06 Chapter Python Programming, How Should I Start?

Python is one of the most popular programming languages in the modern programming world, and its range of use and applications is expanding day by day. This language, which is easily accessible to both beginners and professionals, is particularly appealing among developers who value simplicity and productivity. In this article, we will provide the basic information and step-by-step guidelines necessary to get started with Python programming.

1. What is Python?

Python is a high-level programming language that was first released by Guido van Rossum in 1991, designed with a priority on code readability and simplicity. One of Python’s main philosophies is that “the more readable the code, the better it is.” For this reason, Python has the following characteristics:

  • Simple and clear syntax: Python’s syntax is similar to English, making it easy for beginners to learn.
  • Extensive standard library: Provides libraries that can be used in various fields by default.
  • Platform independence: Can run on various operating systems such as Windows, macOS, and Linux.
  • Loose data types: Variables can be handled according to their characteristics without needing to explicitly specify the data type.

2. Installing Python

The first step in starting with Python is to install the Python interpreter. The installation process may vary slightly depending on your operating system. Follow the steps below to install Python.

Installing Python on Windows

  1. Go to the official Python website and download the latest version.
  2. Run the downloaded installer, and make sure to select the “Add Python to PATH” option during the installation process. This setting allows you to use Python commands in the command prompt.
  3. Once the installation is complete, open the “cmd” window and type python --version to verify that the installation was successful.

Installing Python on macOS

  1. Python is installed by default on macOS. However, it is recommended to download the latest installer from the official website to use the most recent version.
  2. Run the downloaded installer and follow the instructions to install.
  3. Open the terminal and enter python3 --version to check the installation.

Installing Python on Linux

  1. Most Linux distributions come with Python pre-installed. To install or update to the latest version, open the terminal and use the commands sudo apt-get update and sudo apt-get install python3.
  2. After installation is complete, check the version with python3 --version.

3. Setting Up the Development Environment

After installing Python, you need to set up an environment to write and execute code. There are several ways to do this, but here are some representative tools:

Python IDLE

Python IDLE is a basic integrated development environment (IDE) provided with Python, offering a lightweight coding and execution environment. It is useful for writing and executing simple scripts.

Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code is an IDE developed by Microsoft that offers extensive plugin support and powerful debugging tools. It supports various programming languages and is widely used for Python development. Start programming in Python by installing the Python extension plugin.

Jupyter Notebook

Jupyter Notebook is a widely used tool for data science and machine learning projects that allows you to combine code, explanations, and visualizations in a single document. To install, enter pip install jupyter, and then run it with the jupyter notebook command.

Searching Subdirectories with Python

Dealing with files and directories is very common in programming. In particular, searching subdirectories is used for various purposes such as organizing system files and analyzing log files. In this tutorial, we will learn in detail how to effectively search subdirectories using Python.

Python provides several libraries for manipulating files and directories. In this article, we will explain how to search subdirectories in Python using the os, glob, and pathlib modules. We will compare the pros and cons of each method and present the best usage examples.

Using the os Module

The os module provides various functionalities to interact with the operating system. By using this module, you can create, delete, and modify files and directories, as well as manipulate file paths, attributes, and permissions. In particular, the os.walk() function is useful for traversing the directory tree to search for subdirectories and files.

os.walk() Function

The os.walk() function starts from the root directory and traverses all subdirectories, obtaining the path, directory names, and file names. The return value of the function is a tuple, where each element includes (directory path, list of all subfolders in the directory, list of all files in the directory).


import os

def search_subdirectories(root_dir):
    for dirpath, dirnames, filenames in os.walk(root_dir):
        print(f'Current directory path: {dirpath}')
        print(f'Subdirectories: {dirnames}')
        print(f'Files: {filenames}')
        print('---------------------')
        
search_subdirectories('/mnt/data')  # Specify the path of the root directory to search.

The above code uses os.walk() to output all subdirectories and files of the given directory. It prints the current directory, subdirectories, and files to the console for each path.

Implementing Filtering

If you only need specific file extensions or name patterns from a large directory, you can search for the desired information through filtering. The following code demonstrates filtering so that the user can search for only ‘.txt’ files.


def search_text_files(root_dir):
    for dirpath, dirnames, filenames in os.walk(root_dir):
        text_files = [f for f in filenames if f.endswith('.txt')]
        if text_files:
            print(f'Text files found in {dirpath}: {text_files}')
        
search_text_files('/mnt/data')  # Specify the directory to search.

In the above example, it searches and outputs only files with the ‘.txt’ extension. You can use different patterns or conditions for filtering as needed.

Using the glob Module

The glob module allows you to search for files using Unix style pathname patterns. It easily searches for files that match specific extensions or name patterns through simple pattern matching.

glob.glob() Function

The glob.glob() function returns all path names matching the specified pattern. In Python 3.5 and above, you can recursively search for subdirectories using the ** pattern.


import glob

def search_with_glob(pattern):
    files = glob.glob(pattern, recursive=True)
    for file in files:
        print(file)
        
search_with_glob('/mnt/data/**/*.txt')  # Search for all .txt files including subdirectories

The above code uses the ** pattern to search for all text files in the target directory and its subdirectories. The glob module provides easy-to-use yet very powerful file search functionality.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we learned how to search subdirectories using Python. The os.walk() function allows for depth-first traversal of the directory tree, while the glob module provides simple and powerful file searching through pattern matching. Each method can be chosen and applied according to the purpose of use.

Another file-related module in Python is pathlib, which provides an object-oriented approach to make file path manipulation more intuitive. We will cover pathlib in a separate tutorial.

I hope this tutorial provides you with the basics and tips you need to perform file exploration tasks. If you have any further questions or would like to discuss specific use cases, please leave a comment in the section below.

Python Course: Convert Tab Characters to Four Space Characters

When dealing with various formats of data in programming, you often encounter data that includes tab characters. Tab characters are commonly used in text files to implement indentation or to separate data into columns. However, there are also situations where you need to indent with space characters instead of tabs. In this course, we will explain in detail how to convert tab characters into four space characters using Python.

Basic String Handling

String manipulation in Python is a very straightforward and intuitive task. Python provides several built-in functions to help manipulate strings. Among them, the replace() method is useful for changing specific characters into other characters. Here is a simple example of using this method.


text = "Hello,\tWorld!"
# \t represents a tab character.

# Convert tab characters into four space characters
text = text.replace("\t", "    ")
print(text)
    

The example above replaces the tab character between ‘Hello,’ and ‘World!’ with four spaces. This method is very convenient for small-scale string manipulation.

Replacing Tab Characters in Files

It is also useful to replace all tab characters in large data files or script files with spaces. This can be easily handled in Python through file input and output. The following shows how to convert tab characters into four spaces in a file.

1. Reading the File

In Python, you can read a file using the open() function. Usually, when reading a file, you use the read mode (‘r’) to bring in the text.


# Assuming the sample.txt file contains tab characters.
with open("sample.txt", "r") as file:
    content = file.read()
    

2. Replacing Tab Characters

After loading the content of the file, you can use the replace() method again to change all tab characters to spaces.


content = content.replace("\t", "    ")
    

3. Writing the Modified Content to a File

You can either write the modified content back to the original file or save it as a new file. Writing to a file is performed by opening the file in write mode (‘w’).


# Save the content where tab characters are changed to spaces
with open("sample_modified.txt", "w") as file:
    file.write(content)
    

The code above finds all tab characters in the original file ‘sample.txt’, converts them to four spaces, and then saves the result in a new file called ‘sample_modified.txt’. This way, you can preserve the original data even after the data transformation is completed.

Executing the Full Script

You can try executing the entire script based on what has been explained so far. Here is the code that combines all the above processes into one.


def replace_tabs_with_spaces(input_file, output_file):
    """
    Replaces all tab characters in the given input file into four space characters and saves it to the output file.

    :param input_file: Path of the original file containing tab characters
    :param output_file: Path of the file to save the contents with tabs replaced by spaces
    """
    with open(input_file, "r") as file:
        content = file.read()
    
    # Convert tab characters into four spaces
    content = content.replace("\t", "    ")

    with open(output_file, "w") as file:
        file.write(content)

# Execute the script
replace_tabs_with_spaces("sample.txt", "sample_modified.txt")
    

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we explored how to easily convert tab characters in strings into four space characters using Python. By learning how to convert data within files rather than just strings, you can easily automate tasks in your daily work. By leveraging powerful programming languages like Python, you can perform data transformation and processing more efficiently.

I hope this tutorial has helped improve your programming skills. If you have any further questions or want to know more, feel free to leave a comment!

Creating a Simple Notepad with Python

Hello, today we will create a simple Python notepad application. In this tutorial, we will build a GUI application using PyQt and cover how to save and load notes through file input and output. Through this, you will enhance your understanding of basic GUI programming and file handling in Python.

1. Python GUI Programming

GUI stands for Graphical User Interface, which is a graphic-based interface that allows users to easily use the program. PyQt is one of the most widely used GUI toolkits in Python, providing powerful and diverse widgets. In this tutorial, we will create a simple notepad using PyQt5.

2. Installing Required Tools

First, we need to install PyQt5. Run the following command to install PyQt5:

pip install PyQt5

3. Setting Up Project Structure

We will set up the basic structure of the project. Create a project folder and create a file for the Python script:

mkdir python-notepad
cd python-notepad
touch notepad.py

Now, let’s start coding.

4. Creating GUI with PyQt5

When using PyQt5, you need to create a window using an instance of QWidget or its derived classes. The necessary elements to create a basic notepad interface are as follows:

  • QTextEdit widget for text input
  • Functionality to open and save files
  • Convenient menu bar

4.1. Writing Basic Code

import sys
from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QApplication, QMainWindow, QAction, QTextEdit, QFileDialog, QMessageBox
from PyQt5.QtGui import QIcon

class Notepad(QMainWindow):
    def __init__(self):
        super().__init__()

        # Create QTextEdit widget
        self.textEdit = QTextEdit(self)
        self.setCentralWidget(self.textEdit)

        # Initial settings for the notepad
        self.initUI()

    def initUI(self):
        # Create menu bar
        menubar = self.menuBar()

        # Create file menu
        fileMenu = menubar.addMenu('File')

        # Add open action
        openFile = QAction(QIcon('open.png'), 'Open', self)
        openFile.setShortcut('Ctrl+O')
        openFile.setStatusTip('Open file')
        openFile.triggered.connect(self.showDialog)
        fileMenu.addAction(openFile)

        # Add save action
        saveFile = QAction(QIcon('save.png'), 'Save', self)
        saveFile.setShortcut('Ctrl+S')
        saveFile.setStatusTip('Save file')
        saveFile.triggered.connect(self.saveFile)
        fileMenu.addAction(saveFile)

        # Add exit action
        exitAction = QAction('Exit', self)
        exitAction.setShortcut('Ctrl+Q')
        exitAction.setStatusTip('Exit application')
        exitAction.triggered.connect(self.close)
        fileMenu.addAction(exitAction)

        # Activate status bar
        self.statusBar()

        # Set up main window
        self.setGeometry(300, 300, 600, 400)
        self.setWindowTitle('Notepad')
        self.show()

    def showDialog(self):
        fname, _ = QFileDialog.getOpenFileName(self, 'Open File', '/', "Text files (*.txt)")
        
        if fname:
            with open(fname, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as f:
                self.textEdit.setText(f.read())

    def saveFile(self):
        fname, _ = QFileDialog.getSaveFileName(self, 'Save File', '/', "Text files (*.txt)")
        
        if fname:
            with open(fname, 'w', encoding='utf-8') as f:
                f.write(self.textEdit.toPlainText())

if __name__ == '__main__':
    app = QApplication(sys.argv)
    ex = Notepad()
    sys.exit(app.exec_())
    

5. Code Analysis

The above code is a very basic PyQt5 application. With this code, you can implement a simple notepad feature that allows you to open, edit, and save files. Each part is composed as follows:

5.1. Notepad Class

The Notepad class inherits from the QMainWindow class and is responsible for the main functionality of the window in the PyQt application. Here, we placed the QTextEdit widget in the center and added functionality to open and save files through the menu bar.

5.2. initUI Method

This handles the initial UI setup of the notepad, creating the menu bar and status bar, and adding actions such as open, save, and exit to the menu. Each action is set up to call a specific method in response to user interaction.

5.3. showDialog and saveFile Methods

The showDialog method reads the file selected by the user through the open file dialog and displays it in QTextEdit. The saveFile method saves the current text inputted in QTextEdit to the path specified by the user through the save file dialog.

6. Conclusion

A basic Python notepad was created using PyQt5. This program implements simple functionality to open, edit, and save files. Through this, you learned the basic usage of PyQt5 and how to develop GUI applications using Python. With this basic notepad example, you will be able to create more complex and feature-rich applications. Be sure to enhance your skills through various practices!

Thank you!

Python Bulletin Board Paging

Introduction

When dealing with large datasets, displaying all the data on a single screen is inefficient. To provide users with a convenient navigation environment, we utilize the “paging” technique, which allows us to show data appropriately divided. In this course, we will explain how to implement paging functionality in a bulletin board system using Python.

Basic Concepts of Paging

Paging refers to the function of dividing data into certain units and displaying them by pages, allowing users to navigate to the previous, next, or select a specific number. The core idea is to reduce navigation time and improve responsiveness by displaying an appropriate amount of data on the screen.

  • Page Size: The number of data items displayed on one page.
  • Page Number: The number of the page currently being viewed by the user.
  • Total Count: The total size of the data, which is necessary for calculating the number of pages.

Understanding Paging Logic

Designing paging logic can be complex, but a simple pattern can be created with basic mathematical formulas. You can calculate the starting index of a page and dynamically manipulate data when moving to the next or previous page. The basic formula used is as follows:


    #{ For 1-based index pagination }
    Starting Index = (Page Number - 1) * Page Size
    Ending Index = Starting Index + Page Size

Implementing Paging with Python

To implement basic paging functionality in Python, let’s create sample data using a list. We will then divide the data into page size units and return the desired page to the user.

Preparing Sample Data

python
# Preparing a simple dataset - using numbers from 1 to 100 for this example.
data = list(range(1, 101))  # Numbers from 1 to 100

The above data assumes that there are a total of 100 posts represented by numbers from 1 to 100.

Implementing the Paging Function

python
def get_page(data, page_number, page_size):
    if page_number < 1:
        raise ValueError("Page number must be 1 or greater.")
    if page_size < 1:
        raise ValueError("Page size must be 1 or greater.")
    
    start_index = (page_number - 1) * page_size
    end_index = start_index + page_size
    
    # Data range validation
    if start_index >= len(data):
        return []

    return data[start_index:end_index]

Testing the Paging Function

python
# For example, you can request the 3rd page with a page size of 10.
page_number = 3
page_size = 10

# Fetching page data
page_data = get_page(data, page_number, page_size)
print(f"Data on page {page_number}: {page_data}")

The above function provides basic paging functionality. It takes the page number and page size as input and returns the data for that page. If there is insufficient data, it returns an empty list to prevent errors.

Advanced Paging Techniques

In real applications, more complex paging logic combined with database queries is required.

Using with SQL

For example, in databases like PostgreSQL or MySQL, you can utilize paging at the SQL query level using LIMIT and OFFSET statements.


SELECT * FROM board_posts
LIMIT page_size OFFSET (page_number - 1) * page_size;

Adding Page Navigation

Most web applications support paging navigation to allow users to navigate between pages. Additional logic and UI elements are required for this.

Calculating Total Pages

You can calculate how many pages are needed based on the total amount of data and the page size.

python
total_count = len(data)
total_pages = (total_count + page_size - 1) // page_size  # Ceiling calculation

Generating Page Links

Providing the user with page links allows navigation to different pages.

Here, we will generate page navigation links using Python code:

python
def generate_page_links(current_page, total_pages):
    page_links = []
    
    # Generating page links
    for i in range(1, total_pages + 1):
        if i == current_page:
            page_links.append(f"[{i}]")
        else:
            page_links.append(str(i))
    
    return " ".join(page_links)

# If the current page is 3
current_page = 3
page_links = generate_page_links(current_page, total_pages)
print(f"Page links: {page_links}")

The above functions are an example of providing new page links based on page 3.

Conclusion

We discussed how to implement paging functionality in a bulletin board system using Python, providing users with a convenient and efficient data model. We covered everything from basic list management to SQL integration, as well as adding page navigation. These techniques will be useful in developing a better user experience in actual web applications.