Python { AN IntroduCtion . default parameters . self documenting code Example for extensions: Gnuplot Hans Fangohr,
[email protected], CED Seminar 05/02/2004 ² The wc program in Python ² Summary Overview ² Outlook ² Why Python ² Literature: How to get started ² Interactive Python (IPython) ² M. Lutz & D. Ascher: Learning Python Installing extra modules ² ² ISBN: 1565924649 (1999) (new edition 2004, ISBN: Lists ² 0596002815). We point to this book (1999) where For-loops appropriate: Chapter 1 in LP ² ! if-then ² modules and name spaces Alex Martelli: Python in a Nutshell ² ² while ISBN: 0596001886 ² string handling ² ¯le-input, output Deitel & Deitel et al: Python { How to Program ² ² functions ISBN: 0130923613 ² Numerical computation ² some other features Other resources: ² . long numbers www.python.org provides extensive . exceptions ² documentation, tools and download. dictionaries Python { an introduction 1 Python { an introduction 2 Why Python? How to get started: The interpreter and how to run code Chapter 1, p3 in LP Chapter 1, p12 in LP ! Two options: ! All sorts of reasons ;-) interactive session ² ² . Object-oriented scripting language . start Python interpreter (python.exe, python, . power of high-level language double click on icon, . ) . portable, powerful, free . prompt appears (>>>) . mixable (glue together with C/C++, Fortran, . can enter commands (as on MATLAB prompt) . ) . easy to use (save time developing code) execute program ² . easy to learn . Either start interpreter and pass program name . (in-built complex numbers) as argument: python.exe myfirstprogram.py Today: . ² Or make python-program executable . easy to learn (Unix/Linux): . some interesting features of the language ./myfirstprogram.py . use as tool for small sysadmin/data . Note: python-programs tend to end with .py, processing/collecting tasks but this is not necessary.