Python Fundamentals

Learning Intentions:

1. Understanding the python interpreter
2. Understanding what is an expression in programming
3. Understanding what variables are and how they are used
4. Understanding the data types used by Python

LEARNING INTENTIONS:

1. Create our first computer program
2. Create a print statement that outputs Hello World
3. Save an input from a user (their name)
4. Create an customised output for the user (with their name)

LEARNING INTENTIONS:

1. Define and use an if statement in a text based program
2. Define and correctly use if elif else branching structure

if - statement: A block of code that runs if a condition is true. For example:

if ( x > 5):

      print('x is bigger than 5')

if-else statement: A block of code that specifies two different actions, one will take place if the condition is true, the other if the condition is false. 

if ( x > 5):

      print('x is bigger than 5')

LEARNING INTENTIONS:

1.  Define and use a for-loop to repeat a print statement any number of times

2.  Write a program which asks user for a number, and converts the user input into an integer. The program will then return a times table for that number

for loop:  a piece of code that runs itself repeatedly. For loops run through a range of numbers and so they run a limited number of times.

iteration: to use a loop to go through a list or a range, and perform an operation with each item in that list / range

LEARNING INTENTIONS:

1.  Define and use a for-loop to repeat a print statement any number of times

2.  Use the for loop and the looping variable to create a program that asks a user for a number and then returns a times table

GLOSSARY:

for loop:  a piece of code that runs itself repeatedly. For loops run through a range of numbers and so they run a limited number of times.

iteration: to use a loop to go through a list or a range, and perform an operation with each item in that list / range

LEARNING INTENTIONS:

• Add a counter to the factorisation program to count factors
• If the final factor count is 2 then declare the number to be prime

GLOSSARY:

factors:  Factors are numbers we can multiply together to get another number:

Example: 2 and 3 are factors of 6, because 2 × 3 = 6.

Factors come in pairs and prime numbers have only one pair of factors eg 11 can only be made from 1 × 11

remainder(%) : The % operator returns the remainder of a division of numbers so for example

5%2 = 1     5 divided by 2 leaves 1 remainder

10%2 = 0  10 divided by 2 is exactly 5 with zero remainder

prime number: a number that is only divisble by 1 and itself

LEARNING INTENTIONS:

1. Understand the concept of a functions
2. Create functions that do the following:

• perform a custom greeting
• add two numbers
• factorise a number

GLOSSARY:

function: function is a block of code that has a name and the entire block can be run just by calling the name of the function. Functions have the ability to take in information as well as to output information

parameters: these are inputs to a function

def functionName(parameter1, parameter2, parameter3) :

code to be executed is indented and goes here

returning a value: a function that has an output returns a value and the value that is returned is preceded by the return command

LEARNING INTENTIONS:

After this tutorial you will be able to:

1. Organize 3 of our previous programs using functions and a menu
2. Select appropriate names for your functions
3. Create a main function that gives an overview of the program

GLOSSARY:

function: function is a block of code that has a name and the entire block can be run just by calling the name of the function. Functions have the ability to take in information as well as to output information

parameters: these are inputs to a function

def functionName(parameter1, parameter2, parameter3) :

code to be executed is indented and goes here

returning a value: a function that has an output returns a value and the value that is returned is preceded by the return command

LEARNING INTENTIONS:

After this tutorial you will be able to: 

• Learn to use a reference list if built in string functions
• Apply the replace function to do some spell checking

LEARNING INTENTIONS:

• Create a list
• Access values in a list
• Change values in a list
• Add two lists together
• Multiply lists
• Check if a value is in a list
• Iterate through a list

GLOSSARY:

List (also called an array in other programming languages) is a tool that can be used to store multiple pieces of information at once. It can also be defined as a variable containing multiple other variables.

List index : is an integer which stands for the position of an item in the list so that 0 stands for the first item, 1 for the second, 2 for the third and so on 

1. Learn to use the list functions resource
2. Modify the factorisation program to do the following
   1. ask the user for a maximum number
   2. put all the prime numbers lower than this maximum into a list 
   3. print the list once this limit is reached

LEARNING INTENTIONS:

1. Create a dictionary
2. Add values to a dictionary
3. Change values in a dictionary

GLOSSARY:

Dictionary: In python a dictionary is a data structure consisting of paired pieces of information. This pairing is just like a word and a definition in a dictionary

LEARNING INTENTIONS:

In this tutorial you will do the following: 

1. Chose a username password combination
2. Write a program which checks the validity of the username
3. If valid the program checks for the validity of the password for that username
4. Upgrade the program to accept 2 different combinations

GLOSSARY:

Dictionary: In python a dictionary is a data structure consisting of paired pieces of information. This pairing is just like a word and a definition in a dictionary

While loop: a loop that depends on a condition. If the condition is true then the loop keeps running. The loop stops executing if the condition becomes false

LEARNING INTENTIONS:

In this tutorial we will learn to do the following:

1. Upgrade the program to accept unlimited usernames and passwords (use a dictioanary to store username:password)
2. Upgrade the program to ask the user again after the wrong username or wrong password (while loop)
3. Add a time delay to make the system resistant to brute force hacking

LEARNING INTENTIONS:

Write a program that does the following:

• Create a random number (1-100) and save it as an integer
• Write a code which allows the user to guess the number
• Create a too big / to small feedback for wrong answers
• Count the number of tries the user makes before succeeding

LEARNING INTENTIONS:

Write a program that does the following:

1. Asks a user how many rounds to play
2. Gives a __GO__ signal to the user after a random amount of time
3. Measures and prints how long the user takes to react to the signal
4. When the user requested number of rounds is played, the program prints out:
   1. the average reaction time
   2. tthe slowest reaction time
   3. the fastest reaction time
 

GLOSSARY:

import random: This allows us to create random numbers by importing the module where the randint() function is located

random.randint(min,max) This function takes in two integer parameters and creates a number greater or equal to min and less or equal to max

While loop: a loop that depends on a condition. If the condition is true then the loop keeps running. The loop stops executing if the condition becomes false

LEARNING INTENTIONS:

Write a program that does the following

1. Gets a sequence length from the user
2. Creates a random sequence
3. Shows user the sequence
4. Checks if the user can recall the sequence

LEARNING INTENTIONS:

Write a program that does the following 
1. Import a text file which contains all English words 
2. Strip the words of all punctuation 
3. Lowercase each word
4. create a list of all words in lower case
5. reverse each word and check if it remains the same 
6. all words that remain the same to be printed out 

palindrome a word, phrase, or sequence that reads the same backwards as forwards, e.g. madam or nurses run

punctuation For programming purposes these are all the characters that are not letters: !"#$%&\'()*+,-./:;<=>?@[\\]^_`{|}~’“”
punctuation needs to be cleared before we can process and analyse our text for palindromes