Module 1 of 15 · Step 1 of 8

Python Introduction

A program is a set of instructions a computer follows. Python lets us write those instructions in a readable form. You will start with tiny programs and inspect what they display.

By the end of this lesson, you can:

Tell code apart from output
Read instructions in order
Write a comment and a print statement

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Learn · Code tells Python what to do

Concept 1 of 3

Code tells Python what to do

Code is what you write. Output is what the program shows after it runs. A print statement asks Python to display a value; the quotes themselves do not appear in the output.

Pattern

print("text to display")

Code

print("Hello")

Output

Hello

Why it works

print starts a display instruction.
The parentheses contain the value to display.
The quoted text becomes the output without its quotes.

Remember: Write code in the dark editor; read its result in the output console.

Common mistake

Not this

Hello

Try this

print("Hello")

Bare text is not a display instruction. Put text in quotes inside print().