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Jump into a workspace and learn how to create and run a Python file.
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Open up the workspace attached to
this video, and follow along with me.
0:00
You can find it in the bottom
right-hand corner, fantastic.
0:07
Your workspace currently
has one file called app.py.
0:09
Files that hold Python code
end in the .py extension.
0:14
You can click on this file to open it.
0:19
This top section here is your file,
and the bottom section is the console.
0:22
The console is where we'll be able
to see our Python code in action,
0:28
let's get coding.
0:33
Inside of app.py,
0:35
we're going to create a variable
called name that will hold your name.
0:36
In Python, you don't need to write
anything special to start a variable.
0:41
You just write name =,
which is the syntax to create
0:45
your first variable, then add your name.
0:49
We'll want this to be a string, so
0:53
you'll need either double-quotes or
single-quotes.
0:57
Either is fine,
then add your name between the quotes.
1:02
One great thing about this variable
is that the name is descriptive.
1:08
If this variable was called name and
it held 5, it wouldn't make
1:12
a lot of sense, and could cause
problems in your code later on.
1:17
Naming things descriptively in your
code is an excellent habit to get into.
1:22
Okay, so we have a variable, awesome.
1:29
But what can you do with it,
it's just sitting there.
1:31
As I've said before, you interact
with Python code in the console.
1:37
So let's add a print
statement after our variable.
1:42
Print() is a function that allows
us to send messages to the console,
1:49
to see them down here.
1:55
Inside of this print statement,
let's write a string,
1:57
My name is, this will print
2:03
this message to the console.
2:08
You can also print a variable,
2:13
print(name).
2:18
I want you to think about
what messages will be printed
2:21
to the console when this file is run,
so let's do that now.
2:24
Save the file, Ctrl or Cmd+S.
2:28
In the console, type python app.py.
2:32
This is how you tell Python to run a file,
here, app.py.
2:37
There is also a fun shortcut.
2:42
If you type python and then the beginning
of the filename, you can hit
2:43
the Tab button and it will automatically
complete the filename for you.
2:48
This can speed things up a bit.
2:53
Okay, hit Enter, and the file will run.
2:55
You'll know when the program is complete
when the console prompt is shown again.
3:00
In the console, I see two messages,
My name is and Megan.
3:06
The first message,
we created inside of our print statement.
3:12
The second message came from our variable,
which is holding our name.
3:18
Python saw this variable and
then went to find what that
3:27
variable was holding, and
then printed that message out.
3:32
What happens if we switch
these print statements around?
3:37
Well, let's do it and see.
3:41
Programing is all about trying
things out and seeing what happens.
3:43
So don't be afraid to play around,
all great programmers do.
3:46
Don't forget to save, And
then rerun the same command.
3:56
You can press the Up arrow on your
keyboard to bring up the last command.
4:04
Hit Enter to run the file, and
we get two messages again.
4:10
But their order has switched,
just like our print statements.
4:15
Python files will run from top to bottom.
4:19
So whichever print statement it encounters
first will be printed out first.
4:23
Amazing job, Pythonistas, I encourage you
to create some variables of your own,
4:28
and practice printing them out and
running the file in the console.
4:33
When you're ready,
I'll see you in the next video.
4:37
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