Introduction to Python Programming
A short, beginner-friendly guide — no prior programming experience needed
1. What Is Programming?
A computer only does exactly what it is told, nothing more. Programming is the act of writing precise instructions
— called code — that tell a computer what to do, step by step. Python is a programming language: a set of rules
for writing those instructions in a way both humans and computers can understand. Python is popular because its
syntax reads almost like plain English, making it a great first language.
Running Python
You write Python code in a file ending with .py (e.g. [Link]), then run it with an interpreter. You can also try code
instantly online (e.g. [Link]) without installing anything.
Your First Program
print("Hello, World!")
print() is a built-in function that displays text on the screen. Text wrapped in quotes is called a string.
2. Variables and Data Types
A variable is a named container that stores a value in memory, so you can reuse or change it later. Python
decides the data type automatically based on the value you assign.
name = "Dennis" # str (text)
age = 21 # int (whole number)
gpa = 3.75 # float (decimal number)
is_student = True # bool (True or False)
print(name, age, gpa, is_student)
print(type(age)) # shows the data type
Rules of thumb: variable names cannot start with a number, cannot contain spaces, and are case-sensitive (age and
Age are different).
Practice Exercise 1
1 Create variables for your name, your course, and your year of study, then print them all in one line.
2 Create a variable called num1 and num2, then print their sum, difference, and product.
3. Operators
Operators let you perform calculations and comparisons.
# Arithmetic
print(10 + 3) # addition -> 13
print(10 - 3) # subtraction -> 7
print(10 * 3) # multiplication -> 30
print(10 / 3) # division -> 3.333...
print(10 // 3) # floor division -> 3
print(10 % 3) # remainder (modulus) -> 1
print(10 ** 2) # exponent (power) -> 100
# Comparison (returns True/False)
print(10 > 3) # True
print(10 == 3) # False (== means "equal to")
4. Getting Input from the User
The input() function pauses the program and waits for the user to type something. It always returns a string, so
numbers must be converted using int() or float().
name = input("What is your name? ")
age = int(input("How old are you? "))
print("Hello " + name + ", next year you will be " + str(age + 1))
Practice Exercise 2
1 Ask the user for two numbers and print their sum.
2 Ask the user for their name and age, then print: "[name] is [age] years old."
5. Making Decisions: if / elif / else
Conditionals let a program choose different actions depending on whether something is True or False. Indentation
(spaces at the start of a line) is how Python knows which code belongs inside a block.
score = 65
if score >= 70:
print("Grade: A")
elif score >= 60:
print("Grade: B")
else:
print("Grade: C")
6. Repeating Actions: Loops
Loops let you repeat code without rewriting it. A for loop repeats a fixed number of times (or over a collection of
items). A while loop repeats as long as a condition stays True.
# for loop
for i in range(1, 6):
print("Count:", i)
# while loop
total = 0
n = 1
while n <= 5:
total = total + n
n = n + 1
print("Sum 1 to 5 =", total)
Practice Exercise 3
1 Write a for loop that prints all even numbers from 2 to 20.
2 Write a while loop that keeps asking the user to enter a password until they type "python123".
7. Functions
A function is a reusable block of code that performs a task. You define it once with def, then call it whenever
needed. Functions can accept inputs (parameters) and send back a result (return value).
def greet(name):
return "Hello, " + name + "!"
def add(a, b):
return a + b
print(greet("Dennis"))
print(add(4, 7))
8. Lists and Strings
A list stores multiple values in one variable, in order, and can be changed after creation. A string is text, and can
be sliced or looped over like a list of characters.
fruits = ["apple", "banana", "mango"]
[Link]("orange") # add an item
print(fruits[0]) # apple (indexing starts at 0)
print(len(fruits)) # 4
for fruit in fruits:
print(fruit)
word = "python"
print([Link]()) # PYTHON
print(word[0:3]) # pyt (slicing)
Practice Exercise 4
1 Create a list of 5 of your favourite subjects and print each one using a for loop.
2 Write a function called is_even(n) that returns True if a number is even, and False otherwise.
3 Combine what you've learned: write a program that asks for 5 numbers, stores them in a list, and
prints the largest one.
9. Comments
Comments are notes for humans; Python ignores anything after a #. Use them to explain your code.
# This program calculates area of a circle
radius = 5
area = 3.14159 * radius ** 2
Next steps: Practice daily with small programs, get comfortable with errors (they are normal and part of learning), and
gradually explore dictionaries, file handling, and object-oriented programming once these basics feel natural.