Python Basics

What is Python and what is it used for?

Python is a general purpose programming language created in the late 1980s and named after Monty Python.
People use python to make games, create web applications, compile data, solve business problems, etc.

Python Keywords

Keywords are reserved words that cannot be used as a variable name, function name or any other identifier.

Your code editor will highlight (most) keywords

Variables

Variable names can contain only letters, numbers and underscores. They can start with a letter or an underscore, but not with a number.
Spaces are not allowed in variable names, but underscores can be used to separate words in a variable names.
DO NOT use keywords and function names as variable names
Variable names should be short but descriptive

Variables are 'containers' for data. It holds a value. Basically they are Pointers (references) to data stored in Memory (RAM)

Creating a variable

Data Types

String
Number
List
Dictionary
Tuple
Boolean

String Data Type

A series of characters wrapped in 'quotes'

// Strings are wrapped between double quotes
"Hello World"

// or single quotes
'Hello Solar System'

// wrap literal single quotes in double quotes
"Hello Local Interstellar Cloud, i'm fine"

// wrap literal double quotes in single quotes
'Hello "Local Bubble", how are you?'

// or escape double quotes with a backslash \
"Hello Orion's \"Arm\""

// or escape single quotes with a backslash \
'Hello Virgo\'s Supercluster'

// concatenate strings
"Observble" + "universe"

// concatenate with a space
"Observble" + " " + "universe"

String Concatenation

Adding or combining strings together

// Strings are wrapped between double quotes
"Hello World"

// or single quotes
'Hello Solar System'

// wrap literal single quotes in double quotes
"Hello Local Interstellar Cloud, i'm fine"

// wrap literal double quotes in single quotes
'Hello "Local Bubble", how are you?'

// or escape double quotes with a backslash \
"Hello Orion's \"Arm\""

// or escape single quotes with a backslash \
'Hello Virgo\'s Supercluster'

// concatenate strings
"Observble" + "universe"

// concatenate with a space
"Observble" + " " + "universe"

Spacing with Tabs or Newlines

Using whitespace to organize your output

// Strings are wrapped between double quotes
"Hello World"

// or single quotes
'Hello Solar System'

// wrap literal single quotes in double quotes
"Hello Local Interstellar Cloud, i'm fine"

// wrap literal double quotes in single quotes
'Hello "Local Bubble", how are you?'

// or escape double quotes with a backslash \
"Hello Orion's \"Arm\""

// or escape single quotes with a backslash \
'Hello Virgo\'s Supercluster'

// concatenate strings
"Observble" + "universe"

// concatenate with a space
"Observble" + " " + "universe"