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Getting Started with Python Programming

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Getting Started with Python Programming

Python is one of the most popular programming languages today, known for its simplicity and versatility. Whether you're building web applications, data science projects, or automation scripts, Python is an excellent choice for beginners and experienced developers alike.

Installing Python

Windows

  1. Visit python.org
  2. Download the latest Python version
  3. Run the installer and check "Add Python to PATH"

macOS

# Using Homebrew
brew install python

# Or download from python.org

Linux

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3 python3-pip

# CentOS/RHEL
sudo yum install python3 python3-pip

Your First Python Program

Let's start with the classic "Hello, World!" program:

print("Hello, World!")

Save this as hello.py and run it:

python hello.py

Basic Python Concepts

Variables and Data Types

# Strings
name = "Alice"
message = 'Hello, ' + name

# Numbers
age = 25
height = 5.9

# Booleans
is_student = True
is_working = False

# Lists
fruits = ["apple", "banana", "orange"]
numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

# Dictionaries
person = {
    "name": "Alice",
    "age": 25,
    "city": "New York"
}

Control Flow

# If statements
age = 18
if age >= 18:
    print("You are an adult")
elif age >= 13:
    print("You are a teenager")
else:
    print("You are a child")

# Loops
# For loop
for fruit in fruits:
    print(fruit)

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

Functions

def greet(name):
    return f"Hello, {name}!"

def calculate_area(length, width):
    return length * width

# Using functions
message = greet("Alice")
area = calculate_area(10, 5)
print(f"Area: {area}")

Next Steps

  1. Practice: Write small programs to reinforce concepts
  2. Explore Libraries: Try popular libraries like requests, pandas, flask
  3. Build Projects: Start with simple projects like a calculator or todo list
  4. Join Communities: Participate in Python communities and forums

Resources

Happy coding!

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