Introduction to Python

Python is a high-level, interpreted programming language that is widely used for various purposes such as web development, scientific computing, and data analysis.

Setting up Python

To start with Python, you need to have it installed on your computer. You can download the latest version from the official Python website.

Basic Syntax

Python's syntax is simple and easy to read. Here is a basic example of a Python program:

print('Hello, World!')

Variables and Data Types

In Python, you can assign a value to a variable using the assignment operator (=). Python has several built-in data types such as integers, floats, strings, lists, tuples, and dictionaries.

x = 5
y = 10
print(x + y)

Control Structures

Control structures are used to control the flow of a program. The most common control structures in Python are if-else statements and for loops.

x = 5
if x > 10:
    print('x is greater than 10')
else:
    print('x is less than or equal to 10')

Functions

Functions are reusable blocks of code that take arguments and return values. Here is an example of a simple function:

def greet(name):
    print('Hello, ' + name)
greet('John')