1 of 23

ACM PYTHON CRASH COURSE

BASIC SYNTAX, WRITING SIMPLE PROGRAMS, AND HAND—ON CODING CHALLENGES

2 of 23

WHO AM I?

Senior at Regent, B.S. in Computer Science

Event Organizer for ACM

Live in Wilmington, NC

Interned for two software development startups

Started coding in 8th grade

Enjoy piano and apologetics

3 of 23

WHY PYTHON?

Simple Syntax

Versatile

Huge Community

Industry Use Cases

4 of 23

WHAT WE’LL COVER

Basic Python Syntax

Writing Simple Programs

Hands-on Coding challenge

5 of 23

HELLO, WORLD!

>>> PRINT(“HELLO, WORLD!”)

6 of 23

VARIABLES AND DATA TYPES

name = "Alice" # String

age = 20 # Integer

height = 5.8 # Float

is_student = True # Boolean

7 of 23

BASIC OPERATIONS: ARITHMETIC

+ or -�Addition or Subtraction

*�Multiplication

/�Division

//�Floor Division

**�Exponentiation

%�Modulus

8 of 23

BASIC OPERATIONS: STRINGS

+ - Concentration

* - Repetition

len()- Length

9 of 23

USER INPUT

input()
Prompt user with instructions
Reads everything as a string
int() and float()
Demo: Prompt the user for their name & age.

The input() function prompts the user to enter information.
The text inside input() appears as a prompt message, guiding the user on what to enter.
Everything received from input() is treated as a string, no matter what the user types.
Since input() treats everything as a string, numbers must be converted before performing calculations.
int() converts a string to an integer, useful for whole numbers like age or years.
float() converts a string to a decimal number, useful for values like height or temperature.
Without conversion, trying to do math on input values will result in an error.

Live Demo: Prompt the User for Their Name & Age

Ask for the user’s name using input().
Ask for their age using input(), but convert it to an integer using int().
Print a message that includes both pieces of information.
If time allows, demonstrate what happens if conversion is forgotten (e.g., trying to add 5 to a string input).

10 of 23

ARRAYS/LISTS

Lists
Accessing list elements
Looping through strings and lists
Strings functioning as arrays
String slicing

Strings are like arrays: In Python, strings are sequences, meaning each character has a position (index) that can be accessed just like an item in a list.
String slicing: You can extract parts of a string using a range of indices, specifying a start and stop position, which is useful for getting substrings.
Lists in Python: Unlike strings, lists are collections that can hold multiple values, including numbers, strings, or even other lists, and they can be modified after creation.
Accessing list elements: Just like with strings, you can use indexing to retrieve or modify elements in a list, with index positions starting at zero.
Looping through strings and lists: Using for loops, you can iterate over characters in a string or items in a list, making it easy to process and manipulate their contents.

11 of 23

CONTROL FLOW (IF/ELSE)

Decision-making in Python – if, elif, and else

Boolean expressions

Elif

Else

Comparison operators: ==, !=, >, <, >=, <=

Decision-making in Python: Programs can follow different paths based on conditions using if, elif, and else.

Boolean expressions: Any condition inside an if statement evaluates to either True or False, determining whether the code inside runs.

Using elif for multiple conditions: Instead of writing multiple if statements, elif allows checking multiple conditions in sequence.

The else statement: This acts as a fallback when none of the previous conditions evaluate to True.

Comparison operators: These operators allow numerical and string comparisons, forming the basis for decision-making in Python.

CODING DEMO:

Prompt the user for a numerical grade.
Use if, elif, and else to determine the letter grade (A, B, C, etc.).
Print the result.
Optionally, demonstrate what happens if elif statements are removed (showing how the program flows differently).

12 of 23

LOOPS (FOR/WHILE)

Loops repeat a predefined set of actions
For loops iterate over sequences
While loops run until a condition is true/false
Loop control statements
Infinite loops & termination

Loops repeat actions: Instead of manually repeating code, loops let us execute blocks of code multiple times.
for loops iterate over sequences: These are useful for going through lists, strings, and generating sequences with range().
while loops run until a condition is false: Best for situations where we don’t know in advance how many times we need to loop.
Loop control statements: break stops a loop immediately, while continue skips just one iteration and moves to the next.
Infinite loops & termination: A while loop without an exit condition can run indefinitely, potentially crashing the program.
CODING DEMO:

Ask the user for a number.
Use a while loop to count down to zero.
Print each number, then print "Blastoff!" at the end.
Optionally, demonstrate a for loop doing the same thing using range().

13 of 23

FUNCTIONS

What are functions?

Blocks of reusable code that perform a specific task
Built-in and custom

Function parameters and return values
Why use functions?

What are functions? Functions let us group reusable logic into named blocks of code, making programs more modular and readable.
Built-in functions: Python provides many pre-written functions that perform common tasks, like getting user input, finding maximum values, or formatting strings.
Creating custom functions: We use def to define our own functions, allowing us to customize their behavior.
Function parameters and return values: Parameters allow us to pass data into functions, and return lets them send data back.
Why use functions? They reduce code duplication, make programs easier to debug, and improve readability.
Coding Demo:

Define a function that takes a number as input.
Check whether the number is even or odd.
Return "Even" or "Odd" and print the result.
Call the function multiple times with different inputs to show its reusability.
Optionally, demonstrate a built-in function like len() on a list.

14 of 23

ANY QUESTIONS?

15 of 23

HANDS-ON CODING CHALLENGE

16 of 23

CODING CHALLENGE INSTRUCTIONS

Asks for the user’s name and age
Calculates how many years until they turn 100
Prints a message like: “Alice, you will turn 100 in the year 2085!”
BONUS: Use at least 1 function

Beginner Challenge: 100-Year Calculator

Prints numbers from 1 to 50
For multiples of 3, print "Fizz" instead of the number
For multiples of 5, print "Buzz" instead of the number
For numbers that are multiples of both, print "FizzBuzz”
BONUS: Modify it to take custom numbers from the user

Advanced Challenge: FizzBuzz+ Custom Counter

17 of 23

BEGINNER CHALLENGE EXAMPLE ANSWER

def calculate_year(age):

return 2025 + (100 – age)

name = input("Enter your name: ")

age = int(input("Enter your age: "))

year = calculate_year(age)

print(f"{name}, you will turn 100 in the year {year}!")

18 of 23

ADVANCED CHALLENGE EXAMPLE ANSWER

def fizzbuzz(n):

for i in range(1, n + 1):

if i % 3 == 0 and i % 5 == 0:

print("FizzBuzz")

elif i % 3 == 0:

print("Fizz")

elif i % 5 == 0:

print("Buzz")

else:

print(i)

num = int(input("Enter the range limit: "))

fizzbuzz(num)

19 of 23

COMMON PITFALLS & DEBUGGING

Indentation errors

Type mismatches

Debugging

20 of 23

LIBRARIES, MODULES, AND PIP

Libraries and modules

The import statement

Common built-in modules

Installing external libraries with pip

Where to find libraries?

What are libraries and modules? Python comes with built-in modules, and additional libraries can be installed to provide extra functionality, such as web development, data analysis, or machine learning.
The import statement: To use a module, we simply import it at the beginning of our script, which allows access to its functions and classes.
Common built-in modules: Python includes many useful modules like math for mathematical operations, random for generating random numbers, and datetime for working with dates and times.
Installing external libraries with pip: The pip command allows us to install third-party libraries from the Python Package Index (PyPI), making it easy to add new functionality.
Where to find libraries? The main source for Python packages is PyPI, where developers publish libraries that can be installed and used in projects.

Live Coding Demo: Installing and Using a Library

Step 1: Install an external library using pip install requests.
Step 2: Import the requests library and make a simple web request to fetch data from a website.
Step 3: Print the response status code and content.
Step 4 (Optional): Show how to check installed packages using pip list.

21 of 23

WHERE TO GO NEXT?

ONLINE COURSES:�W3SCHOOLS�REAL PYTHON�LEARNPYTHON.ORG

REGENT COURSE:�ISYS214

PRACTICE SITES:�LEETCODE�HACKERRANK�ADVENT OF CODE

PRACTICE/PERSONAL PROJECTS

22 of 23

QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS, ANYTHING ELSE?

23 of 23

THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING!

Follow Regent University’s ACM Chapter on Instagram: regent_acm
Email us with any questions about the chapter: regentacm@mail.regent.edu
Download this powerpoint or see these links: linktr.ee/regentacm or scan QR code: