Assignment: Introduction to Python

What is Python? Python is a high-level, interpreted programming language known for its simplicity and readability. It was created by Guido van Rossum and first released in 1991. Python's key features include:

Readability: Python's syntax is clean and easy to understand. Versatility: Python can be used for web development, data analysis, artificial intelligence, scientific computing, automation, and more. Extensive Libraries: Python has a rich ecosystem of libraries and frameworks such as NumPy, Pandas, Django, Flask, and TensorFlow. Community Support: Python has a large and active community that contributes to its development and provides extensive resources for learning and troubleshooting.

Use Cases Web Development: Using frameworks like Django and Flask. Data Science and Machine Learning: Utilizing libraries like Pandas, NumPy Automation and Scripting: Writing scripts for automating repetitive tasks. Scientific Computing: Using libraries like SciPy for complex computations.

Steps to Install Python Windows Download: Go to the Python website and download the latest version for Windows. Install: Run the installer and check the option to add Python to the PATH. Verify: Open Command Prompt and type python --version to verify the installation.

Setting Up a Virtual Environment Create Virtual Environment: python3 -m venv myenv

Activate Virtual Environment: Windows: myenv\Scripts\activate

Python Syntax and Semantics Hello, World! Program print("Hello, World!") print: A built-in function that outputs text to the console. "Hello, World!": A string literal enclosed in double quotes.

Data Types and Variables Basic Data Types int: Integer (e.g., 42) float: Floating-point number (e.g., 3.14) str: String (e.g., "Python") bool: Boolean (e.g., True or False) Examples

age = 25

price = 19.99

name = "Alice"

is_student = True

print(f"Name: {name}, Age: {age}, Price: ${price}, Is Student: {is_student}")

Conditional Statements age = 18 if age >= 18: print("You are an adult.") else: print("You are a minor.")

Loops

for i in range(5): print(i)

count = 0 while count < 5: print(count) count += 1

Functions in Python Functions are reusable blocks of code that perform a specific task. They help in organizing and modularizing code def add(a, b): return a + b

result = add(10, 5) print(f"Sum: {result}")

Lists Lists are ordered collections of items. numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] numbers.append(6) print(numbers)

Dictionaries Dictionaries are collections of key-value pairs. student = {"name": "Alice", "age": 25, "is_student": True} print(student["name"])

Exception Handling Exception handling allows you to manage errors gracefully without crashing the program. result = 10 / 0 except ZeroDivisionError: print("Cannot divide by zero.") finally: print("This block is executed no matter what.")

Modules and Packages Modules: Single Python files containing functions and classes. Packages: Directories of Python modules.

Using a Module import math

print(math.sqrt(16)) File I/O

Reading from a File with open("example.txt", "r") as file: content = file.read() print(content)

Writing to a File data = ["line 1", "line 2", "line 3"] with open("output.txt", "w") as file: for line in data: file.write(line + "\n")