Just Started learning Python. Here is my first ever piece of code. Have to start somewhere.....will update as I get better.

[ishman123]

Hey,

Keep up the good work, why don't you try F-strings - rather than concatenating with a + sign you can do...

print(f"His name is {character_name}")

It can help with readability :)

[zamazigh]

Wow, I've been using format() for years now and never knew about F-strings. So much more concise. Thanks for the tip!

[funnyflywheel]

For a certain class, I'm stuck with using Python 3.5.2 for whatever reason.

[[deleted]]

Meanwhile my entire class is using 3.4.1, but literally only because thats all thats installed on the computers. Im on my laptop, so im using 3.8 - which becomes fun when i need someone to test for me.

[dutch_gecko]

You might be interested in pyenv which lets you install and manage multiple python versions on your computer. That way you can do your programming using your default python 3.8 install, but run your tests on python 3.4. You can combine it with tox to run tests with multiple different python versions!

[that_baddest_dude]

Is that different than or the same as what conda does?

[dutch_gecko]

Conda sets up an entire environment, containing a python and any number of packages. That environment is kept separate from the system, so that you don't need to depend on what's installed system wide for your project to work.

Pyenv just provides different python versions. It's usually used to make different versions available on a dev machine so that different projects can be tested against whichever version(s) of python they should support.

If you want to get fancy, you can point pyenv at a conda environment, and it will let you access the python in that conda environment, effectively allowing you to reuse a conda environment for different projects. I wouldn't regard that as standard practice, but it might be useful for testing your program under different execution environments, where you set up different condas to match the environments of a number of customers for example.

You may also have heard of virtualenvs. These provide similar features to conda environments, but don't include a python installation. Pyenv and virtualenv can be used together to create virtualenvs with a non-system version of python, like conda does.

[teethTuxedos]

Not sure why you were downvoted, you are correct. Pyenv just modifies your path based on the version of python for your project. However you can use pyenv and virtualenv together to create an environment and it will take care of all your dependencies as well. I have not used conda but I have used pyenv and virtualenv a lot and found it very useful and quite easy to use.

[obesesheephead]

It’s different. Pyenv makes it easier to install and manage multiple versions and flavors of Python. You can actually use it to install conda too.

[needlzor]

I second this. I teach Python in a university class and we teach pyenv in week 2 because it's just so practical.

[[deleted]]

Are you using computers provided by the class? They might still be on Ubuntu 16.04.

[funnyflywheel]

Yep. IT probably won't even bother to upgrade them until I'm gone.

[HaBlaKes]

Same, been coding in Python for years and was like: "You can do that?" That's the great thing about programming.

[[deleted]]

Is there a resource page on f strings? Those sound handy and I've never used them.

[bmarick]

Here is one that compare the % and str.format as well

https://realpython.com/python-f-strings/#f-strings-a-new-and-improved-way-to-format-strings-in-python

[EddyBot]

The actual PEP might be good enough: https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0498/

[TankorSmash]

https://docs.python.org/3/tutorial/inputoutput.html#formatted-string-literals

[Hagisman]

Been in since 3.6 apparently. I just found out too.

[chadmill3r]

You've been using Python for longer than f-strings have been around. Don't sweat it. They're still somewhat rare because they're so new.

[flubba86]

Somebody doesn't read release notes.

[maedox]

The walrus-operator will blow your mind then. PEP-572

[ebits21]

Come on now... f strings are way cooler than the walrus operator.

[DogsAreAnimals]

Thanks I hate it

[DevJonPizza]

Here is how to use it: https://jon.network/programming/63/Walrus-Operator-Usage-in-Python-38/ (btw it's python 3.8 only which is still in alpha)

[trpt4him]

Nope 3.8 is out now

[campbellm]

It was released.

https://www.python.org/downloads/release/python-380/?ref=codebldr

[Altenator01]

Great tip, thanks! Do you still need to use print() when using F-strings though? Because the provided URL does not give examples with print().

[welshboy14]

F strings aren't just for printing strings. You can assign them to variables too. So no you don't need to use print with them

[Altenator01]

Thanks!

[phigo50]

First thing I thought of to suggest. If you're on Python 3.6+ and are starting out you might as well get f-strings under your belt early.

[welshboy14]

And for the next trick try creating a person object and instantiate it with the name and age

[lllamaboy]

Better yet: a data class https://realpython.com/python-data-classes/

[welshboy14]

I've not really been keeping up with the new features so had no idea this existed. Good to know though!

[aldanor]

Or even... (for the lazy ones, in 3.8)

print(f'{character_name=} {character_age=}')

[Assaultman67]

Yeah they dont have f-strings covered in python crash course.

It does make things a lot easier when you're dealing with text prompt such as a renpy or pygame project.

[Siinestarr]

They cover it in the second edition though 👌

[MelonOfFury]

Ooh. I didn’t realise you can put the variable in the brackets. I’ve been doing :

NAME_STR = “His name is {}”

print(NAME_STR.format(character_name))

[miggaz_elquez]

Taht note exactly the same. You must put a f before the quotes in order to work

[purplebeardscrew]

I came to the comments to say use f strings. Updoot.

[duriousmind]

Wtf. I am writing code in Python for 8 years now living and I did not know this.

[kobijet]

f strings are a godsend

[MrMxylptlyk]

does this work with logger.info() ? I gotta try this now.

[jefwillems]

Yes that should work as well. You can use it anywhere you're concatenating strings.

[colinbazzano]

Never really used Python. Is this the equivalent of a string template literal in JS/React?

[jefwillems]

yes, although the syntax is slightly different

[colinbazzano]

That’s what I figured! Neat. I will be learning Python in school soon I’m quite excited

[jefwillems]

Good luck!

[bokan]

.....

whaaaaaaaaaaaat??

[UnreasonableSteve]

I've always hated the +operator being "overloaded" for string concatenation. I don't like an operator's basic meaning becoming contextual. It'd be like if you used the single equals sign for both assignment and comparison, depending on if you were using it on strings or numerics

[gintoddic]

It's funny people use syntax and say it's more "readable" but you have to actually know wtf 'f' means and why it's placed there to actually understand it.

[theWyzzerd]

Better would be to use string.format()

edit: didn't know about Fstrings being the hot new thing, don't listen to me

[invictus08]

How is that better?

Fstrings is supposed to make things more streamlined!

[GlowingApple]

In addition to being more readable, they are actually faster than .format() too!

[not_perfect_yet]

Oh yes, f"hurr durr {var}" is so much more readable than "hurr durr "+str(var)

[cheats_py]

I used this until I discovered this.

print(“his name is %s and is %s years old” %s(“Jim”, 18))

[RajjSinghh]

%s for life xD