Python Introduction

Learn the what programming is and why Python is so useful!

What is Programming

Programming is the process of creating instructions for a computer to perform specific tasks. It involves writing code that tells the computer what to do and how to do it. For example, you could write this in Python to make the computer write "Hello World" on your screen:

print("Hello World")

This is the first game I ever made! Play it for yourself to see how it works. I wrote a program to make the Freddy head clickable, the shop openable, and the game over screen. Without programs, it would be impossible to do this.

FNAF Clicker is a game that I made in less than 2 hours. Not for a game jam or anything though - It's because Scratch is such an easy tool to use (But it's hard to master). Once again, I needed a program to make it work, but Scratch makes this easy by mapping it out into little blocks of code.

If you want to grasp programming knowledge, this is a great place to start! You can find tutorials on Youtube. Channels like Griffpatch and ShiftClickLearn allowed me to master Scratching and start python and HTML. HTML is what this entire website is made of.

I made a game a bit more recently titled Pixel Quest. In Pixel Quest, you jump and run around avoiding enemies and bottomless pits in order to get to a... Tramploine. A game like this is quite a bit more advanced than FNAF Clicker. You will need a lot of previous experience with programming to make it work.

But Why Python?

The reason python is such a good starting language is because the learning curve is very low. This means it is a very easy language. You can learn the basics and use those skills to break the complex parts of the language. You can write code like this:

print("Hello " + "World")

This code will write "Hello World" on the screen. You can also use variables like this:

x = 5

However, despite being so simple, Python is still a very powerful language. You can do a lot with it. For example, you can write code like this: 

x = 5
y = 10
z = x * y
print(z)

This code will define two variables, x and y, and then multiply them together and print the result. First, x is set to 5, then y is set to 10, then x is multiplied by y, and they are put into the variable z to be multiplied.

In this instance, z is next turned into a string and printed. You may have noticed that the print function is in both of these examples. This is because the print function is built into the language. It is a function that takes in a string and prints it to the screen.

A function is something that you can call to do something. like how the print function takes in a string and writes it on the screen. You can define your own functions like this: 

def add(x, y):
    return x + y

Installing Python

Getting Python is a piece of cake, you can decide how to download Python based on your system. Although, you should know that Linux usually comes with Python pre-installed. Regardless, you can download it like this:

If you crave more, you can install Anaconda. If you want to use Python for data science, Anaconda is the superior option for sure. Otherwise, regular Python should do just fine.