VARIABLES,
FLOW CHARTS &
PSEUDOCODE
Recitation 01
OPERATORS
Python has many operators. Some examples
are:
+, -, *, /, %
DATA TYPES
In Python, all data has an associated data “Type”.
You can find the “Type” of any piece of data by
using the type() function:
type(‘Hi’)
type(True)
int & float
Python supports two different types of numbers,
Integers (int) and Floating point numbers (float).
Floating Point numbers have a fractional part (digits
after the decimal place), while Integers do not!
EFFECT OF DATA TYPES
Math operators work differently on Floats and
Ints:
int + int produces an int
int + float or float + int produces a float
TYPE CONVERSION
(CASTING)
Functions exist which will take data in one type and
return data in another type.
int() - Converts compatible data into an integer. This
function will truncate floating point numbers
float() - Converts compatible data into a float.
str() - Converts compatible data into a string
CASTING
int(3.3) produces 3 str(3.3) produces “3.3”
float(3) produces 3.0 float(“3.5”) produces 3.5
int(“7”) produces 7
int(“7.1”) Throws an ERROR!
float(“Test”) Throws an ERROR!
VARIABLES
Variables are names that can point to data.
They are useful for saving intermediate results
and keeping data organized.
VARIABLES
The assignment operator (=) assigns data to
variables.
When a variable is evaluated, it produces the
value of the data that it points to.
PROGRAM EXAMPLE
Find the area of a circle given the radius:
>>> Radius = 10
>>> pi = 3.14159
>>> area = pi * Radius * Radius
>>> print( area )
prints 314.15
USER INPUT
We can instruct Python to name = input(‘Who are you? ’)
pause and read data from the print('Welcome', name)
user using the input function Who are you? Chuck
Welcome Chuck
The input function returns a
string
CONVERTING USER INPUT
If we want to read a number inp = input(‘Europe floor?’)
from the user, we must usf = int(inp) + 1
convert it from a string to a print('US floor', usf)
number using a type
conversion function Europe floor? 0
Later we will deal with bad US floor 1
input data
FLOW CHARTS &
PSEUDOCODE
PROGRAMMING TOOLS
Flowchart
Pseudocode
FLOWCHARTS
Graphically depict the logical steps to carry out a task
and show how the steps relate to each other.
BASIC FLOWCHART SYMBOLS
Terminals
represented by rounded rectangles
indicate a starting or ending point
START
END
BASIC FLOWCHART SYMBOLS
Input/ Output Operations
represented by parallelograms
indicate an input or output operation
BASIC FLOWCHART SYMBOLS
Processes
represented by rectangles
indicates a process such as a mathematical computation or
variable assignment
PSEUDOCODE
Uses English-like phrases to outline the task in
an algorithm
COMMENTS
As programs get bigger and more complicated, they
get more difficult to read.
Formal languages are dense, and it is often difficult to
look at a piece of code and figure out what it is doing,
or why.
COMMENTS IN PYTHON
Comments start with the # symbol
#compute the area of a rectangle
area = width * height
PSEUDOCODE & ALGORITHM
Example 1:
Write an algorithm to determine a student’s final
grade and indicate whether it is passing or failing.
The final grade is calculated as the average of four
marks.
PSEUDOCODE & ALGORITHM
Pseudocode:
Input a set of 4 marks
Calculate their average by summing and dividing by 4
if average is below 60
Print “FAIL”
else
Print “PASS”
PSEUDOCODE & ALGORITHM
Detailed Algorithm
Step 1: Input M1,M2,M3,M4
Step 2: GRADE (M1+M2+M3+M4)/4
Step 3: if (GRADE < 60) then
Print “FAIL”
else
Print “PASS”
endif