Ted Hart-Davis - Teach Yourself VISUALLY Python (Teach Yourself VISUALLY (Tech))

Teach Yourself VISUALLY Python

Copyright 2022 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

Published simultaneously in Canada and the United Kingdom.

978-1-119-86025-9

978-1-119-86026-6 (ebk.)

978-1-119-86027-3 (ebk.)

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2022937470

Cover images: Misha Shutkevych/Getty Images; Screenshot Courtesy of Guy Hart-Davis and Ted Hart-Davis

Cover design: Wiley

About the Authors

Guy Hart-Davis is the author of more than 175 computer books, including Teach Yourself VISUALLY MacBook Pro and MacBook Air; Teach Yourself VISUALLY iPhone 12, 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max; Teach Yourself VISUALLY iPad; Teach Yourself VISUALLY Google Workspace; Teach Yourself VISUALLY Chromebook; and Teach Yourself VISUALLY Word 2019.

Ted Hart-Davis is the coauthor of Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Photography and is a programmer, photographer, and folk musician. He is a maintainer and administrator of the historic Minecraft server MinecraftOnline.com and studies cybersecurity and forensics at Edinburgh Napier University.

Authors Acknowledgments

Our thanks go to the many people who turned this manuscript into the highly graphical book you are holding. In particular, we thank Devon Lewis for asking us to write the book; Lynn Northrup for keeping us on track; Kim Wimpsett for skillfully editing the text; Doug Holland for reviewing the book for technical accuracy and contributing helpful suggestions; Straive for laying out the book; and Debbye Butler for proofreading the pages.

How to Use This Book

Who This Book Is For

This book is for the reader who has never used this particular technology or software application. It is also for readers who want to expand their knowledge.

The Conventions in This Book

Steps

This book uses a step-by-step format to guide you easily through each task. Numbered steps are actions you must do; bulleted steps clarify a point, step, or optional feature; and indented steps give you the result.

Notes

Notes give additional information special conditions that may occur during an operation, a situation that you want to avoid, or a cross-reference to a related area of the book.

Icons and Buttons

Icons and buttons show you exactly what you need to click to perform a step.

Tips

Tips offer additional information, including warnings and shortcuts.

Bold

Bold type shows command names, options, and text or numbers you must type.

Italics

Italic type introduces and defines a new term.

1. Chapter 3
2. Chapter 4
3. Chapter 5
4. Chapter 8
5. Chapter 9
6. Chapter 10
7. Chapter 11

CHAPTER 1

Getting Ready to Work with Python

In this chapter, you learn what Python is and get ready to work with it. You choose the version of Python that suits your needs and then install that version if your computer does not already have it. You also install and configure your main tool for working with Python, a powerful code editor/integrated development environment called Visual Studio Code.

Understanding What Python Is and Does

Python is a programming language that is used both widely and for many different purposes. Python enables you to write applications that work on many different computing platforms, including Microsoft Windows, Apples macOS, and Linux. Python is especially useful for automating routine tasks, thus enabling yourself and your colleagues to get more work done in less time.