CS 1301 FINAL STUDY GUIDE

Python

A high-level, readable programming language.

Purpose of Python

To write programs for automation, web development, data analysis, etc.

Example of Python code

print("Hello, world!")

Variables

Containers for storing data values.

Purpose of Variables

To store and reuse values throughout a program.

Example of Variable

x = 10

Types

Classifications of data (int, float, str, etc.).

Purpose of Data Types

To define what kind of data is being used.

Example of Data Types

age = 18 (int), name = "Sam" (str)

Branching

Allows decision-making using conditions.

Purpose of Branching

To execute different code paths based on logic.

Example of Branching

if x > 10:\n print("Big")

While Loop

Repeats a block of code as long as a condition is true.

Purpose of While Loop

Useful when the number of iterations isn't known.

Example of While Loop

while x < 5:\n x += 1

For Loop

Iterates over a sequence (like a list or range).

Purpose of For Loop

To repeat tasks a known number of times or over collections.

Example of For Loop

for i in range(5):\n print(i)

Functions

Reusable blocks of code with a name.

Purpose of Functions

To organize code and perform tasks multiple times.

Example of Function

def greet():\n print("Hi!")

Strings

Text data enclosed in quotes.

Purpose of Strings

To store and manipulate text.

Example of String

msg = "Hello"

Lists / Dicts

List: ordered collection; Dict: key-value pairs.

Purpose of Lists / Dicts

To store multiple items in a single variable.

Example of List and Dict

fruits = ["apple", "banana"], person = {"name": "Alice"}

Classes

Blueprint for creating objects (OOP).

Purpose of Classes

To model real-world entities and use object-oriented principles.

Example of Class

class Dog:\n def init(self, name):\n self.name = name

Exceptions

Errors caught and handled during execution.

Purpose of Exceptions

To make code more robust by handling errors gracefully.

Example of Exception handling

try:\n x = 1/0\nexcept ZeroDivisionError:

Modules

Files containing Python code (functions, classes, etc.).

Purpose of Modules

To organize and reuse code across files.

Example of Importing a Module

import math\nprint(math.sqrt(4))

Files

Input/output operations on text/binary files.

Purpose of Files

To read from or write to external files.

Example of File Operation

with open("file.txt") as f:\n print(f.read())

Plotting

Visual representation of data (often using libraries).

Purpose of Plotting

To analyze and visualize data.

Example of Plotting

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt\nplt.plot([1,2,3],[4,5,6])\nplt.show()

Python Introduction

Python is used for algorithms and machine learning.

Python Execution Model

Python is both compiled and interpreted.

Syntax Error

Occurs when the program contains invalid code that can't be understood.

Identifiers

Variable names that cannot use reserved words.

Arithmetic Operators

Normal division keeps remainder (/), floor division removes it (//).

Python Core Data Types

Lists, integers, strings, dictionaries, tuples, boolean, sets.

Purpose of Len

Counts the number of elements or characters in a list or string.

Negative Indexing

Starts with 1 and counts down instead of starting from 0.

Insert Method (lists)

Assigns an index to a value in a list.

Example of Insert Method

my_list.insert(2,67) replaces index 2 with the value 67.

Tuples

Cannot be updated or changed; store finalized data.

Updating a Tuple

Convert tuple to list first, then update.

Dictionary Deletion

Use del to remove an item from a dictionary.

Example of Dictionary Deletion

del d1["John"]

Retrieval from Dictionary

Use d1.get("Susan") to get a value.

Check Membership in List

Use syntax 15 in my_list to check if value exists.

If Statements

No else required, but else needs a corresponding if.

Blocks in Python

Represented by indentation.

Assignment vs Equality

= is for assigning notations, while == is for equality checks.

If Statement Execution

Executes code below if condition is true, else moves on.