Lessons > 3. The Building Blocks

Python (and all programmming languages) are made up of very small “words” (like nouns and verbs) that can be composed into meaningful “sentances” (i.e. code blocks that do something useful). Today we are going to review some of the basic building blocks of code, including data types, operators, and variables.

In addition to the lectures and videos, there are also some sample python files that you will need to download and run (using IDLE). If, for any reason, you are having trouble installing IDLE (instructions can be found in the first part of homework 1), reach out to your TA or sign-up for an office hours session. Please keep your files organized (as explained in hw01). I recommend a folder structure like this:

cs110
    |-- homework
    │   |-- hw01
    │   |-- hw02
    |   ...
    |-- lectures
    │   -- lecture01
    │   -- lecture02
    │   ...
    |-- tutorials
        |-- tutorial01
        |-- tutorial02
        ...

Today's Activities

For today, please do the following:

1. Download the Exercise Files

2. Review the Slides

1. The Building Blocks of Programming
2. Live Lecture Activities

3. Watch the Lecture Video(s)

4. Review / Study the Supplemental Materials

Note: these readings / videos are suggested for additional context / examples, but not required.

1. Severance Ch2: Variables.
   reading • video
2. Heinold Ch2: Variables.

5. Take the Practice (Ungraded) Quiz

Note: The quiz is to help you test your own understanding of the concepts. It is not graded, and is designed to help you to see what you already know and what you should review / ask about.
https://canvas.northwestern.edu/courses/149580/quizzes/159822

Reminders

• Tutorial Signups
  You MUST sign up for a tutorial session. This week's tutorial is mandatory.