Python Bootcamp - C4Dlab

SCI labs, University of Nairobi Nov 24th 2013 Kenny Rachuonyo

Introduction to Python
Features of Python

Simplicity - pseudocode Free and Open Source - community High-level no low-level mngt Interpreted run from source Object-Oriented simple to use Extensible C/C++

Features (cont.)

Embeddable games, graphics, Extensive Libraries (batteries included) data compression, OS, Networking, Internet, Multimedia, Graphics

Python in the Industry

Web

Google Youtube, backend tasks.. Reddit news aggregation site Disqus commenting service Numerous web frameworks django, Zope, webapp2, web.py, pyramid, flask

Python in the Industry

Desktop

Games Counterstrike, Civilization IV Cinema 4D Graphics Dropbox GUI frameworks PyGTK, PyQT,

Python in the Industry

Scientific Computing

NASA Packages: Scipy, Numpy, Matplotlib,

Python in the Industry

Mobile

Nokia Symbian Series 60 Android Scripting Layer for Android Blackberry Kivy cross-platform: iOS, Android, Linux, Windows, Mac

Python Basics

The interpreter

Installation Windows (set path)

Datatypes: int, str, float, lists, tuples, dictionaries Basic I/O

Python Basics

Variables

Dynamically-typed vs statically-typed
>>> x = 1 >>>y = hello

Strongly-typed
>>> x + y

Type function
>>> type(x)

Integer vs float
>>> z = 1.0

Python Basics
Operator + / * ** % Operation Addition Subtraction Division Multiplication Power Modulus

Python Basics

How will this be evaluated?

>>>X = 1 + 2 3 ** 4 * ( 5+6)

Python Basics

Operator Precedence rules Parenthesis Power Multiplication Addition Left-to-right

Python Basics

Integer division
>>> 4/2 >>> 5/2

Mixing integer and floats

>>> 5/2.0

Casting between integer and floats

>>> float(5) >>>int(5.0)

Python Basics
Strings sequence of characters
>>> s = hello world

Looking inside
>>> s[0]

Concatenation
>>> s = hello + world

Finding length
>>> len(s)

Slicing
>>> s = s[0:5]

Python Basics
Handy String functions

find
>>> s.find('e')

Replace
>>> n = s.replace('e', 'a' )

Make upper, lower

>>> u = s.upper()

Python Basics

Get the second word 'world' by slicing

>>> hello, world[x:y]

Python Basics
Lists collection of values

Declaring
>>> l = list() >>> l = []

Can hold different types

>>> l = [1, 'a', [2, 3], 4] >>> l[2]

Appending
>>> l.append('an item') >>>del(l[2])

Python Basics
Lists collection of values

Getting length
>>> len(l)

Slicing
>>> l[1:4]

Converting between strings and lists

>>> strlist = this is a string.split('s') >>> z.join(strlist)

Python Basics

Append an item to the list within the list

>>> l = [1, 'a', [2, 3], 4] >>> l = [1, 'a', [2, 3, 5], 4]

Python Basics

Handy functions Sum

>>> sum([2, 3, 4])

Max
>>> max([2, 3, 4])

Min
>>> min([2, 3, 4])

Python Basics
Dictionaries key, value pairs Associative array, hash table

Declaring
>>> d = dict() >>> d = {}

Setting a value
>>> d[event] = bootcamp >>> d = {event : bootcamp }

Getting a value
>>> d[event]

Python Basics
Mutability

Mutable can change

Lists, dictionary Strings, tuples

Immutable cannot change

Try set, del..

Python Basics
Casting numbers and strings

Strings and numbers

>>> int(234) >>> str(234)

Python Basics

Importing modules
>>> import math >>> math.sqrt(4) >>> from math import sqrt >>> sqrt(4)

dir() function
>>> dir(math)

Python Basics

Basic I/O
>>> name = raw_input() >>> name = raw_input(Name: )

Input numbers:
>>>age = raw_input(Age: ) >>>age = int(raw_input(Age: ))

Modules

Interactive mode vs modules Indentation

Boolean Values

True
>>> 1 < 2

False
>>> 1 > 2

Also evaluate to False:

, [], {}, 0

Loops

While loop while condition is true

x=0 while x < 10: print x x=x+1

For loop loops over items

words = ['this' , 'is', 'a', 'list'] for w in words: print w

Loop over strings, dictionaries.. Range() function

>>> range(3) >>> range(0, 10, 2)

Functions

Defining functions
def say_hello(): print hello

Calling functions
say_hello()

Parameters
def sub(a, b): s=a-b return s sub(b=3, a=2)

Functions

Commenting in Python
def sub(a, b): d = a b #subtracts b from a return d

Doc strings
def sub(a, b): this functions takes in 2 integers and returns their difference d=ab return d

File I/O

Writing to a file
f = open('text.txt', 'wb') f.write('This is a line.\n') f.close()

Reading a file
f = open('text.txt', 'rb') stream = f.read() f.close()

Accessing the Web

Establishing a connection

sockets GET, retrieve a webpage POST, save data

fopen = urllib.urlopen(http://www.google.com) data = fopen.read()

Requests and Responses

Download a webpage

Demo

Web demo Scientific computing

Next Steps

Intermediate topics:

Classes and objects in Python Regular Expressions Exceptions etc

Python on Appengine Python user group

Resources

Official Python Docs tutorial

http://docs.python.org/2/tutorial/

A byte of Python
http://www.swaroopch.com/notes/python/

Think like a Computer Scientist

http://www.openbookproject.net/thinkcs/python/english2e/