🐍 Python Syntax Essentials: Clean Guide with Examples and Insights


✅ Statements and Indentation

Python uses indentation to define blocks of code. Unlike many other languages that use curly braces {} or keywords, Python enforces indentation.

# Example:
def greet(name):
    print("Hello", name)
  • Recommended: Use 4 spaces per indentation level.
  • Consistency is key: Mixing tabs and spaces can lead to errors.

You can also place multiple statements on one line using ;, though it’s discouraged:

x = 1; y = 2; print(x + y)

✅ Comments in Python

  • Single-line comments start with #
  • For multi-line documentation, use triple quotes (''' or """)
# This is a comment
x = 10  # Inline comment

"""
This is a multiline comment.
Used for module or function descriptions.
"""

Shortcut for commenting in editors:

  • VSCode: Ctrl + /
  • IDLE: Alt + 3

✅ Variables and Memory Allocation

  • Variables in Python are dynamically typed.
  • You don’t need to declare the type explicitly.
  • Internally, every variable is a reference to an object in memory (like a pointer).
x = 42       # int
name = "Raj" # str
pi = 3.14    # float

Python uses reference counting and garbage collection to manage memory. Example:

x = [1, 2, 3]
y = x        # Both x and y point to the same list in memory

✅ Python Numbers and Boolean Values

Numeric Types in Python:
  • int: Whole numbers
  • float: Numbers with decimals
  • complex: Numbers with real and imaginary parts
x = 10          # int
pi = 3.14       # float
z = 2 + 3j      # complex

Use type() to check:

print(type(x))      # <class 'int'>
print(type(pi))     # <class 'float'>
print(type(z))      # <class 'complex'>

You can perform arithmetic operations with all numeric types.

print(x + pi)         # 13.14
print(z * (1 + 2j))   # Complex multiplication
Boolean Values:
  • Only two: True and False
  • Internally, True is 1 and False is 0
  • Often used in conditions, comparisons, and logical operations
is_ready = True
is_valid = False

print(True + 5)     # 6
print(False * 10)   # 0

Used in control flow:

if is_ready:
    print("Ready to go!")
else:
    print("Hold on.")

Conversion:

print(bool(0))      # False
print(bool(123))    # True
print(bool(""))     # False
print(bool("abc"))  # True

✅ Multiple Assignments

x, y, z = 1, 2.5, "hello"
print(x, y, z)

x = y = z = 100  # All three variables point to the same value

✅ Swapping Made Easy

x, y = 10, 20
x, y = y, x

✅ Variable Naming Rules & Best Practices

  1. Rules
    • Must start with a letter (a-z, A-Z) or underscore (_)
    • Followed by letters, digits, or underscores
    • Case-sensitive
  2. Best Practices
    • Use snake_case: user_name
    • Use meaningful names: count, total_price
    • Avoid keywords: if, for, def
    • Constants: MAX_LIMIT = 100
# Good
customer_name = "Alice"
PI = 3.14159

# Bad
1stVar = 5   # SyntaxError
If = 7       # 'if' is a keyword

🔢 Python Operators (with Examples)

1. Arithmetic Operators

a, b = 10, 3
print(a + b)   # 13
print(a - b)   # 7
print(a * b)   # 30
print(a / b)   # 3.333
print(a // b)  # 3
print(a % b)   # 1
print(a ** b)  # 1000

2. Comparison Operators

print(a == b)  # False
print(a != b)  # True
print(a > b)   # True
print(a < b)   # False

3. Logical Operators

x, y = True, False
print(x and y)  # False
print(x or y)   # True
print(not x)    # False

4. Assignment Operators

x = 5
x += 2   # x = 7
x *= 3   # x = 21
x **= 2  # x = 441

5. Identity Operators

list1 = [1, 2, 3]
list2 = list1
list3 = list1[:]

print(list1 is list2)       # True (same object)
print(list1 is not list3)   # True (different objects)

6. Membership Operators

colors = ["red", "blue"]
print("red" in colors)        # True
print("green" not in colors)  # True

7. Bitwise Operators

x, y = 6, 3
print(x & y)   # 2
print(x | y)   # 7
print(x ^ y)   # 5
print(~x)      # -7
print(x << 1)  # 12
print(x >> 1)  # 3

📐 Operator Precedence (PEMDAS)

  • P: Parentheses ()
  • E: Exponentiation **
  • M/D: Multiplication/Division
  • A/S: Addition/Subtraction
result = 2 + 3 * 4       # 14
result = (2 + 3) * 4     # 20

Left to right for operators of same precedence.


💻 Bonus: Complete Operator Use Case

a = 10
b = 5
result = (a + b) * 2

if result >= 30:
    print("Result is large")

if result > 0 and result % 2 == 0:
    print("Result is a positive even number")

# Bitwise check
if result & 1 == 0:
    print("Even number via bitwise check")

# Membership test
nums = [10, 15, 20]
if 10 in nums:
    print("10 found")

# Identity test
x = nums
y = nums[:]
print(x is y)  # False (different memory)

🧠 How Python Handles Variables in Memory

  • Every variable is a reference to an object in memory.
  • Python uses reference counting and garbage collection to manage memory.
  • Use id(var) to check memory address.
x = [1, 2, 3]
y = x
z = x[:]
print(id(x), id(y), id(z))

Pages: 1 2


Discover more from HintsToday

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Posted in

Leave a Reply

Discover more from HintsToday

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading