Your First Python Program: A Beginner’s Guide

This tutorial will guide you through your first steps in Python programming, starting with the classic “Hello, World!” program. We’ll cover setting up your environment, writing and running your first program, understanding the code, and outlining the next steps in your Python learning journey.

Table of Contents

1. Setting Up Your Python Environment
2. Your First Program: Hello, World!
3. Running Your Code
4. Understanding the Code
5. Next Steps: Expanding Your Knowledge

Setting Up Your Python Environment

Before you begin, you’ll need Python installed on your computer. Download the latest version from the official Python website: https://www.python.org/downloads/. During installation, ensure you select the option to add Python to your system’s PATH. This allows you to run Python from your command line or terminal.

After installation, verify it by opening your terminal or command prompt and typing python --version or python3 --version. The version number will be displayed if the installation was successful.

Your First Program: Hello, World!

Let’s create your first program. Open a text editor (Notepad, Sublime Text, VS Code, Atom, etc.) and type the following:

print("Hello, World!")

Save this file with a .py extension (e.g., hello.py).

Running Your Code

Open your terminal or command prompt, navigate to the directory where you saved hello.py using the cd command (e.g., cd /path/to/your/file), and then type python hello.py (or python3 hello.py) and press Enter. You should see the output:

Hello, World!

Congratulations! You’ve run your first Python program.

Understanding the Code

Let’s dissect the single line of code:

• print(): This is a built-in function that displays output to the console.
• "Hello, World!": This is a string literal – a sequence of characters enclosed in double quotes. The print() function displays this string.

Next Steps: Expanding Your Knowledge

This is just the beginning. Explore these key Python concepts to continue your learning:

• Data Types: Integers, floating-point numbers, strings, booleans.
• Variables: Storing and manipulating data using variables.
• Operators: Arithmetic (+, -, *, /, //, %), comparison (==, !=, <, >, <=, >=), and logical (and, or, not) operators.
• Control Flow: if, elif, and else statements for conditional execution.
• Loops: for and while loops for repeating code blocks.
• Functions: Creating reusable blocks of code.

Many online resources, tutorials, and documentation are available to help you on your Python journey. Happy coding!