So grab your favorite snack and let’s get started!
To set the stage, what is Python? Well, its a high-level, interpreted, object-oriented scripting language that was created by Guido van Rossum in the late 1980s. It has gained immense popularity over the years due to its simplicity and ease of use. In fact, according to the TIOBE Index for July 2021, Python is currently ranked as the third most popular programming language in the world!
Now that we know what Python is, Let’s roll with some basic syntax. First off, youll need to download and install Python on your computer or laptop (unless it came pre-installed). Once you have Python up and running, open up a text editor or an integrated development environment (IDE) like PyCharm or Visual Studio Code.
Next, let’s write our first program! Type the following code into your text editor:
# This line prints the string "Hello World" to the console
print("Hello World")
This line of code tells Python to print out “Hello World” when you run it. Save this file as `hello_world.py`, and then open up a terminal or command prompt (depending on your operating system) and navigate to the directory where you saved the file. Run the program by typing:
#!/bin/bash # This line specifies the interpreter to be used for executing the script, in this case, bash.
echo "Hello World" # This line prints out the string "Hello World" to the terminal.
# Save this file as `hello_world.sh` # This line is a comment, providing instructions for saving the file with the correct name.
# Open up a terminal or command prompt (depending on your operating system) # This line is a comment, providing instructions for opening a terminal or command prompt.
# Navigate to the directory where you saved the file # This line is a comment, providing instructions for navigating to the directory where the file is saved.
# Run the program by typing: # This line is a comment, providing instructions for running the program.
bash hello_world.sh # This line executes the script using the bash interpreter and the file name specified.
# Output: Hello World # This line is a comment, indicating the expected output of the script.
You’ve just written your first Python program, and it should output “Hello World” in your terminal or command prompt. Congratulations!
Now that you have a basic understanding of how to write code in Python, lets talk about some of the cool new features introduced in version 3.11 (which was released on October 4th, 2021). One of the most exciting additions is Task and Exception Groups, which simplify working with asynchronous code by allowing you to group related tasks or exceptions together for easier debugging and error handling.
Another new feature in Python 3.11 is native TOML support, which makes it much easier to work with configuration files. This means that you can now use the `toml` module instead of having to rely on third-party packages like `python-toml`.
Finally, there are several new typing features in Python 3.11 that improve its static typing support. For example, you can now add arbitrary notes to exceptions using the `add_note()` method, which can be useful for debugging and error handling purposes.
In terms of performance, Python 3.11 is faster than previous versions due to considerable effort in the Faster CPython project. This means that your code will run much quicker on this new version!
We hope you enjoyed learning about this popular programming language and are excited to start writing your own programs using the cool new features introduced in version 3.11.