Summary of "Lab 1 intro to python"

Lab 1: Intro to Python (Deep Learning Applications)

Overview

This lab introduces students to Python and the development environment setup used in the Deep Learning Applications course. Topics covered include:

• Installing Python.
• Choosing and setting up an editor/IDE (PyCharm or VS Code) and the Microsoft Python extension.
• Installing and running Jupyter Notebook.
• Creating and running .py files.
• Basic Python programming concepts: print, strings, variables, string methods, escaping, and variable-naming rules.

Note: Python will be used for the deep-learning labs. Jupyter Notebook is recommended for interactive work.

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Installation & Environment Setup

Install Python (Windows)

1. Go to the official website: python.org → Downloads → Windows.
2. Download the appropriate Windows installer (for most systems, the latest stable x86-64 executable installer).

3. During installation, check the box:

   Add Python to PATH

4. Proceed with the installation.

Install an editor / IDE

• Options:
  • PyCharm Community Edition (free)
  • Visual Studio Code (VS Code)
• If using VS Code:
  • Open Extensions and install the “Python” extension from Microsoft.

Install Jupyter Notebook (recommended)

Open Windows PowerShell (Run as administrator if necessary) and run the following commands:

python -m pip install --upgrade pip
python -m pip install jupyter

Launch Jupyter Notebook:

jupyter notebook
# or
python -m notebook

Keep the PowerShell/terminal session open (you can minimize it) while the notebook server runs.

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Running a .py file in VS Code

1. Create a folder (e.g., PythonProject) and a file (e.g., hello.py).
2. Save the file (Ctrl+S).
3. In VS Code: Terminal → New Terminal.
4. Ensure the terminal path is the folder containing your file.
5. Run:

python hello.py

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How to Use Jupyter Notebook (basic workflow)

• In the browser UI opened by Jupyter:
  • Click New → Python 3 to create a new notebook.
  • Rename the notebook at the top if desired.
• Code is written in cells. Run a cell with the Run button or Shift+Enter.
• Cells allow executing segments of code independently, which is helpful for step-by-step experiments.

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Core Python Language Points and Examples

print

• Use print("text") to output text to the screen. Example:

print("hello")

• Each print call outputs on a new line by default.
• Multiple statements may be placed on the same physical line using semicolons, but this is uncommon in Python.

Strings and quoting

• Single quotes: 'text'
• Double quotes: "text"
• Triple quotes for multi-line strings or docstrings: '''text''' or """text"""
• Use the opposite quote style to include quotes inside the string, e.g.: python "He said 'hello'"

Variables

• Variables are created by assignment (no explicit type declaration). Example:

text = "hello"

• Python is case-sensitive: Text and text are different.
• Print a variable (no quotes when printing the variable value):

print(text)

Printing variables mixed with text

• Comma-separated printing (prints with a space separator): python print("x =", x)

• f-strings (recommended for formatted output): python print(f"x = {x}")

• Other formatting options exist (e.g., str.format()), but f-strings were emphasized.

Basic numeric example

c = 5
print(f"C = {c}")  # outputs: C = 5

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Common String Methods

• Casing:

  • .title() — capitalize the first letter of each word
  • .upper() — convert all letters to uppercase
  • .lower() — convert all letters to lowercase Note: these methods return a modified copy; they do not change the original string unless reassigned.

• Trimming whitespace:

  • .strip() — remove whitespace from both ends
  • .lstrip() — remove whitespace from the left/start
  • .rstrip() — remove whitespace from the right/end Whitespace in the middle of the string is not removed by these methods.

• Removing specific prefix/suffix (Python 3.9+):

  • .removeprefix(prefix) — remove prefix if present
  • .removesuffix(suffix) — remove suffix if present Example use case: strip "www." or ".com" from a URL string.

• Escape sequences inside strings:

  • \t — tab (approx. 4 or 8 spaces depending on display)
  • \n — newline (move to a new line) Use these inside string literals to control spacing and newlines.

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Variable Naming Rules

• Allowed characters: letters (a–z, A–Z), digits (0–9), underscore (_).
• Cannot contain spaces.
• Cannot start with a digit (e.g., 1var is invalid; var1 is valid).
• Underscore may appear anywhere (including the beginning).
• Do not use reserved words (keywords) as variable names (e.g., def, print, if, etc.).

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Practical Tips from the Lecture

• Use Jupyter for interactive experimentation; it’s easier for stepwise execution and immediate feedback.
• Save files often; in VS Code the unsaved icon disappears when you save (Ctrl+S).
• Each print command outputs on its own line by default; to compose combined output, use commas or formatted strings.
• Many more string methods exist beyond those demonstrated; the ones presented are the most commonly used in beginner work.

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Corrections & Clarifications

• Correct commands:

  • Upgrade pip: bash python -m pip install --upgrade pip

  • Install Jupyter: bash python -m pip install jupyter

  • Launch Jupyter: bash jupyter notebook

• The transcript’s “Add to Pass” refers to the installer checkbox “Add Python to PATH.”

• “F” formatting refers to Python f-strings: prefix a string with f and use {variable} inside, e.g. f"C = {c}".

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Speakers / Sources Mentioned

• Primary speaker: Course instructor / lab lecturer (unnamed).
• External tools / sources referenced:
  • Official Python website (python.org)
  • PyCharm Community Edition
  • Visual Studio Code (VS Code) and the Microsoft Python extension
  • Jupyter Notebook
  • Windows PowerShell
  • pip (Python package installer)

Category

Educational

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