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Introduction to Python: Slides Referenced in Homework 0. CSE-391: Artificial Intelligence University of Pennsylvania Matt Huenerfauth January 2005. What is Python?. A programming language with strong similarities to PERL, but with powerful typing and object oriented features.
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Introduction to Python:Slides Referenced in Homework 0 CSE-391: Artificial IntelligenceUniversity of Pennsylvania Matt Huenerfauth January 2005
What is Python? • A programming language with strong similarities to PERL, but with powerful typing and object oriented features. • Commonly used for producing HTML content on websites. Great for text files. • Useful built-in types (lists, dictionaries). • Clean syntax, powerful extensions.
Why Python for CSE-391? • Textbook Code: Very Object Oriented • Python much less verbose than Java • AI Processing: Symbolic • Python’s built-in datatypes for strings, lists, and more. • Java or C++ require the use of special classes for this. • AI Processing: Statistical • Python has strong numeric processing capabilities: matrix operations, etc. • Suitable for probability and machine learning code.
Homework 0: Learning Python • Unfortunately, we won’t have time to cover all of Python in class; so, we’re just going to go over the highlights. • You’ll need to learn more on your own. • Homework 0 asks you to install Python or get comfortable using it on Eniac. It also asks you to read some online Python tutorials. • Later homeworks will include Python programming exercises to help you practice.
Homework 0: Python Tutorials You should definitely read these… • “Dive into Python” (Chapters 2 to 4)http://diveintopython.org/ • Python 101 – Beginning Pythonhttp://www.rexx.com/~dkuhlman/python_101/python_101.html You should browse these and refer to them… • The Official Python Tutorialhttp://www.python.org/doc/current/tut/tut.html • The Python Quick Reference http://rgruet.free.fr/PQR2.3.html
Homework 0: Official Handout • There’s an official handout for Homework 0 (available on the class website) that describes the assignment in more detail. • There is some Python code to submit. • There are some questions to answer about the readings.
Installing Python • Python is on eniac: /pkg/bin/python • Python for Win/Mac from www.python.org. • GUI development environment: IDLE. Credits:http://hkn.eecs.berkeley.edu/~dyoo/python/idle_intro/index.html
IDLE Development Environment • Shell for interactive evaluation. • Text editor with color-coding and smart indenting for creating python files. • Menu commands for changing system settings and running files. • You’ll see me using IDLE in class.
Running Interactively on UNIX On Unix… % python >>> 3+3 6 The ‘>>>’ is the Python prompt. In Unix, when finished, you can use CONTROL+D.
Running Programs on UNIX %python filename.py You can create python files using emacs. (There’s a special Python editing mode.) You could even make the *.py file executable and add the following text to top of the file to make it runable: #!/pkg/bin/python