PYTHON IN 10 MINUTES INTRODUCTION TO PYTHON AND SETTING UP THE WORK ENVIRONMENT Python is a popular high level programming language known for its simplicity and readability It s used by developers all over the world to build everything from websites and web applications to data analysis tools and machine learning models In this chapter we ll go over the basics of setting up the Python environment and writing simple Python programs Installing Python The first step in setting up the Python environment is to install Python on your computer This can be done by visiting the official Python website https www python org and downloading the latest version of Python for your operating system Once the installer is downloaded run it and follow the prompts to install Python Be sure to check the box that says Add Python to PATH before installing as this will make it easier to run Python from the command line The Command Line Once Python is installed you can test the installation by opening a command line window also known as a terminal or console and typing python followed by the Enter key If everything is set up correctly you should see the Python interpreter appear along with the version number and the prompt The command line is a powerful tool that allows you to interact with your computer s operating system using text commands It s especially useful for running Python programs as well as other command line tools and utilities Writing a Simple Python Program Now that Python is installed and you have access to the command line you can start writing Python programs Open a new text file using your preferred text editor such as Notepad or Sublime Text and save it with a py extension e g hello world py In the text file enter the following code print Hello world This is a simple Python program that prints the string Hello world to the console To run the program save the text file and then navigate to the directory where it s saved using the command line Type python filename e g python hello world py and then press Enter If everything is set up correctly you should see the message Hello world appear in the console Congratulations you ve just written your first Python program Setting Up a Python Development Environment While it s possible to write and run Python programs using only the command line most developers prefer to use a more sophisticated development environment that provides features like syntax highlighting autocompletion and debugging tools One popular option is Visual Studio Code a lightweight but powerful code editor that can be easily customized for Python development To set up Visual Studio Code for Python development follow these steps 1 Download and install Visual Studio Code from the official website https code visualstudio com 2 Install the Python extension for Visual Studio Code by opening the Extensions view View Extensions and searching for Python 3 Configure Visual Studio Code to use the Python interpreter that you installed earlier This can be done by opening the Command Palette View Command Palette and typing Python Select Interpreter Select the interpreter that you installed in the previous step Now you re ready to start writing Python programs using Visual Studio Code Conclusion Setting up the Python environment can be a bit daunting for beginners but it s an essential step in learning to program with Python By following the steps outlined in this chapter you can get up and running with Python in no time As you continue to learn Python be sure to practice writing and running Python programs using both the command line and a development environment like Visual Studio Code This will help you become more comfortable with the language and set you up for success as you continue your coding journey Quote and Final Thoughts As the famous quote by Steve Jobs goes Computers are like a bicycle for our minds And Python is one of the best bicycles to start with With its simplicity and versatility Python can take you to many places from web development and data analysis to machine learning and artificial intelligence Setting up the Python environment is the first step in this exciting journey With the right tools and resources you can learn to harness the power of Python and unleash your creativity Here s a sample Python code that prints the first 10 numbers of the Fibonacci sequence Code Sample def fibonacci n if n 0 return elif n 1 return 0 elif n 2 return 0 1 else fib 0 1 for i in range 2 n fib append fib i 1 fib i 2 return fib print fibonacci 10 When you run this code it should produce the following output 0 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 34 Assigning Values to Variables and Basic Data Types in Python Introduction In this section we will cover the following topics Assigning values to variables Basic data types in Python Assigning Values to Variables In Python we can assign values to variables using the sign For example x 5 name John In the above example x is assigned the value 5 and name is assigned the string John Variables in Python do not have a specific type and can hold values of different types For example x 5 x Hello In the above example x is first assigned the value 5 an integer and then it is assigned the string Hello This is perfectly valid in Python and is known as dynamic typing Basic Data Types Python has several built in data types including Integers int e g 5 3 0 Floating point numbers float e g 3 14 0 0 0 5 Strings str e g Hello world Lists list e g 1 2 3 a b c Tuples tuple e g 1 2 3 a b c Dictionaries dict e g name John age 30 It is important to understand the difference between these data types as they have different properties and methods For example strings are sequences of characters and can be indexed and sliced whereas integers are single values and do not have these operations Understanding and Using Mathematical Operations in Python In this section we will cover mathematical operations in Python This is one of the fundamental concepts in programming Mathematical Operations Python supports various mathematical operations including 1 Addition 2 Subtraction 3 Multiplication 4 Division 5 Modulus 6 Exponentiation Example Addition 8 3 Subtraction 8 3 Multiplication 8 3 Division 8 3 Creating and Using Logic and Conditional Statements Here we will learn about the fundamentals of logic and conditional statements and how to create and use them in programming First let s start by understanding what logic statements are Logic statements are used to make decisions based on