Introduction to Python

Administration

• Combination of lectures, 'live coding' practical sessions, and exercises

Why Python?

• Free, well-documented, runs almost everywhere
• Large (and growing) user base among researchers and scientists
• Simple, readable, flexible, powerful language and easier for beginners to grasp
• Great for team working
  • Python aim - only one way to do something
  • Programs look very similar, easy for others to read
• Want to teach basic programming concepts that can be applied to other programming languages

What can you use it for?

• Almost anything - it's general purpose!
• Used in many fields
  • Bioinformatics, Biology, Data visualisation, Engineering, Software development, etc.
• Used for processing data, general scripting, mapping, web applications, frameworks, numerical processing, education, HPC, at Google, ...

We'll be teaching Python 3

• Python 3 is currently the standard version
• Python 3 has many advantages over Python 2
  • Many consistency improvements - removing redundancy
  • In places, simply more sensible e.g. integer division
  • Python 2 support will end in 2020
• 'Short version: Python 2.x is legacy, Python 3.x is the present and future of the language'

Distributions of Python

A basic Python installation:

• Python interpreter
• Tools to install additional and manage Python packages

Anaconda Python Distribution:

• Targeted at data science
• Integrated set of over 720 Python packages
• Easier package installation and compatibility

Many different kinds of Python

On top of a Python installation:

• Python interpreter - via the command line
• Jupyter Notebook - mix code, commentary, and results
• Python scripts - a 'program' in a file to run
• PyCharm - edit, run, and debug Python scripts