Variables, Expressions,

Statements, Selection,
Repeatation, Functions
 Constants
• Fixed values such as numbers, letters, and strings, are called
“constants” because their value does not change
• Numeric constants are as you expect
>>> print(123)
• String constants use single quotes (') 123
or double quotes (") >>> print(98.6)
98.6
>>> print('Hello world')
Hello world
 Reserved Words
You cannot use reserved words as variable names / identifiers

False await else import pass

None break except in raise
True class finally is return
and continue for lambda try
as def from nonlocal while
assert del global not with
async elif if or yield
 Variables
• A variable is a named place in the memory where a programmer can store
data and later retrieve the data using the variable “name”

• Programmers get to choose the names of the variables

• You can change the contents of a variable in a later statement

x = 12.2 x 12.2
y = 14
y 14
 Assignment Statements
• We assign a value to a variable using the assignment statement (=)

• An assignment statement consists of an expression on the

right-hand side and a variable to store the result

x = 3.9 * x * ( 1 - x )
A variable is a memory location x 0.6
used to store a value (0.6)

0.6 0.6
x = 3.9 * x * ( 1 - x )

0.4

The right side is an expression.

0.936
Once the expression is evaluated, the
result is placed in (assigned to) x.
A variable is a memory location used to
store a value. The value stored in a x 0.6 0.936
variable can be updated by replacing the
old value (0.6) with a new value (0.936).
0.6 0.6
x = 3.9 * x * ( 1 - x )

0.4
The right side is an expression. Once the
expression is evaluated, the result is
placed in (assigned to) the variable on the
0.936
left side (i.e., x).
Expressions…
 Numeric Expressions
Operator Operation
• Because of the lack of mathematical
symbols on computer keyboards - we + Addition
use “computer-speak” to express the - Subtraction
classic math operations
* Multiplication
• Asterisk is multiplication / Division

• Exponentiation (raise to a power) looks ** Power

different than in math % Remainder
 Numeric Expressions
>>> xx = 2 >>> jj = 23
>>> xx = xx + 2 >>> kk = jj % 5 Operator Operation
>>> print(xx) >>> print(kk)
+ Addition
4 3
>>> yy = 440 * 12 >>> print(4 ** 3) - Subtraction
>>> print(yy) 64 * Multiplication
5280
>>> zz = yy / 1000 4R3 / Division

>>> print(zz) 5 23 ** Power

5.28 20 % Remainder

3
 Order of Evaluation
• When we string operators together - Python must know which one
to do first

• This is called “operator precedence”

• Which operator “takes precedence” over the others?

x = 1 + 2 * 3 - 4 / 5 ** 6
 Operator Precedence Rules
Highest precedence rule to lowest precedence rule:

• Parentheses are always respected Parenthesis

Power
• Exponentiation (raise to a power) Multiplication
Addition
• Multiplication, Division, and Remainder
Left to Right
• Addition and Subtraction

• Left to right
Exercise

Write a program to prompt the user for hours

and rate per hour to compute gross pay.

Enter Hours: 35
Enter Rate: 2.75

Pay: 96.25
Conditional Execution
 x=5
Conditional Steps
Yes
x < 10 ?

No print('Smaller') Program:
Output:
x = 5
Yes if x < 10: Smaller
x > 20 ? print('Smaller') Finis
if x > 20:
No print('Bigger') print('Bigger')

print('Finis')

print('Finis')
 Comparison Operators
• Boolean expressions ask a Python Meaning
question and produce a Yes or No < Less than
result which we use to control
program flow <= Less than or Equal to
== Equal to
• Boolean expressions using >= Greater than or Equal to
comparison operators evaluate to > Greater than
True / False or Yes / No
!= Not equal
• Comparison operators look at
variables but do not change the Remember: “=” is used for assignment.
variables
 Comparison Operators
x = 5
if x == 5 :
print('Equals 5') Equals 5
if x > 4 :
print('Greater than 4') Greater than 4
if x >= 5 :
Greater than or Equals 5
print('Greater than or Equals 5')
if x < 6 : print('Less than 6') Less than 6
if x <= 5 :
print('Less than or Equals 5') Less than or Equals 5
if x != 6 :
print('Not equal 6') Not equal 6
 One-Way Decisions
x = 5 Yes
print('Before 5') Before 5 x == 5 ?
if x == 5 :
print('Is 5') Is 5 No print('Is 5’)
print('Is Still 5') Is Still 5
print('Third 5')
Third 5 print('Still 5')
print('Afterwards 5')
print('Before 6') Afterwards 5
if x == 6 : Before 6 print('Third 5')
print('Is 6')
print('Is Still 6')
print('Third 6')
print('Afterwards 6') Afterwards 6
Exercise

Rewrite your pay computation to give the

employee 1.5 times the hourly rate for hours
worked above 40 hours.

Enter Hours: 45
Enter Rate: 10

Pay: 475.0
475 = 40 * 10 + 5 * 15
Exercise

Rewrite your pay program using try and except so

that your program handles non-numeric input
gracefully.

Enter Hours: 20
Enter Rate: nine
Error, please enter numeric input

Enter Hours: forty

Error, please enter numeric input
Loops and Iteration
 n=5 Repeated Steps
Output:
No Yes Program:
n>0? 5
n = 5 4
print(n) while n > 0 : 3
print(n)
n = n – 1 2
n = n -1 print('Blastoff!') 1
print(n) Blastoff!
0
Loops (repeated steps) have iteration variables that
print('Blastoff') change each time through a loop. Often these iteration
variables go through a sequence of numbers.
 n=0 Another Loop
No n> Yes
0? n = 0
while n > 0 :
print('Lather')
print('Lather')
print('Rinse')
print('Rinse') print('Dry off!')

print('Dry off!') What is this loop doing?

 A Simple Definite Loop
5
for i in [5, 4, 3, 2, 1] :
print(i)
4
print('Blastoff!') 3
2
1
Blastoff!
 A Definite Loop with Strings
Happy New Year: Joseph
friends = ['Joseph', 'Glenn', 'Sally'] Happy New Year: Glenn
for friend in friends : Happy New Year: Sally
print('Happy New Year:', friend)
print('Done!')
Done!
Functions
 Python Functions
• There are two kinds of functions in Python.

- Built-in functions that are provided as part of Python - print(),

input(), type(), float(), int() ...

- Functions that we define ourselves and then use

• We treat function names as “new” reserved words

(i.e., we avoid them as variable names)
 Function Definition
• In Python a function is some reusable code that takes arguments(s)
as input, does some computation, and then returns a result or
results

• We define a function using the def reserved word

• We call/invoke the function by using the function name,

parentheses, and arguments in an expression
 Building our Own Functions
• We create a new function using the def keyword followed by
optional parameters in parentheses

• We indent the body of the function

• This defines the function but does not execute the body of the
function

def print_lyrics():
print("I'm a lumberjack, and I'm okay.")
print('I sleep all night and I work all day.')
 print("I'm a lumberjack, and I'm okay.")
print_lyrics(): print('I sleep all night and I work all day.')

x = 5
print('Hello')

def print_lyrics():
print("I'm a lumberjack, and I'm okay.") Hello
print('I sleep all night and I work all day.')
Yo
print('Yo') 7
x = x + 2
print(x)
 Definitions and Uses

• Once we have defined a function, we can call (or invoke) it

as many times as we like

• This is the store and reuse pattern

Exercise

Rewrite your pay computation with time-and-a-

half for overtime and create a function called
computepay which takes two parameters ( hours
and rate).

Enter Hours: 45
Enter Rate: 10

Pay: 475.0
475 = 40 * 10 + 5 * 15