Starting out with Python

Fifth Edition

Chapter 1
Introduction to Computers
and Programming

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Topics
• Introduction
• Hardware and Software
• How Computers Store Data
• How a Program Works
• Using Python

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Introduction
• Computers can be programmed
– Designed to do any job that a program tells them to
• Program: set of instructions that a computer follows to
perform a task
– Commonly referred to as Software
• Programmer: person who can design, create, and test
computer programs
– Also known as software developer

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Hardware and Software
• Hardware: The physical devices that make up a
computer
– Computer is a system composed of several
components that all work together
• Typical major components:
– Central processing unit
– Main memory
– Secondary storage devices
– Input and output devices

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The CPU
• Central processing unit (CPU): the part of the
computer that actually runs programs
– Most important component
– Without it, cannot run software
– Used to be a huge device
• Microprocessors: CPUs located on small chips

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Main Memory
• Main memory: where computer stores a program
while program is running, and data used by the
program
• Known as Random Access Memory or RAM
– CPU is able to quickly access data in RAM
– Volatile memory used for temporary storage while
program is running
– Contents are erased when computer is off

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Secondary Storage Devices
• Secondary storage: can hold data for long periods of
time
– Programs normally stored here and loaded to main
memory when needed
• Types of secondary memory
– Disk drive: magnetically encodes data onto a spinning
circular disk
– Solid state drive: faster than disk drive, no moving
parts, stores data in solid state memory
– Flash memory: portable, no physical disk

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Input Devices
• Input: data the computer collects from people and
other devices
• Input device: component that collects the data
– Examples: keyboard, mouse, touchscreen, scanner,
camera
– Disk drives can be considered input devices because
they load programs into the main memory

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Output Devices
• Output: data produced by the computer for other
people or devices
– Can be text, image, audio, or bit stream
• Output device: formats and presents output
– Examples: video display, printer
– Disk drives and USB drives can be considered output
devices because data is sent to them to be saved

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Software (1 of 2)
• Everything the computer does is controlled by
software
– General categories:
 Application software
 System software
• Application software: programs that make computer
useful for every day tasks
– Examples: word processing, email, games, and Web
browsers

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Software (2 of 2)
• System software: programs that control and manage
basic operations of a computer
– Operating system: controls operations of hardware
components
– Utility Program: performs specific task to enhance
computer operation or safeguard data
– Software development tools: used to create, modify,
and test software programs

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How Computers Store Data
• All data in a computer is stored in sequences of 0s
and 1s
• Byte: just enough memory to store letter or small
number
– Divided into eight bits
– Bit: electrical component that can hold positive or
negative charge, like on/off switch
– The on/off pattern of bits in a byte represents data
stored in the byte

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Storing Numbers
• Bit represents two values, 0 and 1
• Computers use binary numbering system
– Position of digit j is assigned the value 2j-1
– To determine value of binary number sum position
values of the 1s
• Byte size limits are 0 and 255
– 0 = all bits off; 255 = all bits on
– To store larger number, use several bytes

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Storing Characters
• Data stored in computer must be stored as binary
number
• Characters are converted to numeric code, numeric
code stored in memory
– Most important coding scheme is ASCII
 ASCII is limited: defines codes for only 128 characters
– Unicode coding scheme becoming standard
 Compatible with ASCII
 Can represent characters for other languages

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Advanced Number Storage
• To store negative numbers and real numbers,
computers use binary numbering and encoding
schemes
– Negative numbers encoded using two’s complement
– Real numbers encoded using floating-point notation

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Other Types of Data
• Digital: describes any device that stores data as
binary numbers
• Digital images are composed of pixels
– To store images, each pixel is converted to a binary
number representing the pixel’s color
• Digital music is composed of sections called samples
– To store music, each sample is converted to a binary
number

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How a Program Works (1 of 3)
• CPU designed to perform simple operations on pieces
of data
– Examples: reading data, adding, subtracting,
multiplying, and dividing numbers
– Understands instructions written in machine language
and included in its instruction set
 Each brand of CPU has its own instruction set
• To carry out meaningful calculation, CPU must
perform many operations

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How a Program Works (2 of 3)
• Program must be copied from secondary memory to
RAM each time CPU executes it
• CPU executes program in cycle:
– Fetch: read the next instruction from memory into CPU
– Decode: CPU decodes fetched instruction to determine
which operation to perform
– Execute: perform the operation

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How a Program Works (3 of 3)

Figure 1-16 The fetch-decode-execute cycle

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From Machine Language to Assembly
Language
• Impractical for people to write in machine language
• Assembly language: uses short words (mnemonics)
for instructions instead of binary numbers
– Easier for programmers to work with
• Assembler: translates assembly language to machine
language for execution by CPU

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High-Level Languages
• Low-level language: close in nature to machine
language
– Example: assembly language
• High-Level language: allows simple creation of
powerful and complex programs
– No need to know how CPU works or write large
number of instructions
– More intuitive to understand

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Keywords, Operators, and Syntax: an
Overview
• Keywords: predefined words used to write program in
high-level language
– Each keyword has specific meaning
• Operators: perform operations on data
– Example: math operators to perform arithmetic
• Syntax: set of rules to be followed when writing
program
• Statement: individual instruction used in high-level
language

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Compilers and Interpreters (1 of 3)
• Programs written in high-level languages must be
translated into machine language to be executed
• Compiler: translates high-level language program into
separate machine language program
– Machine language program can be executed at any
time

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Compilers and Interpreters (2 of 3)
• Interpreter: translates and executes instructions in
high-level language program
– Used by Python language
– Interprets one instruction at a time
– No separate machine language program
• Source code: statements written by programmer
– Syntax error: prevents code from being translated

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Compilers and Interpreters (3 of 3)

Figure 1-19 Executing a high-level program with an interpreter

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Using Python
• Python must be installed and configured prior to use
– One of the items installed is the Python interpreter
• Python interpreter can be used in two modes:
– Interactive mode: enter statements on keyboard
– Script mode: save statements in Python script

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Interactive Mode
• When you start Python in interactive mode, you will
see a prompt
– Indicates the interpreter is waiting for a Python
statement to be typed
– Prompt reappears after previous statement is executed
– Error message displayed If you incorrectly type a
statement
• Good way to learn new parts of Python

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Writing Python Programs and Running
Them in Script Mode
• Statements entered in interactive mode are not saved
as a program
• To have a program use script mode
– Save a set of Python statements in a file
– The filename should have the .py extension
– To run the file, or script, type
python filename
at the operating system command line

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The IDLE Programming Environment
• IDLE (Integrated Development Program): single
program that provides tools to write, execute and test
a program
– Automatically installed when Python language is
installed
– Runs in interactive mode
– Has built-in text editor with features designed to help
write Python programs

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Summary
• This chapter covered:
– Main hardware components of the computer
– Types of software
– How data is stored in a computer
– Basic CPU operations and machine language
– Fetch-decode-execute cycle
– Complex languages and their translation to machine
code
– Installing Python and the Python interpreter modes

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