Skip to main content

Computer Science for STEM: The PreTeXt Interactive Edition

Section 1.11 A Typical First Program

Traditionally, the first program written in a new language is called Hello, World! because all it does is display the words, Hello, World! In Python, the source code looks like this.
🔗
print("Hello, World!")
This is an example of using the print function, which doesn’t actually print anything on paper. It displays a value on the screen. In this case, the result is the phrase:
🔗
Hello, World!
Here is the example in activecode. Give it a try!
🔗
The quotation marks in the program mark the beginning and end of the value. They don’t appear in the result.
🔗
Some people judge the quality of a programming language by the simplicity of the Hello, World! program. By this standard, Python does about as well as possible.
🔗
Check your understanding
🔗

Checkpoint 1.11.1.

    The print function:
    🔗
  • sends information to the printer to be printed on paper.
  • Within the Python programming language, the print function has nothing to do with the printer.
  • displays a value on the screen.
  • Yes, the print function is used to display the value of the thing being printed.
  • tells the computer to put the information in print, rather than cursive, format.
  • The format of the information is called its font and has nothing to do with the print function.
  • tells the computer to speak the information.
  • That would be a different function.
🔗
You have attempted 1 of 3 activities on this page.
🔗
PrevTopNext