Module 1

Python Foundations in JupyterLab

Module 1

Python Foundations in JupyterLab

What is JupyterLab?

JupyterLab is like a digital notebook where you can write and run Python code in small chunks called cells. Think of it as a word processor for programmers - you can write code, see results immediately, and add notes to explain what you're doing.

Two Types of Cells

Code Cells: Where you write Python commands

Markdown Cells: Where you write notes and explanations (like this text)

💡 Running Cells

Press Shift + Enter to run a cell and move to the next one, or Ctrl + Enter to run without moving.

Built-in Functions

Python comes with ready-made functions that perform common tasks. Think of them as tools in a toolbox.

print() - Display Information

print("Hello, World!")
print("My name is Sarah")
print(42)

Output:

Hello, World! My name is Sarah 42

type() - Check What Kind of Data You Have

print(type("Hello"))
print(type(25))
print(type(3.14))

Output:

len() - Count Characters or Items

print(len("Python"))
print(len("Hello World"))

Output:

6 11

round() - Round Decimal Numbers

print(round(3.14159))
print(round(3.14159, 2))

Output:

3 3.14

help() - Get Information About Functions

help(print)

This will show you detailed information about how the print() function works.

input() - Get Information from User

name = input("What's your name? ")
print("Nice to meet you, " + name)

Output:

What's your name? John Nice to meet you, John

Python Data Types

Data types are like categories that tell Python what kind of information you're working with.

Integers (int) - Whole Numbers

age = 25
score = -10
population = 1000000
print(type(age))

Output:

Floats (float) - Decimal Numbers

temperature = 98.6
price = 19.99
pi = 3.14159
print(type(temperature))

Output:

Booleans (bool) - True or False

is_sunny = True
is_raining = False
has_license = True
is_weekend = False
print(type(is_sunny))
print(is_sunny)

Output:

<class 'bool'> True

Strings (str) - Text

name = "Alice"
message = 'Hello there!'
address = "123 Main Street"
print(type(name))

Output:

String Indexing and Slicing

Strings are like a row of mailboxes - each character has a position number (index).

String Indexing

word = "Python"
print(word[0])  # First character
print(word[1])  # Second character
print(word[-1]) # Last character

Output:

P y n

String Slicing

sentence = "Hello World"
print(sentence[0:5])   # Characters 0 to 4
print(sentence[6:])    # From position 6 to end
print(sentence[:5])    # From start to position 4

Output:

Hello World Hello

String Formatting

name = "Sarah"
age = 28
print(f"My name is {name} and I am {age} years old")

Output:

My name is Sarah and I am 28 years old

Type Casting

Sometimes you need to convert one data type to another. It's like translating between languages.

Converting to Integer

text_number = "25"
real_number = int(text_number)
print(type(text_number))
print(type(real_number))
print(real_number + 5)

Output:

<class 'str'> <class 'int'> 30

Converting to String

number = 42
text = str(number)
print(type(number))
print(type(text))
print("The answer is " + text)

Output:

<class 'int'> <class 'str'> The answer is 42

Converting to Float

whole_number = 10
decimal_number = float(whole_number)
print(type(whole_number))
print(type(decimal_number))
print(decimal_number)

Output:

<class 'int'> <class 'float'> 10.0

Data Types Comparison Table

Data Type	Description	Example	Use Case	Common Operations
int	Whole numbers	42, -17, 0	Counting, ages, quantities	+, -, *, /, %
float	Decimal numbers	3.14, -2.5, 0.0	Measurements, prices, temperatures	+, -, *, /, round()
bool	True or False values	True, False	Conditions, flags, yes/no questions	and, or, not
str	Text and characters	"Hello", 'Python'	Names, messages, addresses	+, len(), upper(), lower()

🎯 Practice Exercises

1. Create variables for your name, age, and favorite color. Print them using f-string formatting.

2. Take a string and practice slicing it to get the first 3 characters, last 2 characters, and middle portion.

3. Convert a string number to an integer, perform a calculation, then convert back to string for display.