python into your interpreter. You'll know you're there when you see the three >>>. To get out of the REPL, press control-d or type quit().
Types are classifications that let the computer know how a programmer intends to use a piece of data. You can just think of them as, well, types of data.
We've already seen one type in the last section with our math examples: the integer. In this section, we'll learn four more: the floating point number, the string, the boolean, and the list.
In the Python REPL environment below, write the following commands one line at a time, hitting enter after each to see the result.
>>> type(1)
>>> type(1.0)
>>> type("Hello there!")
>>> type(True)
>>> type([1, 2, 3])What do you suppose is happening here? Well, each of the responses show how the different types of data register as different "types" for Python:
Integers (like 1 above) are whole numbers.
Floats (like 1.0 above) are numbers with decimals, and are treated a little differently than integers.
Strings (like "Hello there!" above) are arbitrary sets of characters, such as letters and numbers. You can think of them as a way to store text.
Booleans: (like True above) is a fancy term for values representing "true" and "false," or "truthiness" and "falsiness." In Python they are always capitalized: True and False.
Lists: (like [1, 2, 3] above) are ordered collections of values. You can put any of the other types in a list: ["hello", "goodbye", "see ya later"] is also a valid list.
Don't worry about trying to actively remember these types. We'll be working with each in turn in the following sections.
Using the Python REPL, find 1) the type of ("12"), and 2) the type of (["dog", 13, 3.0]). What do you think the results will be for each?
type() is a function. You can think of functions in Python in a few different ways:
- A way of doing something in Python.
- A way of saving some code for reuse.
- A way of taking an input, transforming that input, and returning an output. The input goes in the parentheses
().
These are all valid ways of thinking about functions. We'll be learning more about functions in later sections.
- REPL The REPL is an interactive environment for writing and running Python code. It stands for Read-Evaluate-Print Loop.-
Function Functions are a way of doing something in Python. They can be used to save code for reuse, or to take an input, transform that input, and return an output.
-
Method Methods are functions that are attached to a specific object. For example, the string method
upper()is attached to the string"hello", and can be called by writing"hello".upper().
Open your web browser, and google the phrase "python function." Skim through the first few results. What words do you recognize, and which ones look unfamiliar? What do you think the unfamiliar ones mean? Try to rephrase some of this new language, and guess what they mean in your own words.
When you google "python function," you may see some phrases that look unfamiliar, like "return value" or "pass parameters." These are advanced terms for inputting and outputting data from a function. It's important to become familiar with Python's terminology about functions, as it will be helpful later on when you start working with these components.Select all the following that accurately describe the data type categories.
- Booleans represent only `True` or `False` values.* - Integers can be expressed with numbers like `1` or letters `one`. - Strings can contain numbers within quotations, like `"1"`.* - Lists can contain strings, like `['banana, 'coffee', 'eggs']`.*Do you remember the glossary terms from this section?
A variable is a symbol that refers to an object, such as a string, integer, or list. Try each of the following commands in order in the Python REPL below, hitting enter after each:
>>> x = 5
>>> x
>>> y = "hello"
>>> y
>>> y + " and goodbye"As you can see from the examples above, the = sign lets you assign symbols like x and y to data.
Variables can be longer words as well, and they can be set to lists. For instance, type the following into the REPL:
>>> books = ['Gender Trouble', 'Cruising Utopia','Living a Feminist Life']
>>> books
>>> type(books)...you can see that we have assigned the list variable books three different book items to work with.
Variables can have letters, numbers, and underscores, but should generally start with a letter.
If you are curious about learning more about naming conventions for variables, you can check out the PEP8 style guide's section on Naming Conventions. PEP8 is the widely accepted guide for Python programmers everywhere.
So I just told you that variables shouldn't start with a number. What does that even mean? Will your computer explode if you write 1_book = "Gender Trouble"?
Only one way to find out. Try giving weird names to variables and see if you can learn a bit about the rules:
When creating variable statements in Python, you have to follow specific rules. Python processes code from left to right, and the order of elements is important.-
Avoid starting a variable name with numbers or special characters. For instance, names like 1_book, 1book, or those with special characters like @, #, $, etc., are not permitted in Python. Always initiate a variable with a letter and refrain from using special characters.
-
After starting with a letter, you can include numbers in the variable name, like book_1 or b1. However, the use of special characters at any point in the variable name is not allowed.
-
Remember that the syntax for a variable mandates writing the variable name first, followed by an equal sign (=), and then the value or data. Starting the variable statement with the data value is not allowed. Python interprets the first item written as the one to be assigned, and the data after the equal sign is what becomes attached to the preceding variable.
Select all the variable expressions that are allowed in Python.
- `1 = one` - `one = 1`* - `$$$ = "dollar_signs"` - `first_book = "Orlando"`*Do you remember the glossary terms from this section?
So far, you've interacted with Python one line at a time in the REPL. This is what we call the Interactive Mode, which is, as we mentioned, like a playground for experimenting and exploring different Python expressions, such 2 + 2 or type("some stuff"). The code that we write in the REPL is not saved after you exit the terminal, which means that this space is for running Python expressions and not for writing longer programs.
For the rest of this session, we're going to expand beyond the REPL to write and execute longer programs. To do this, we will begin to work with a code editor, where we write out lengthier Python scripts.
You may be tempted to copy and paste code from this workshop into your code editor. It's important to remember that you will learn more by typing out the code yourself. Typing out the code will help you remember it better, and it will help you learn the syntax of Python. There is a kind of muscle memory that comes with typing out code, and it's important to develop that muscle memory as you learn to program.
In the case of large blocks of code, you may copy and paste, but make sure you understand what the code is doing before you do so.
To open the code editor, click the Open Editor button below. Then, type the following line into the code editor and click the RUN button in the slide-out panel:
print("Hello World!")You should see the text Hello World! appear in the output below the code editor in the shell.
Congratulations! You've written your first script. That's a big deal!
Rewrite your program so that you assign the "Hello World!" message to a variable, then print the variable. This will make your program two lines instead of one. There's a fancy programmer word for rewriting your code without changing its behavior—"refactoring."
Your code should look something like this:
```python greeting = "Hello World!" print(greeting) ```Then, when you run the code, you should see the following output:
```console Hello world! ```What are the differences between the terminal, REPL, and text editor? Select the correct statement from the below options.
- You can run scripts from the **terminal** that were written on the text editor.* - The **REPL** allows you to save scripts for later use. - The **text editor** allows you to test code on the fly.Do you remember the glossary terms from this section?
Broadly defined, a function is a block of reusable code that performs a specific task. Often, a function takes an input, transforms the input, and returns an output. Imagine, for instance, a penny press at a popular tourist attraction that accepts a penny (the input), flattens and embosses the penny (the transformation), and spits out an elongated coin with a new design, perhaps an image of the Statue of Liberty (the output)!
Or, for those of you who remember high school algebra, the function f(x) = x + 1 means that given an input x, the function will return x + 1. For example, if I substituted 2 for x, my function would read f(2) = 2 + 1, or f(2) = 3. In this case, my input was 2, the transformation was to add 1, and the output was 3. Pick the analogy that works best for you, but the important thing to remember is that a function takes an input, performs an operation, and returns an output.
Let's write a Python function that prints the output from our algebraic equation f(x) = x + 1 before. Try writing the code below into the editor, and remember not to copy and paste.
def add_one(x):
print(x + 1)
add_one(2)As output, you should get the number 3. Let's break this code down to understand how it works.
First, we create a function:
def add_one(x):
print(x + 1)When creating a function:
- We write
def(short fordefine) before our chosen function name. - We choose a descriptive function name following Python naming conventions, such as
add_onein this case. - We always need a closed parentheses
()after our function name, indicating the input parameters which in this case we are callingx. We can name this parameter whatever we want, as long as we use the same name within the body of the function. - Then, we end the first line with a
:, and indent by 2 spaces for the body of the function. In this case, we want the function toprintthe result of adding1to our input, orx. Remember, we need parentheses every time we print something!
Next, if we want to call our function, we will need to actually pass in an argument to see a result. To do so, we write the following line of code below our function (making sure this next line isn't indented):
add_one(2)Here, we are calling our function and telling the computer to pass in 2 to see if we get our expected output of 3.
To see the magic of the function in action, try adding extra lines of code that call the function with different arguments in the code editor, like the following:
add_one(155)
add_one(5)
add_one(-1)Do you notice how the function printed the sum of each of these numbers plus one? Writing this function helped us to automate this simple process of addition for each given input! Granted, creating a whole function just to add "one" to something may seem unnecessarily complicated, but once you have learned the basics of function-writing, the possibilities are powerful and limitless!
Note that writing a function this way only prints the result, but does not actually return it. Read more about the difference between print and return here. If we wanted our function to actually perform the operation AND print it, we could revise our code as follows:
def add_one(x):
return x + 1
print(add_one(2))Our functions do not have to be "mathematical" in nature. Let's say that I wanted to say a friendly hello, but didn't want to type out a long sentence every time I wanted to do so. We could automate this process with a function. In the code editor, write the following lines:
def greet():
print("Hello! How are you today?")
greet()First we define our greet() function, and add a line to print to the screen. Lastly, we call the function so it will run. You might have noticed that this time, we didn't pass in an argument! Note that a function can take zero inputs (or arguments), or it can take several arguments. There is a lot of flexibility involved in writing your own functions, which you can craft carefully to do exactly what you want them to! Read more about some of the many things you can do with functions on the online web tutorial W3Schools.
How could we change our greeting function to say hello to a specific person? Hint: your print statement will need to use string interpolation. We did this in the "Variables" section when we assigned y to "hello" y = "hello", and then added y + " and goodbye", which yielded the result "hello and goodbye".
Which of the following are not true about a function?:
- A function can be reused - A function can take any number of arguments (including no arguments) - A function needs to be called in order to run - A function can only perform mathematical operations*Our usual response when seeing an error on a computer screen is a stress response. Our heart rate elevates and our frustration mounts. This is because many error messages are not useful or informative, and because we often have no capability to fix the program in front of us.
In Python specifically, and programming in general, errors are our friends. This might be hard to accept initially, but the errors you see when running Python scripts generally do a good job of pointing you to what's going wrong in your program. When you see an error in Python, therefore, rejoice! Errors are a sign that you are learning.
In Python, there are two kinds of errors you will encounter frequently. One appears before the program runs, and the other appears during the execution of a program.
Syntax errors: When you ask Python to run a program or execute a line in the REPL, it will first check to see if the program is valid Python code—that is, that it follows the grammatical or syntactical rules of Python. If it doesn't, before the program even runs, you'll see a syntax error printed out to the screen.
As an example, type the following in the Python REPL below:
print('This string has mismatched quotes.")
You should receive an error: SyntaxError: unterminated string literal, which points out that our line has faulty syntax. Note the caret (^) underneath the mismatched quote, helpfully pointing out where the error lies. Similarly, if this error happened when running a script, Python would tell us the filename and the line number for the line on which the error occurs.
Traceback errors: These errors occur during the execution of a Python program when the program finds itself in an untenable state and must stop. Traceback errors are often logical inconsistencies in a program that is valid Python code. A common traceback error is referring to a variable that hasn't been defined, as below.
As an example, type the following in the Python REPL:
print(not_a_variable)
You should receive a Traceback error, indicating that we have not declared the variable not_a_variable. Traceback errors try to tell you a little about what happened in the program that caused the problem, including the category of error, such as NameError or TypeError.
Debugging is a fancy word for fixing problems with a program. Here are some common strategies for debugging a program when first learning Python:
If the error is a syntax error:
- Look at where the caret is pointing.
- Pay attention to grammatical features such as quotes, parentheses, and indentation.
- Consider reading the program, or the offending line, backward. It's surprising, but this often helps to detect the issue.
If the error is a traceback error:
- First look at the line where the error occured, then consider the general category of error. What could have gone wrong?
- If the error is a name error (NameError), check your spelling.
- Try copying the last line of the error and pasting it into Google. You'll often find a quick solution this way.
If you changed the program and expect a different output, but are getting old output, you may not have saved the file. Go back and make sure the file has been correctly saved.
In the Python REPL below, try to create as many errors as you can in the next few minutes. After getting your first two syntax errors, try instead to get traceback errors. Some areas to try include mathematical impossibilities and using math operations on types that do not support them.
Some examples of syntax errors include...
- Starting the variable name with a special character:
- Starting a variable by writing the data values before the variable:
- Including spaces in a variable:
Some examples of traceback errors include...
- Concatenating data types, like strings and integers:
- Using Booleans (
TrueorFalse) without capitalizing them:
greeting = False
greeting False
</Secret>
## Evaluation
If you get an error, what can you do to debug it? Select all that apply:
<Quiz>
- If it's a _syntax error_, look for the caret as a starting point.*
- If it's a _traceback error_, make sure all your variables are defined.*
- Copy the error message into a Google search.*
- Check for spelling errors in your code.*
</Quiz>
### Keywords
Do you remember the glossary terms from this section?
- [Syntax Errors](https://github.com/DHRI-Curriculum/glossary/blob/v2.0/terms/syntax_error.md)
- [Traceback Errors](https://github.com/DHRI-Curriculum/glossary/blob/v2.0/terms/traceback_error.md)
# Lists
Remember lists? They look like this:
```python
books = [1, '57', True]
Let's create a list together and print it out. In the code editor, write the following lines:
books = ['Gender Trouble', 'Cruising Utopia', 'Living a Feminist Life']
print(books)You should see the list printed out in the output.
Let's try out another built-in function, called len(), which returns the number of items in a list or the number of characters in a string.
Take a look at the code provided for you in the editor below:
books = ['Gender Trouble', 'Cruising Utopia', 'Living a Feminist Life'] # print(books) list_length = len(books) print(list_length)First, we have our list of books from before. Next, we "comment out" the print(books) statement with the hashtag #, which tells Python to ignore that line of code. Comments are not read by the interpreter and are only for us humans.
Next, let's break down this unfamiliar line of code: list_length = len(books)
- First, we have saved a list of books to the variable,
books. - Second,
list_length = len(book)takes thebooksvariable from the previous line as an argument (or input data) for thelen()function. That's whybooksis within the parentheses. This syntax means that Python will run thelen()function on the items inbooks. Then, it sets the result of that process to a new variable, calledlist_length. - Finally, we print the
list_lengthvalue.
This might appear a bit complex at first, but if you read the line slowly you should be able to connect the dots.
Notice that when you run the code above, you don't see the books list printed out. That's because that line has become a comment. If you put a # (hash or pound) at the beginning of a line, that line will be ignored.
A useful property of a list is the list index. This allows you to pick out an item from within the list by a number starting from zero:
For instance, add the following lines of code to the program below:
books = ['Gender Trouble', 'Cruising Utopia', 'Living a Feminist Life']
print(books[0]) # Gender Trouble
print(books[1]) # Cruising UtopiaIndexing lets us get at individual items from a particular list. Note that the first item in the list is item[0]. The second item is item[1]. That's because counting in Python, and in almost all programming languages, starts from 0.
Additionally, you can print out the last item in a list using negative numbers, where -1 denotes the last item in the list. For instance, if you were to add:
print(books[-1]) # Living a Feminist Lifeto the books program, it would print the last item in the books list. -2 would print the second to last item, -3 the third to last, and so on.
There are many things you can do with list indexing, like slicing. Slicing consists of taking a section of a list, using the list index to pick out a range of list items. For example, you could take out the first two items of a list with a slice that begins with 0 and ends with 2.
The slice syntax consists of square brackets, start point and end point, and a colon to indicate the gap in between. This should print out the first two items of your list. Go ahead and add the following line to the code below to see slicing in action:
books = ['Gender Trouble', 'Cruising Utopia', 'Living a Feminist Life']
print(books[0:2])Note a couple of things. First, the start point is inclusive, meaning that Python will include the [0] item in your range, and the end point is exclusive, so Python won't print the [2] item. Instead, it will print everything up until that [2] item.
For ultimate brevity, you can also write this expression as:
print(books[:2])The empty value before the colon allows Python to assume the range starts at the first list item, at [0]. You can also end the slice with :, if you want the list range to include all subsequent items until the end of the list.
The example below will print everything from the second item to the end of the list.
print(books[1:])With a list that contains three items total, list slicing might not seem very impressive right now. However, this will become a powerful tool once we get to more sophisticated text analysis and start to encounter lists that contain hundreds (or thousands!) of items.
In the editor, make a list of books with at least 5 books. Make sure the total number of books in the list is an odd number. How do you get python to print out the book in the middle of the list? What about the three books in the middle? Remember that the first value in a slice is inclusive, and the final value is exclusive.
```pycon >>> books = ['Gender Trouble', 'Cruising Utopia', 'Living a Feminist Life', 'Radiant Textuality', 'The Undercommons']books[2] # ['Living a Feminist Life']
books[1:4] # ['Cruising Utopia', 'Living a Feminist Life', 'Radiant Textuality']
</Secret>
## Evaluation
How would you get Python to print the length of the last book in the list? Hint: this number reflects the length of the _string_ which is the last item in the list. Choose the correct expression from the options below.
<Quiz>
- `len(books)`
- `print(books[-1])`
- `print(len[-1])`
- `print(len(books[-1]))`*
</Quiz>
### Keywords
Do you remember the glossary terms from this section?
- [list](https://github.com/DHRI-Curriculum/glossary/blob/v2.0/terms/list.md)
- [list indexing](https://github.com/DHRI-Curriculum/glossary/blob/v2.0/terms/list_indexing.md)
- [len()](https://github.com/DHRI-Curriculum/glossary/blob/v2.0/terms/len.md)
# Loops
What if we want to print out each item in the list separately? For that, we'll need something called a _loop_.
Add the following lines of code to the editor:
```python
books = ['Gender Trouble', 'Cruising Utopia', 'Living a Feminist Life']
for book in books:
print("My favorite book is " + book)
What's happening here? This kind of loop is called a "for loop", and tells Python: "for each item in the list, do something." Let's break it down:
for <variable name> in <list name>:
<do something>Indented code like this is known as a "code block." Python will run the <do something> code in the code block once for each item in the list. You can also refer to <variable name> in the <do something> block.
You can also loop through items within a string. Type the following code into the editor to see the result:
for letter in "hello":
print(letter)The result should print out each letter of the string hello, one by one.
In this section, we've discussed books in the context of a list. Why do we use the variable name books in this section for our list of book names? Why not just use the variable name x, or perhaps f?
While the computer might not care if our list of books is called x, giving variables meaningful names makes a program considerably easier to read than it would be otherwise. Consider this for loop:
y = ['Gender Trouble', 'Cruising Utopia', 'Living a Feminist Life']
for x in y:
print(x)Which is easier to read, this for loop or the one used in the previous example?
When variable names accurately reflect what they represent, and are therefore meaningful, we call them semantic. Always try to create semantic variable names whenever possible.
- Here's a list of numbers:
prime_numbers = [2, 3, 5, 7, 11]Write some code to print out the square of each of these numbers. Remember that the square of a number is that number times itself. The solution is below, but you're not allowed to look at it until you've tried to solve it yourself for 3.5 minutes. (Seriously! That's 210 seconds.)
- Look up a new concept—"f-string" (a formatting technique for strings)—on Google and, using the code editor above, use it to write a loop that gives the following output:
The square of 2 is 4.
The square of 3 is 9.
The square of 5 is 25.
The square of 7 is 49.
The square of 11 is 121.Note: the "f-string" is a new string formatting method for Python 3. You can read more about this new string formatting method.
- To get the square of the elements in the list
prime_numbers, you can:
for num in prime_numbers: print(num * num)
</Secret>
2. Using "f-strings" to output the list of results in the challenge would look something like this:
<Secret>
```python
prime_numbers= [2,3,5,7,11]
for num in prime_numbers:
print(f"The square of {num} is {num * num}")
What are different ways for describing what a "for loop" can do?
- for each item in a list, multiply it against itself.* - print the contents of a list.* - add a new item to a list. - loop through characters in a string.*Do you remember the glossary terms from this section?
Conditionals allow programs to change their behavior based on whether some statement is true or false. Let's try this out by writing a script that will give different outputs (book titles) based on a specified field of study. Type the following into the code editor:
field = "Media Studies"
if field == "Media Studies":
print("Grammophone, Film, Typewriter")
else:
print("I don't know what field you're talking about! I'm just a little program...")First, we set a variable field to the string "Media Studies", representing the chosen field of study.
Let's break down the if statement:
- Check to see if the variable
fieldis equivalent to the string "Media Studies". - If true, execute the code block and print the string "Grammophone, Film, Typewriter".
- If false, print a default message.
- It's important to note at this point the use of the double equals sign
==inifstatements. The double equals is an equality operator, and it checks to see if the two values on either side are equivalent. - Contrast this with the single equals that you've already seen,
=, which is an assignment operator, that assigns a value to a variable.
In the line field = "Media Studies", you are using the assignment operator = to set the variable's value to "Media Studies", (a string) while in the if statement, you're using the equality operator == to check if the field is equivalent to "Media Studies".
You'll also notice the inclusion of a new line, the else statement. The else statement handles any inputs that aren't "Media Studies", and the program merely prints out that it doesn't know what you should bring. You can think of else like a fail-safe that catches variables not directly accounted for.
Try this script out both with the variable set to "Media studies" and the variable set to some other value, representing another field of study.
What if we want our program to handle more fields of study, giving different messages for each one? Other cases after the first if statement are handled with elif, which is a shortened version of else if. Add the following code into the editor:
field = "Media Studies"
if field == "Media Studies":
print("Grammophone, Film, Typewriter")
elif field == "Critical University Studies":
print("The Undercommons")
elif field == "Textual Scholarship":
print("Radiant Textuality")
else:
print("I don't know what field you're talking about! I'm just a little program...")Now, if you were to change the field variable, you could run other blocks of code. You can add as many elif statements as you need, meaning that conditionals in Python have one if statement, any number of elif statements, and one else statement that catches any input not covered by if or elif. Over the next sections, we'll work on improving this little application, making it able to handle user input directly.
Add two more elif statements to the program to make it better able to handle different potential fields of study. Change the field of study a couple of times, making sure to save after each change, to test out your code.
if field == "Media Studies": print("Grammophone, Film, Typewriter") elif field == "Critical University Studies": print("The Undercommons") elif field == "Textual Scholarship": print("Radiant Textuality") elif field == "Critical Race Studies" print("The New Jim Crow") elif field == "DH Methodologies" print("Algorithmic Criticism") else: print("I don't know what field you're talking about! I'm just a little program...")
</Secret>
## Evaluation
What is the difference between the double equals (`==`) and single equals (`=`)?
<Quiz>
- The double equals checks to see if one value is equivalent to the other, as in `2 == 2`.*
- The double equals assigns the value on the right to the variable on the left, as in `x == 2`.
- The single equals checks to see if one value is equivalent to the other, as in `2 = 2`.
- The single equals assigns the value on the right to the variable on the left, as in `x = 2`.*
</Quiz>
### Keywords
Do you remember the glossary terms from this section?
- [if-Statement](https://github.com/DHRI-Curriculum/glossary/blob/v2.0/terms/if_statement.md)
# Working With Input
### Taking Input
Python allows you to take input directly from the user using the `input()` function.
Let's try it out by setting the function to a variable, which we will call `greeting`. In the REPL below, write the following line of code:
```pycon
>>> greeting = input()
When you press enter, you should see a pop-up asking for input. Type in your favorite greeting. I'm going to type hey you!. Then, press enter.
Next, write greeting into the REPL. You should see something like the following appear:
>>> greeting = input()
>>> greeting
hey you!Python has saved your input text to the variable greeting. When you type in greeting, it will print out that input text. Pretty nifty, right?
You can play around with input() by adding some prompt text within the parenthesis. Whatever you put inside the parenthesis, enclosed by quotes, will prompt the user to type in their text, which is then assigned to the variable set to input(). Sounds complicated, so give it some practice with the REPL.
For instance, if we were to type the following:
>>> feelings = input('How are you feeling today?')We can answer with like a rollercoaster of emotions. Then, when we type in our variable feelings and press enter, we'll get our input printed back at us.
>>> feelings = input('How are you feeling today?')
>>> feelings
'like a rollercoaster of emotions'Remember this loop?
field = "Media Studies" if field == "Media Studies": print("Grammophone, Film, Typewriter") elif field == "Critical University Studies": print("The Undercommons") elif field == "Textual Scholarship": print("Radiant Textuality") else: print("I don't know what field you're talking about! I'm just a little program...")Now, that we understand a bit about how input() works, let's use it to improve our book application. We are going to use input() to ask for the field before displaying the output. To do this, add one more line of code in the editor above that sets the field variable to an input(). Make sure you include a little prompt that asks the user what book they want to select or read that day.
if field == "Media Studies": print("Grammophone, Film, Typewriter") elif field == "Critical University Studies": print("The Undercommons") elif field == "Textual Scholarship": print("Radiant Textuality") else: print("I don't know what field you're talking about! I'm just a little program...")
</Secret>
## Evaluation
If we wanted to calculate the length of an input using `len()`, how would we write that expression?
<Quiz>
- `input() = len()`
- `response = len().input()`
- `len(input()) = length_of_response`
- `length_of_response = len(input())`*
</Quiz>
### Keywords
Do you remember the glossary terms from this section?
- [input()](https://github.com/DHRI-Curriculum/glossary/blob/v2.0/terms/input.md)
# Doing Things to Lists
Let's make our little book application a little more robust. We are going to create a list of books (remember lists?) that we can then manipulate in all sorts of ways.
First, create a new list in the code editor with at least three books that are important to your research right now. Shorten the titles to one or two words if need be. Let's call this list our `library`. Remember the proper syntax for creating a list includes square brackets with commas separating the list items. Because the items are strings, they should also be inside quotes. For instance, your code might look something like:
```python
library = ["Orlando", "Confessions of the Fox", "These Waves of Girls"]
Next, let's sort our library in alphabetical order. There's a handy method called sort() for doing just this kind of thing. What's a method, you might ask? Well, methods are very similar to functions, and you'll remember that functions are ways of doing things, like print() and type(). Methods are also ways of doing things, but these things are attached to what we call objects in Python. Objects are part of object-oriented-programming, and that's definitely not necessary to learn right now. Suffice it to say that methods are just like functions, that is, they are ways of doing things to your data.
To sort the list, use the sort() method on your list that you created above. Your code should look like this:
library = ["Orlando", "Confessions of the Fox", "These Waves of Girls"]
library.sort()
print(library)What happened here? Let's take it line by line. First, we created a list library with three items attached to it. Then, we applied the sort() method to the library list. Finally, we printed the library, which is now sorted in alphabetical order.
You'll see that we have a couple of new things happening with symbols.
- First, the period
.which is an operator in Python. The period operator is another part of object-oriented-programming, and it basically means that we are applying a task to whatever precedes the period. In this case, we are applying thesort()method to ourlibrarylist. It's kind of like attaching a function to ourlibrary. - Second, we have the parenthesis
()aftersort. You'll often use the parentheses to include what we call arguments that allow us to do more complex things to data. Let's see how an argument works with theappend()method.
What if we want to add items to the list? We can use the append() method for that. For instance, try the following:
You can see that we have added "La Frontera" as an argument to the append() method by putting the string between the parenthesis. It basically means that we will be appending this specific title to the library list.
When you print library, you should see your new book appear at the end of the list. Pretty cool, right? Go ahead and add a couple more books to your list.
What if you wanted to take out some of the books? We can use pop() to remove the last item, or "pop" it off, from our list.
The last item that you added to your list should be missing from the library when you print the list.
Remember the input() function from the last lesson? This challenge uses that function in combination with what you know about list methods to create a little library app. You will play around with the input button, asking the user what kinds of things they want to do with their library, and writing some code that does those things and prints out the results.
- Create a list of
librarybooks, with at least three books (you can use the same ones as before).
library = ["Orlando", "Confessions of the Fox", "These Waves of Girls"]- Then, add an input statement that will save the user's response to a variable, like
response.
response = input("What do you want to do with your books today?")- Now, create a conditional statement that matches the user's response to series of options for doing things to the
librarylist. We'll let them sort the library (sort()), add new items (append()), and remove the last item (pop()).
I'll do the first one, sort(), for you:
See how the order of statements build on each other toward the final product? First, we create a library of books. Then, we set the user's response about what to do with those books. Then, we create a conditional statement that matches the response to specific tasks. The first condition checks to see if the user wants to "sort" the books, then sorts them, then prints the final result.
Next, make your program pop() and append() in response to user input.
After adding a few more conditions, test out your code! You should have a little library app that sorts, adds, and removes books from your list.
```python library = ["Orlando", "Confessions of the Fox", "These Waves of Girls"] response = input("What do you want to do with your books today?") if response == "sort": library.sort() print(library) elif response == "add": library.append("La Frontera") print(library) elif response == "remove": library.pop() print(library) else: print("I don't know what you want me to do!") ```Select the following statements that truly describe sort(), append(), and pop().
Advanced question: If you sort() the library in between adding and popping a book, you'll end up with a different list than if you didn't run sort() in between append() and pop(). Can you guess why?
Do you remember the glossary terms from this section?
Our library app is working pretty well, but you may have noticed that it's case sensitive:
What do you want to do with your books today?
Sort
I don't know what you want me to do!
How could we fix our program to handle cases like this? We could add a bunch of new elif statements, like this:
...
elif response == "Sort":
library.sort()
print(library)
elif response == "SORT":
library.sort()
print(library)
...But this is a lot of work, and it's a pretty ugly solution. If we wanted to add more cases to our program, we would have to write them in twice every time, and it still wouldn't fix inputs like SorT. The best way to improve our program would be to convert the input to lower case before we send it to our if/else block.
Even if you're a super rad Python programmer, you're not going to remember every function name or how to do things you might not have touched in awhile. One thing programmers get very good at is googling for answers. In fact, this is arguably the most important skill in modern-day programming. So, let's use Google to find out how to convert strings to lower case.
Let's try the search term make string lowercase.
While Google searches change over time, some of your results likely come from a site called Stack Overflow. This is a questions and answers site for programmers that usually has strong answers to questions about Python.
On this Stack Overflow page, take a quick look at the question to make sure it's relevant to your problem. Then scroll down to the answers to find what we're looking for. You may also notice snarky debates—another "feature" of Stack Overflow.
According to one answer, we can make a string lowercase by adding .lower() to the end of it, like this:
>>> "SORT".lower()
'sort'Let's incorporate this transformation into our library app:
library = ["Orlando", "Confessions of the Fox", "These Waves of Girls"] response = input("What do you want to do with your books today?") response = response.lower() if response == "sort": library.sort() print(library) elif response == "add": library.append("La Frontera") print(library) elif response == "remove": library.pop() print(library) else: print("I don't know what you want me to do!")This new script should handle any combination of upper or lowercase characters. The new second line sets the response variable to a new value, response.lower(), which is a lowercase version of the original input.
There's no shame in googling for answers! Error messages are especially useful to google when you run into them. Keep an eye out for Stack Overflow answers, as they tend to have useful examples. The official Python documentation will also frequently come up, but I would recommend avoiding it as a resource until you have more programming experience. It's a great resource, but the way information is presented can be confusing until you get the hang of reading documentation.
Before moving on to the next section, complete the first challenge below. This challenge will teach the skills necessary to complete write more advanced scripts in this workshop.
Let's use a new type of loop, the while loop, to make our library app more interactive. We'll use a while loop to keep asking the user for input until they type exit.
A typical while loop looks like this:
while condition:
# do somethingWe are going to use while loops to get Python to repeat loops over and over again. This involves adding a new variable to use as a condition, and a while statement. The code should look like this, and it goes right after the library list and before your input statement.
keep_going = True
while keep_going == True:
...Make sure that everything under while True: is indented (this creates a "code block," or a group of lines that will be executed together). The while loop will keep running while the keep_going condition is True. Our plan is to make it so that when the user types exit, the keep_going condition will be False, and the loop will stop running.
Give it a shot! Try adding the condition and while loop to the program below:
Once you get the loop to work, you can add more elif statements to add more books to the list. Then, run the program, adding books, sorting them and removing them. You can read more about while loops here.
Here's how you would include a while statement in our library application:
Make sure to type "exit" to end the program and view the results of your commands.
If we wanted to make a string like 'hello' uppercase, we would use the method upper(), in the following way:
Do you remember the glossary terms from this section?
Early on, we learned a bit about lists, which look like this:
["Gender Trouble", "Cruising Utopia", "Living a Feminist Life"]We're going to create a small application that will print a random motivational saying every time a user presses enter. Our first step will be to create a list of positive sayings:
motivational_phrases = [
"Importing modules is easy!",
"Programming! Yay!",
"You write lists like a pro!",
]You're still using the same list format. Remember lists open with a square bracket [, have items separated with commas, and end with a square bracket ], like this:
[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]However, our positivity list above spreads the list out over multiple lines for greater readability, which is allowed in Python. Remember that you can change the strings in the list to whatever phrases you choose.
Now that we have our sayings, let's use it in conjunction with some functionality from a module that's built into Python: the random module.
First we need to import the module. In the code editor below, write the following line of code above our motivational phrases...
import random
...and the following line of code below our motivational phrases:
print(random.choice(motivational_phrases))
import random
motivational_phrases = [
"Importing modules is easy!",
"Programming! Yay!",
"You write lists like a pro!",
]
print(random.choice(motivational_phrases))Now, each time you run the code, you should see a different motivational phrase as output. The random.choice function chooses a random item from a list and returns it. The . syntax indicates that the function is coming from the random library.
The real point of this section is to learn import, which is where Python really starts to get interesting. Python comes with many libraries (importable collections of code), written by others that can be pulled into your program, allowing you to use that functionality. In this challenge, do a little research on Python libraries that might solve a problem for you or address a domain that you're interested in.
Think of something you're interested in doing (statistics, text analysis, web scraping, quantitative analysis, processing Excel/PDF/image files) and search google "thing you are interested in python library". You're almost certain to find some useful results. For example, if you wanted to find Python libraries for dealing with cleaning up HTML files, you might search one of these:
working with html python library
html parser python library
These libraries are usually installed with a tool called pip. You can read more about pip here.
In your research, you may also want to look at the libraries that come with Python. You can find a list of libraries in these libraries here.
What is a module? Select all that apply:
- A module is a file of code.* - Applications can incorporate many different modules.* - A module needs to be downloaded and installed. - A module needs to be imported with an `import` statement.*Do you remember the glossary terms from this section?
Objects in Python (and other programming languages) are basically containers that can hold data and/or functions inside them. When a function is inside an object, we usually call the function a "method." When data is inside an object, we usually call it an "attribute." The terminology isn't that important, though. What we do need to know is that you can access these "methods" and "attributes" with a . (a dot or period).
When we added sort(), append(), pop(), and lower() to our library app, we briefly saw how some methods contained inside certain objects in Python, like Lists (for sort, append, and pop), and String objects, like lower.
>>> loud_greeting = "HELLO!"
>>> loud_greeting.lower()
'hello!'Many, or most, objects in Python have methods that allow you to use them in different ways. As you move into using more advanced Python, you'll find that understanding what methods are available becomes more important.
When you encounter an object, how can you learn its methods and attributes so you can use them? There are two main ways. The first, and likely the most practical, is to read the documentation of the library you're using.
However, you can also use the dir() function, which will tell you which methods and attributes are available in an object.
Let's use the REPL for a moment. First, type the following line:
>>> s = 'Hello, world!'
Then, use the dir() function on s:
>>> dir(s)
You should get output like this:
['__add__', '__class__', '__contains__', '__delattr__', '__dir__', '__doc__',
...
'startswith', 'strip', 'swapcase', 'title', 'translate', 'upper', 'zfill']The above output shows some of the methods and attributes for Python strings that can be accessed using the dot (.) syntax. Also, be aware that Python doesn't print all the possible methods and attributes, just what it considers to be most important. Also, when using dir(), you'll mostly want to ignore the methods and attributes that have underscores around them. They mainly have to do with the internals of the Python language. For now, ignore the information within underscores (like __add__) and focus on the stuff surrounded by single quotes (like startswith).
You can also use dir() to see what functions are available from Python libraries that you import. Try importing the random library again and see what you get when you enter dir(random) in the REPL.
You should see something like this:
>>> import random
>>> dir(random)
['BPF', 'LOG4', 'NV_MAGICCONST', 'RECIP_BPF', 'Random', 'SG_MAGICCONST', 'SystemRandom', 'TWOPI', '_BuiltinMethodType', '_MethodType', '_Sequence', '_Set', '__all__', '__builtins__', '__cached__', '__doc__', '__file__', '__loader__', '__name__', '__package__', '__spec__', '_acos', '_bisect', '_ceil', '_cos', '_e', '_exp', '_inst', '_itertools', '_log', '_os', '_pi', '_random', '_sha512', '_sin', '_sqrt', '_test', '_test_generator', '_urandom', '_warn', 'betavariate', 'choice', 'choices', 'expovariate', 'gammavariate', 'gauss', 'getrandbits', 'getstate', 'lognormvariate', 'normalvariate', 'paretovariate', 'randint', 'random', 'randrange', 'sample', 'seed', 'setstate', 'shuffle', 'triangular', 'uniform', 'vonmisesvariate', 'weibullvariate']Try entering other objects based on Python types we've already learned to the dir() function. For example, you might try dir([1, 2, 3]) to see what methods are available when using lists.
Final Challenge
In this final challenge, we will work more with the random library. We'll use the random library to create a basic dice rolling program that will give us a random number between 1 and 6.
Take a look at the following code:
import random
# create a 'roll' function to return a random # between 1-6
def roll():
return random.randint(1, 6)
# roll the die and print the results
print(f'You rolled a {roll()}.')First, we import the random library into our program. Then, we create a roll function that returns a random number between 1 and 6. We'll use the randint function from the random library to generate a random number. The randint function takes two arguments, the minimum and maximum number that can be returned. We'll use 1 and 6 for the minimum and maximum numbers to create a standard die. To get at our result, we return the outcome of the function.
We'll then print the result of roll to see exactly what number we rolled. To do so, we use the f string formatting operator. f strings easily allow us to format a string with variables. The {} is where we'll put the result of calling roll.
If you run this code, you should see a random number generated between 1 and 6.
Starting with the code above, roll the die twice, storing each result. Using both rolls, write a simple program that prints each roll and compares them. If the first roll is greater than the second, print "First roll wins!" If the second roll is greater than the first, print "Second roll wins!". If the rolls are equal, print "Tie!".
```python import random # create a 'roll' function to return a random # between 1-6 def roll(): return random.randint(1, 6) die1 = roll() die2 = roll() print(f'The first roll is a {die1}.') print(f'The second roll is a {die2}.') if die1 > die2: print('First roll wins!') elif die2 > die1: print('Second roll wins!') else: print('Tie!') ```Congratulations on completing the Intro to Python workshop! So far, you've learned quite a bit about variables, functions, loops, modules, and other foundational concepts to further your Python journey. For next steps, consider our
suggested introduction to Python libraries, or trying some of the tutorials or projects listed below. Maybe you want to learn how to
clean text with Regex, or want to dig into web scraping with the Python library requests. Or, if you are interested in strengthening your foundational skills, read one of the most suggested (and free!) beginner Python book, How to Think Like a Computer Scientist - Python Edition. See a full list of our suggestions below.
While we have provided you with a code editor to work with here in the browser, when programming your own projects you will likely be working with a text editor and the terminal installed locally on your machine. First, let's begin with the text editor. Open your text editor of choice (such as Visual Studio Code) and create a new file with this line:
print("Hello world!")Save it with the name hello.py to a known location, such as your desktop. Open your terminal and move to the desktop directory:
$ cd DesktopOnce you're in the folder with your hello.py file, move to the terminal. Do not enter the Python Interactive Mode (the REPL), which is unnecessary to run python scripts. Instead, lookout for the $ symbol that lets you know you're in the terminal. (If you find yourself in the Interactive mode (>>>), then try exiting it with control + d. You should see the $ symbol, letting you know you're back in the terminal. If you still do not see the $ symbol, type exit() followed by enter after the Python prompt, >>>.)
Now that you're in the terminal, type the following, and press enter:
$ python hello.pyYou should see the text Hello world! appear as output in the terminal.
You might have noticed some suggestions pop up when you were typing in the code editor. This is a handy feature called "code completion", which is the computer trying to understand what you are typing and giving you quick suggestions. Many code editors have this feature and it can be useful to save you time and help you understand what a particular function needs as parameters.
Fundamentally, Python programs are just text files. You can write them in any text editor, like Visual Studio Code or Notepad on Windows. When you pass the text file to Python, it runs the code in the file one line at a time. There's nothing special about .py files—they're just regular text files. This makes them work well with command line tools like Git. The tools you can learn through the DHRI Curriculum—the command line, Git, markdown, grep—are all designed to work well together, and the medium through which they all work is plain text.
1. Which of the following is not true about a function? (Select one):
- A function can only perform mathematical operations.* - A function can be reused. - A function can take any number of arguments (including no arguments). - A function needs to be called in order to run.Revisit the Functions lesson to learn more.
2. What are the differences between the terminal, REPL, and text editor? Select the correct statement from the options below.
- You can run scripts from the terminal that were written on the text editor.* - The REPL allows you to save scripts for later use. - The text editor allows you to test code on the fly. - The REPL doesn’t allow you to test code on the fly.Revisit the Running Scripts lesson to learn more.
3. If we wanted to calculate the length of an input using len(), how would we write that expression? (Select one):
- length_of_response = len(input())* - input() = len() - response = len().input() - len(input()) = length_of_responseRevisit the Input lesson to learn more.
4. What is the difference between the double equals (==) and single equals (=)? (Select all that apply):
- The double equals checks to see if one value is equivalent to the other, as in 2 == 2.* - The single equals assigns the value on the right to the variable on the left, as in x = 2.* - The double equals assigns the value on the right to the variable on the left, as in x == 2. - The single equals checks to see if one value is equivalent to the other, as in 2 = 2.Revisit the Conditionals lesson to learn more.
5. Select all the variable expressions that are allowed in Python. (Select all that apply):
- one = 1* - first_book = "Orlando"* - 1 = one - $$$ = "dollar_signs"Revisit the Variables lesson to learn more.
6. Select all the following that accurately describe the data type categories. (Select all that apply):
- Booleans represent only True or False values.* - Strings can contain numbers within quotations, like "1".* - Lists can contain strings, like ["banana", 'coffee', 'eggs'].* - Integers can be expressed with numbers like 1 or letters one. - Lists can contain strings, like ['banana, 'coffee', 'eggs']. - Lists can contain strings, like ['banana', 'coffee', 'eggs'].*Revisit the Data Types lesson to learn more.
7. What are different ways for describing what a “for loop” can do? (Select all that apply):
- for each item in a list, multiply it against itself.* - print the contents of a list.* - add a new item to a list.* - loop through characters in a string.*Revisit the Loops lesson to learn more.
8. Select the following statements that truly describe sort(), append(), and pop(). (Select all that apply):
- methods are like functions which are attached to objects.* - append() always takes an argument.* - sort(), append(), and pop() are functions. - pop() can be applied to a string. - sort(), append(), and pop() are methods.*Revisit the Doing Things to Lists lesson to learn more.
9. What are the characteristics of the REPL? (Select all that apply):
- The REPL has a prompt that begins with >>>.* - The REPL can be used to evaluate mathematical expressions like 2 + 2.* - The REPL has a prompt that begins with $. - The REPL and the terminal are the same thing.Revisit the Interacting With Python lesson to learn more.
10. Why would someone use dir()? (Select all that apply):
- to examine a function like print().* - to see what can be done with an object, like a string or a list.* - to see what can be done with a variable that’s been assigned to a value.* - to examine a particular method, like sort().Revisit the Objects in Python lesson to learn more.
Hannah Aizenman, a former Digital Fellow, wrote up a great blog post introducing python "libraries," or collections of python code, for various project types, from creating a website, to getting, exploring, and visualizing data, and working with images, video, spreadsheets, among other ideas. Check out her suggestions in How Do I Solve (insert problem here) With Python?
- If you feel like you're ready for more tutorials, you should check out Google's Python Class, a solid introduction that also begins to explore intermediate concepts and modules.
- To begin using Python for manipulating and analyzing text based data, check out Python Programming for the Humanities, and jump straight into chapter 2.
- For those interested in more general computer science concepts, How to Think Like a Computer Scientist - Python Edition offers a good introduction to python.
- If you learn best by watching videos, Paul Vierthaler’s recorded and uploaded his DH class, Hacking the Humanities, to Youtube. Includes a general introduction to coding principles, introduction to python, with emphasis on text analysis, data manipulation, and web scraping.
- If you learn best by copying and practicing, Learn Python the Hard Way, by Zed A. Shaw, is an excellent a hands-on resource. Although the online and print book versions cost money, you can test out a sample for free.
- Automate the Boring Stuff contains many little projects for strengthening beginner and intermediate python skills. You might play around with regular expressions (or regex), which is a method for locating and manipulating certain patterns of text (think of it like a high powered
ctrl-F). Once you feel more comfortable with regex, you might write a program that organizes or renames the files on your computer. Just be sure to practice with a sample folder & files before moving on to your own documents! - Interested in web scraping (aka grabbing information from the web)?
The python library
requestshandles requests over the internet. See this handy step-by-step tutorial on Real Python. - Advanced Challenge: This is more complicated stuff, but if you're interested in working with CSV data and visualization techniques, you might check out Python libraries for data analysis, like Bokeh and Pandas. See Programming Historian's Visualizing Data with Bokeh and Pandas for a tutorial. To learn more about Pandas from the ground up, check out Learn Data Science's useful introduction.
- What kind of data types are available? What is the difference between a string and a list? Why do these differences matter?
- Describe the process of using both a text editor and a terminal to write and execute Python scripts.
- How do you write a program that can "make decisions" based on certain conditions? What are the parts that you would need?
- In what ways does the internet (using google) help someone to use and learn Python?
- What are "libraries" or "modules", where do they come from, and what are they used for?