Introduction to Python .pptVIP

Introduction to Python Introduction to Python Python is a high-level programming language Open source and community driven “Batteries Included” a standard distribution includes many modules Dynamic typed Source can be compiled or run just-in-time Similar to perl, tcl, ruby Why Python? Unlike AML and Avenue, there is a considerable base of developers already using the language “Tried and true” language that has been in development since 1991 Can interface with the Component Object Model (COM) used by Windows Can interface with Open Source GIS toolsets Why not Visual Basic? Visual Basic is still the method of configuring and customizing ArcMap If you have a button on the toolbar, it’s VB Python scripts can be placed in ArcToolbox Python can be run from the command line without ArcMap or ArcCatalog being open Using just the GIS Engine, lower overhead Rapid prototyping, ease of authoring, etc. Python Interfaces IDLE – a cross-platform Python development environment PythonWin – a Windows only interface to Python Python Shell – running python from the Command Line opens this interactive shell For the exercises, well use IDLE, but you can try them all and pick a favorite IDLE – Development Environment IDLE helps you program in Python by: color-coding your program code debugging auto-indent interactive shell Example Python Hello World print “hello world” Prints hello world to standard out Open IDLE and try it out yourself Follow along using IDLE More than just printing Python is an object oriented language Practically everything can be treated as an object “hello world” is a string Strings, as objects, have methods that return the result of a function on the string String Methods Assign a string to a variable In this case “hw” hw.title() hw.upper() hw.isdigit() hw.islower() String Methods The string held in your variable remains the same The method returns an altered string Changing the variable requires reassignment hw = hw.upper() hw now equals “HELLO WORLD” Other Pyt