[Guide] Intro to Python – Writing Your First Program

[Owen C137]

Intro to Python – Writing Your First Program

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Python is one of the most popular programming languages in the world. It’s simple to learn, beginner-friendly, and used in everything from web development to artificial intelligence.

In this tutorial, we’ll install Python, write your first program, and run it.

1. What is Python?​

• Python is a versatile, high-level programming language.
• It’s known for its easy-to-read syntax.
• It can be used for web apps, data analysis, games, automation, and more.

2. Installing Python​

1. Go to the official website: Download Python.
2. Choose the latest version for your operating system (Windows, Mac, or Linux).
3. During installation on Windows, tick the box that says **"Add Python to PATH"**.

3. Writing Your First Python Program​

Open a text editor (like Notepad, VS Code, or Sublime Text) and paste this:

print("Hello, World!")

• Save the file as hello.py (make sure the extension is `.py`).
• Open a terminal/command prompt.
• Navigate to the folder where you saved the file.
• Run:

  python hello.py

You should see:

Hello, World!

4. How This Works​

• print() is a built-in function that outputs text to the screen.
• Anything inside the quotation marks will be displayed.
• Every Python program starts with simple statements like this.

5. Doing More with Python​

Here’s an example with variables and user input:

name = input("What is your name? ")
print("Hello, " + name + "!")

• input() asks the user for information.
• We store it in the variable `name` and then print it back.

6. Next Steps​

Now that you can run Python programs:

• Learn about variables, loops, and conditions.
• Experiment with simple math:

  print(2 + 3)

• Check out the official Python tutorial for more.

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Congratulations! You’ve just written and run your first Python program. This is the first step into the world of programming — keep experimenting and building new things!