CHAPTER 2
Input,
Processing
, and
Output
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Topics
• Designing a Program
• Input, Processing, and Output
• Displaying Output with print Function
• Comments
• Variables
• Reading Input from the Keyboard
• Performing Calculations
• More About Data Output
• Named Constants
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Designing a Program
• Programs must be designed before
they are written
• Program development cycle:
• Design the program
• Write the code
• Correct syntax errors
• Test the program
• Correct logic errors
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Designing a Program (cont’d.)
• Design is the most important part of the
program development cycle
• Understand the task that the program is
to perform
• Work with customer to get a sense what the
program is supposed to do
• Ask questions about program details
• Create one or more software requirements
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Designing a Program (cont’d.)
• Determine the steps that must be taken
to perform the task
• Break down required task into a series of
steps
• Create an algorithm, listing logical steps that
must be taken
• Algorithm: set of well-defined logical
steps that must be taken to perform a
task
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Pseudocode
• Pseudocode: fake code
• Informal language that has no syntax rule
• Not meant to be compiled or executed
• Used to create model program
• No need to worry about syntax errors, can focus
on program’s design
• Can be translated directly into actual code in any
programming language
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Flowcharts
• Flowchart: diagram that graphically
depicts the steps in a program
• Ovals are terminal symbols
• Parallelograms are input and output symbols
• Rectangles are processing symbols
• Symbols are connected by arrows that
represent the flow of the program
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Input, Processing, and Output
• Typically, computer performs three-
step process
• Receive input
• Input: any data that the program receives while it is
running
• Perform some process on the input
• Example: mathematical calculation
• Produce output
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Displaying Output with the
print Function
• Function: piece of prewritten code that
performs an operation
• print function: displays output on the
screen
• Argument: data given to a function
• Example: data that is printed to screen
• Statements in a program execute in the order
that they appear
• From top to bottom
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Strings and String Literals
• String: sequence of characters that is used
as data
• String literal: string that appears in actual
code of a program
• Must be enclosed in single (') or double (") quote
marks
• String literal can be enclosed in triple quotes (''' or
""")
• Enclosed string can contain both single and double quotes
and can have multiple lines
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Comments
• Comments: notes of explanation within
a program
• Ignored by Python interpreter
• Intended for a person reading the program’s code
• Begin with a # character
• End-line comment: appears at the end
of a line of code
• Typically explains the purpose of that line
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Variables
• Variable: name that represents a value stored
in the computer memory
• Used to access and manipulate data stored in
memory
• A variable references the value it represents
• Assignment statement: used to create a
variable and make it reference data
• General format is variable = expression
• Example: age = 29
• Assignment operator: the equal sign (=)
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Variables (cont’d.)
• In assignment statement, variable
receiving value must be on left side
• A variable can be passed as an
argument to a function
• Variable name should not be enclosed in
quote marks
• You can only use a variable if a value is
assigned to it
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Variable Naming Rules
• Rules for naming variables in Python:
• Variable name cannot be a Python key word
• Variable name cannot contain spaces
• First character must be a letter or an underscore
• After first character may use letters, digits, or
underscores
• Variable names are case sensitive
• Variable name should reflect its use
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Displaying Multiple Items with
the print Function
• Python allows one to display multiple
items with a single call to print
• Items are separated by commas when passed
as arguments
• Arguments displayed in the order they are
passed to the function
• Items are automatically separated by a space
when displayed on screen
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Variable Reassignment
• Variables can reference different values while
program is running
• Garbage collection: removal of values that
are no longer referenced by variables
• Carried out by Python interpreter
• A variable can refer to item of any type
• Variable that has been assigned to one type can be
reassigned to another type
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Numeric Data Types, Literals,
and the str Data Type
• Data types: categorize value in memory
• e.g., int for integer, float for real number, str used for
storing strings in memory
• Numeric literal: number written in a program
• No decimal point considered int, otherwise,
considered float
• Some operations behave differently
depending on data type
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Reassigning a Variable to a
Different Type
• A variable in Python can refer to items of
any type
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Reading Input from the
Keyboard
• Most programs need to read input from the
user
• Built-in input function reads input from
keyboard
• Returns the data as a string
• Format: variable = input(prompt)
• prompt is typically a string instructing user to enter a value
• Does not automatically display a space after the
prompt
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Reading Numbers with the
input Function
• input function always returns a string
• Built-in functions convert between data types
• int(item) converts item to an int
• float(item) converts item to a float
• Nested function call: general format:
function1(function2(argument))
• value returned by function2 is passed to function1
• Type conversion only works if item is valid numeric
value, otherwise, throws exception
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Performing Calculations
• Math expression: performs calculation and
gives a value
• Math operator: tool for performing calculation
• Operands: values surrounding operator
• Variables can be used as operands
• Resulting value typically assigned to variable
• Two types of division:
• / operator performs floating point division
• // operator performs integer division
• Positive results truncated, negative rounded away from zero
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Operator Precedence and
Grouping with Parentheses
• Python operator precedence:
1. Operations enclosed in parentheses
• Forces operations to be performed before others
2. Exponentiation (**)
3. Multiplication (*), division (/ and //), and remainder
(%)
4. Addition (+) and subtraction (-)
• Higher precedence performed first
• Same precedence operators execute from left to right
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The Exponent Operator and
the Remainder Operator
• Exponent operator (**): Raises a
number to a power
• x ** y = xy
• Remainder operator (%): Performs
division and returns the remainder
• a.k.a. modulus operator
• e.g., 4%2=0, 5%2=1
• Typically used to convert times and distances,
and to detect odd or even numbers
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Converting Math Formulas to
Programming Statements
• Operator required for any mathematical
operation
• When converting mathematical
expression to programming statement:
• May need to add multiplication operators
• May need to insert parentheses
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Mixed-Type Expressions and
Data Type Conversion
• Data type resulting from math operation
depends on data types of operands
• Two int values: result is an int
• Two float values: result is a float
• int and float: int temporarily converted to float,
result of the operation is a float
• Mixed-type expression
• Type conversion of float to int causes truncation
of fractional part
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Breaking Long Statements
into Multiple Lines
• Long statements cannot be viewed on screen
without scrolling and cannot be printed
without cutting off
• Multiline continuation character (\): Allows
to break a statement into multiple lines
result = var1 * 2 + var2 * 3 + \
var3 * 4 + var4 * 5
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Breaking Long Statements
into Multiple Lines
• Any part of a statement that is enclosed in
parentheses can be broken without the line
continuation character.
print("Monday's sales are", monday,
"and Tuesday's sales are", tuesday,
"and Wednesday's sales are", Wednesday)
total = (value1 + value2 +
value3 + value4 +
value5 + value6)
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More About Data Output
• print function displays line of output
• Newline character at end of printed data
• Special argument end='delimiter' causes print
to place delimiter at end of data instead of newline
character
• print function uses space as item separator
• Special argument sep='delimiter' causes print
to use delimiter as item separator
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More About Data Output
(cont’d.)
• Special characters appearing in string literal
• Preceded by backslash (\)
• Examples: newline (\n), horizontal tab (\t)
• Treated as commands embedded in string
• When + operator used on two strings in
performs string concatenation
• Useful for breaking up a long string literal
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Formatting Numbers
• Can format display of numbers on screen
using built-in format function
• Two arguments:
• Numeric value to be formatted
• Format specifier
• Returns string containing formatted number
• Format specifier typically includes precision and data
type
• Can be used to indicate scientific notation, comma
separators, and the minimum field width used to display the
value
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Formatting Numbers (cont’d.)
• The % symbol can be used in the format
string of format function to format number
as percentage
• To format an integer using format function:
• Use d as the type designator
• Do not specify precision
• Can still use format function to set field width or
comma separator
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Magic Numbers
• A magic number is an unexplained numeric
value that appears in a program’s code.
Example:
amount = balance * 0.069
• What is the value 0.069? An interest rate? A
fee percentage? Only the person who wrote
the code knows for sure.
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The Problem with Magic
Numbers
• It can be difficult to determine the purpose of the
number.
• If the magic number is used in multiple places in the
program, it can take a lot of effort to change the
number in each location, should the need arise.
• You take the risk of making a mistake each time you
type the magic number in the program’s code.
• For example, suppose you intend to type 0.069, but you
accidentally type .0069. This mistake will cause mathematical
errors that can be difficult to find.
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Named Constants
• You should use named constants instead of magic numbers.
• A named constant is a name that represents a value that does
not change during the program's execution.
• Example:
INTEREST_RATE = 0.069
• This creates a named constant named INTEREST_RATE,
assigned the value 0.069. It can be used instead of the magic
number:
amount = balance * INTEREST_RATE
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Advantages of Using Named
Constants
• Named constants make code self-explanatory (self-
documenting)
• Named constants make code easier to maintain
(change the value assigned to the constant, and the
new value takes effect everywhere the constant is
used)
• Named constants help prevent typographical errors
that are common when using magic numbers
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Summary
• This chapter covered:
• The program development cycle, tools for program
design, and the design process
• Ways in which programs can receive input,
particularly from the keyboard
• Ways in which programs can present and format
output
• Use of comments in programs
• Uses of variables and named constants
• Tools for performing calculations in programs
• The turtle graphics system
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