Boston Python workshop 2/Friday tutorial: Difference between revisions

==Python scripts==▼

Until now we've been executing commands at the Python prompt. This is great for math, short bits of code, and testing. For longer ideas, it's easier to store the code in a file.▼

<ol>▼

<li>Download the file http://mit.edu/jesstess/www/BostonPythonWorkshop2/nobel.py. The ".py" extension hints that this is a Python script.</li>▼

<li>Save the file in your Desktop directory.</li>▼

<li>Open a command prompt, and use the navigation commands (<code>dir</code> and <code>cd</code> on Windows, <code>ls</code>, <code>pwd</code>, and <code>cd</code> on OS X and Linux) to navigate to your home directory. See [[Boston_Python_workshop_2/Friday_setup#Goal_.234:_practice_navigating_the_computer_from_a_command_prompt|navigating from a command prompt]] for a refresher on those commands.</li>▼

<li>Once you are in your home directory, execute the contents of <code>nobel.py</code> by typing▼

<pre>▼

python nobel.py▼

</pre>▼

at a command prompt.▼

<code>nobel.py</code> introduces two new concepts: comments and multiline strings.</li>▼

<li>Open <code>nobel.py</code> in your text editor (see [[Boston_Python_workshop_2/Friday_setup#Goal_.232:_Prepare_a_text_editor|preparing your text editor]] for a refresher on starting the editor).</li>▼

<li>Read through the file in your text editor carefully and check your understanding of both the comments and the code.</li>▼

</ol>▼