write a script in python

Guri Bee

3 min read

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17-10-2024

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Writing Your First Python Script: A Beginner's Guide

Python is a versatile and popular programming language often lauded for its readability and ease of use. It's an excellent choice for beginners and seasoned developers alike. In this article, we'll guide you through writing your first Python script, covering the fundamentals and essential concepts.

1. Setting the Stage: Understanding the Basics

• What is a Python script? A Python script is a text file containing a series of Python instructions that the computer can execute. These instructions tell the computer what to do, similar to a recipe telling you how to bake a cake.

• What do you need?

  • A Text Editor: You can use any text editor like Notepad (Windows), TextEdit (macOS), or a dedicated code editor like VS Code or Sublime Text.

  • Python: Download and install the latest version of Python from https://www.python.org/.

2. Creating Your First Script

Let's start with a simple "Hello World" script:

print("Hello, world!")

1. Save the Script: Open your text editor and paste the code. Save the file with a .py extension (e.g., hello.py).

2. Run the Script: Open your terminal or command prompt, navigate to the directory where you saved the file, and execute the script using the following command:

   python hello.py 
   

   You should see "Hello, world!" printed on your terminal.

3. Exploring Basic Concepts

Let's break down the code above:

• print(): This is a built-in function in Python that displays the specified text on the screen.

• "Hello, world!": This is a string literal, meaning it's a sequence of characters enclosed in double quotes.

4. Expanding Your Script: More Functionality

Let's make the script more interactive by asking the user for their name:

name = input("What is your name? ")
print("Hello,", name + "!")

• input(): This function prompts the user to enter text and stores it in the name variable.

• name + "!": Here, we concatenate the name variable with an exclamation mark to personalize the greeting.

5. Diving Deeper: Variables and Data Types

• Variables: Variables are used to store data in a Python script. They act like containers that hold different kinds of information.

• Data Types: Different types of data are handled in Python. Here are some common ones:

  • Integers: Whole numbers (e.g., 10, -5)
  • Floats: Decimal numbers (e.g., 3.14, -2.5)
  • Strings: Textual data (e.g., "Hello", "Python")
  • Booleans: Logical values (True or False)

Example:

age = 25  # Integer
height = 1.75 # Float
city = "New York" # String
is_student = False # Boolean

6. Adding Comments:

Comments are used to explain your code and make it easier to understand. In Python, you use the hash symbol (#) to start a comment:

# This is a comment. It's ignored by the interpreter.
print("This line will be executed.")

7. Beyond the Basics: Working with Libraries

Python has a vast collection of libraries that offer a wide range of functionality. To use a library, you need to import it into your script:

import math

radius = 5
area = math.pi * radius ** 2
print("The area of the circle is:", area)

• import math: This line imports the math library, which contains mathematical functions like pi.

8. Further Exploration and Resources:

• Python Documentation: This is the official documentation for Python.
• Python Tutorial: A comprehensive beginner-friendly tutorial.
• W3Schools Python Tutorial: Another excellent resource for learning Python.

Key Takeaways:

• Writing Python scripts is a straightforward process involving defining instructions, saving them in a file, and executing them.
• Mastering basic concepts like variables, data types, and functions is crucial for building more complex scripts.
• Libraries provide additional functionality and make programming more efficient.

Remember, practice is key! The more you write and experiment, the more comfortable you'll become with Python. So, keep exploring, experimenting, and building your own unique scripts!