Learn to Code by Solving Problems. A Python Programming Primer

413 Pages·2021·2.184 MB·English

by  Daniel Zingaro, Safari, an O'Reilly Media Company.

LEARN TO CODE BY
SOLVING PROBLEMS
A Python Programming Primer
by Daniel Zingaro
San Francisco
LEARN TO CODE BY SOLVING PROBLEMS. Copyright © 2021 by Daniel
Zingaro.
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior
written permission of the copyright owner and the publisher.
ISBN-13: 978-1-7185-0132-4 (print)
ISBN-13: 978-1-7185-0133-1 (ebook)
Publisher: Bill Pollock
Executive Editor: Barbara Yien
Production Manager: Rachel Monaghan
Production Editor: Kassie Andreadis
Developmental Editor: Alex Freed
Interior and Cover Design: Octopod Studios
Cover Illustrator: Rob Gale
Technical Reviewer: Luke Sawczak
Copyeditor: Kim Wimpsett
Proofreader: Emelie Battaglia
Indexer: Sanjiv Kumar Sinha
For information on book distributors or translations, please contact No Starch
Press, Inc. directly:
No Starch Press, Inc.
245 8th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
phone: [phone]; [e-mail]
www.nostarch.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Zingaro, Daniel, author.
Title: Learn to code by solving problems : a Python programming primer / by
Daniel Zingaro.
Description: San Francisco, CA : No Starch Press, [2021] | Includes index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2021011082 (print) | LCCN 2021011083 (ebook) | ISBN
9781718501324 (print) | ISBN 9781718501331 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Python (Computer program language) | Computer programming.
Classification: LCC QA76.73.P98 Z55 2021 (print) | LCC QA76.73.P98
(ebook) | DDC 005.13/3--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021011082
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021011083
No Starch Press and the No Starch Press logo are registered trademarks of No
Starch Press, Inc. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be
the trademarks of their respective owners. Rather than use a trademark symbol
with every occurrence of a trademarked name, we are using the names only in an
editorial fashion and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of
infringement of the trademark.
The information in this book is distributed on an “As Is” basis, without warranty.
While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this work, neither
the author nor No Starch Press, Inc. shall have any liability to any person or
entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly
or indirectly by the information contained in it.
To Dad, for the computer code
and
To Mom, for the teacher code
About the Author
Dr. Daniel Zingaro is an associate teaching professor of computer
science and award-winning teacher at the University of Toronto. His
main area of research is computer science education, where he studies
how students learn (and sometimes don’t learn) computer science
material. He is the author of Algorithmic Thinking (No Starch Press,
2021), a book that helps learners understand and use algorithms and data
structures.
About the Technical Reviewer
Luke Sawczak is a frequent freelance editor and hobby programmer; his
favorite projects include a prose-to-poetry converter, a visual aid for
cutting the right number of slices of cake, and a version of Boggle that
uses numbers made for math tutors. He currently teaches French and
English on the outskirts of Toronto. He also writes poetry and composes
for the piano, which he would do for a living if he could. He can be
found online at https://sawczak.com/.
BRIEF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1: Getting Started
Chapter 2: Making Decisions
Chapter 3: Repeating Code: Definite Loops
Chapter 4: Repeating Code: Indefinite Loops
Chapter 5: Organizing Values Using Lists
Chapter 6: Designing Programs with Functions
Chapter 7: Reading and Writing Files
Chapter 8: Organizing Values Using Sets and Dictionaries
Chapter 9: Designing Algorithms with Complete Search
Chapter 10: Big O and Program Efficiency
Afterword
Appendix: Problem Credits
Index
CONTENTS IN DETAIL
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
INTRODUCTION
Online Resources
Who This Book Is For
Why Learn Python?
Installing Python
Windows
macOS
Linux
How to Read This Book
Using Programming Judges
Making Your Programming Judge Accounts
The DMOJ Judge
The Timus Judge
The USACO Judge
About This Book
1
GETTING STARTED
What We’ll Be Doing
The Python Shell
Windows
macOS
Linux
Problem #1: Word Count
The Challenge
Input
Output
Strings
Representing Strings
String Operators
String Methods
Integer and Floating-Point Numbers
Variables
Assignment Statement
Changing Variable Values
Counting the Words Using a Variable
Reading Input
Writing Output
Solving the Problem: A Complete Python Program
Launching a Text Editor
The Program
Running the Program
Submitting to the Judge
Problem #2: Cone Volume
The Challenge
Input
Output
More Math in Python
Accessing Pi
Exponents
Converting Between Strings and Integers
Solving the Problem
Summary
Chapter Exercises
Notes
2
MAKING DECISIONS
Problem #3: Winning Team
The Challenge
Input
Output
Conditional Execution
The Boolean Type
Relational Operators
The if Statement
if by Itself
if with elif