Python First Program

The print() Function

print() is the built-in function that writes output to the screen — pass it text, a number, or a variable, and it displays the result followed by a newline. It's the fastest way to see what your code is actually doing while you're learning.

Example: The print() Function

print("Hello, World!")

Basic Strings

Python treats text wrapped in either single or "double" quotes identically as a str value, so you can pick whichever avoids awkward escaping (for example, using double quotes for a string that itself contains an apostrophe).

Both forms are functionally interchangeable.

Example: Basic Strings

print('Hello')  # single quotes work for strings
print("Hello")  # double quotes work the same way
print("It's a good day")  # double quotes avoid escaping the apostrophe

Standard Calculations

Because print() evaluates its argument before displaying it, you can write print(2 + 3) directly and Python will compute 5 and show that, without a separate calculation step first.

This is a quick way to sanity-check arithmetic while experimenting.

Example: Standard Calculations

print(2 + 3)

Variables in Action

A variable is created the moment you assign it a value with =, and passing that variable's name to print() displays whatever it currently holds.

Because Python is dynamically typed, the same variable can be reassigned to a different type later without any special syntax.

Example: Variables in Action

value = 10  # value starts as an integer
print(value)
value = "ten"  # same variable reassigned to a string
print(value)

Running the Program

Once your first script runs cleanly, it's worth deliberately introducing a typo (like a missing parenthesis) to see what a Python error message looks like — recognizing common errors early makes debugging far less intimidating once your programs grow.

Example: Running the Program

# Missing closing parenthesis -- try running this to see the error
print("Hello"