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Python

Basics of Python

Installing Python Setting up a Development Environment Writing and Running Your First Python Program Python's Syntax and Indentation

Variables and Data Types

Variables in python Numeric Data Types (int, float) Text Data Type (str) Boolean Data Type (bool) Type Conversion (Casting) Dynamic Typing in Python

Control Flow

Conditional Statements (if, elif, else) Comparison Operators Logical Operators Loops (for and while) Loop Control Statements (break and continue)

Functions

Defining Functions Function Parameters and Arguments Return Statements Scope and Lifetime of Variables Lambda Functions Recursion

Data Structures

Lists and List Operations Dictionaries and Dictionary Operations Tuples Sets List Comprehensions Dictionary Comprehensions

File Handling

Opening and Closing Files Reading and Writing Text Files Handling Exceptions in File Operations

Modules and Libraries

Importing Modules Commonly Used Standard Libraries External Libraries: NumPy and Pandas Installing and Managing Libraries with pip

Error Handling

Exceptions in Python Handling Exceptions with try and except Custom Exceptions
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Setting up a Development Environment

Setting up a Development Environment

To begin your journey with Python programming, it's important to set up a development environment. This environment includes a code editor and possibly some additional tools to help you write, test, and debug your Python code. In this section, we will cover the steps to set up a basic Python development environment.

1. Choosing a Code Editor

A code editor is a fundamental tool for writing Python code. There are several options available, both simple and advanced. Here are a few popular choices:

  • IDLE: This is Python's built-in Integrated Development and Learning Environment. It comes with Python, so you don't need to install anything separately.

  • Visual Studio Code: A free and open-source code editor developed by Microsoft. It supports Python with various extensions available.

  • PyCharm: A powerful Python-specific IDE developed by JetBrains. It offers a community edition that's free to use.

  • Jupyter Notebook: A web-based interactive computing environment that's great for data science and education.

For this tutorial, we'll use Visual Studio Code, a versatile code editor with a Python extension that provides useful features for Python development.

2. Installing Visual Studio Code

Follow these steps to install Visual Studio Code:

  1. Visit the Visual Studio Code download page at code.visualstudio.com.

  2. Download the installer for your operating system (Windows, macOS, or Linux).

  3. Run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions.

3. Installing Python Extension

Visual Studio Code offers extensions that enhance its functionality for different programming languages. To make Python development easier, you should install the Python extension. Here's how:

  1. Open Visual Studio Code.

  2. Click on the Extensions icon in the left sidebar or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+X (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+X (macOS).

  3. In the search bar, type "Python" and press Enter.

  4. Look for the official Python extension developed by Microsoft, and click the "Install" button.

4. Creating a Python Project

Once you have your code editor and the Python extension ready, you can start creating Python projects. To create a new Python project:

  1. Open Visual Studio Code.

  2. Click on "File" in the top menu and select "New File" to create a new Python file (use the ".py" file extension).

  3. Start writing your Python code in the file.

  4. Save the file with a .py extension (e.g., my_program.py) in a directory of your choice.

With these steps, you've successfully set up your Python development environment. You now have a code editor with Python support, ready to write and run Python programs. In the next section, we'll write our first Python program.

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