Live Coding Session 3A

Control Flows

An enormously complex tangle of piping and valves with numerous loops and on/off spigots that control the flow. MidJourney 5

Overview

In this session, we will be exploring Control Flows - if-elif, for, while and other ways of altering the flow of code execution. Live coding is a great way to learn programming as it allows you to see the process of writing code in real-time, including how to deal with unexpected issues and debug errors.

Objectives

  • Understand the fundamentals of flow control in Python.
  • Apply if-elif-else constructions in practical examples.
  • Use for and while loops to iterate through collections.
  • Develop the ability to troubleshoot and debug in a live setting.

Getting Started

Before we begin our interactive session, please follow these steps to set up your Jupyter Notebook:

  1. Open JupyterLab and create a new notebook:
    • Click on the + button in the top left corner
    • Select Python 3.10.0 from the Notebook options
  2. Rename your notebook:
    • Right-click on the Untitled.ipynb tab
    • Select β€œRename”
    • Name your notebook with the format: Session_XY_Topic.ipynb (Replace X with the day number and Y with the session number)
  3. Add a title cell:
    • In the first cell of your notebook, change the cell type to β€œMarkdown”
    • Add the following content (replace the placeholders with the actual information):
# Day X: Session Y - [Session Topic]

[Link to session webpage]

Date: [Current Date]

  1. Set up your notebook:

    Please set up your Jupyter Notebook with the following structure. We’ll fill in the content together during our session.

    ### Introduction to Control Flows

    <insert code cell below> 

    ### Conditionals

    #### Basic If Statement

    <insert code cell below> 
    
    #### Adding Else

    <insert code cell below> 
    
    #### Using Elif

    <insert code cell below> 
    
    ### Loops

    #### For Loops

    <insert code cell below> 
    
    #### While Loops

    <insert code cell below> 
    
    ### Applying Control Flows in Data Science

    <insert code cell below> 
    
    ### Conclusion

   <insert code cell below>
Caution

Don’t forget to save your work frequently by clicking the save icon or using the keyboard shortcut (Ctrl+S or Cmd+S).

Remember, we’ll be coding together, so don’t worry about filling in the content now. Just set up the structure, and we’ll dive into the details during our session!

  1. Participation:
    • Try to code along with me during the session.
    • Feel free to ask questions at any time. Remember, if you have a question, others probably do too!
  2. Resources:
    • I will be sharing snippets of code and notes. Make sure to take your own notes and save snippets in your notebook for future reference.
    • Check out our class control flows cheatsheet.

Session Format

Introduction

  • A brief discussion about the topic in Python programming and its importance in data science.

Demonstration

  • I will demonstrate code examples live. Follow along and write the code into your own Jupyter notebook.

Practice

  • You will have the opportunity to try exercises on your own to apply what you’ve learned.

Q&A

  • We will have a Q&A session at the end where you can ask specific questions about the code, concepts, or issues encountered during the session.

After the Session

  • Review your notes and try to replicate the exercises on your own.

  • Experiment with the code by modifying parameters or adding new features to deepen your understanding.

  • Check out our class flow control cheatsheet.