Foundations Updated 2026-09 View as Markdown

Hello, World!

Python is a very simple language, and has a very straightforward syntax. It encourages programmers to program without boilerplate (prepared) code.

Python is a very simple language, and has a very straightforward syntax. It encourages programmers to program without boilerplate (prepared) code. The simplest directive in Python is the “print” directive - it simply prints out a line (and also includes a newline, unlike in C).

There are two major Python versions, Python 2 and Python 3. Python 2 and 3 are quite different. This tutorial uses Python 3, because it more semantically correct and supports newer features.

For example, one difference between Python 2 and 3 is the print statement. In Python 2, the “print” statement is not a function, and therefore it is invoked without parentheses. However, in Python 3, it is a function, and must be invoked with parentheses.

To print a string in Python 3, just write:

python
print("This line will be printed.")

Indentation#

Python uses indentation for blocks, instead of curly braces. Both tabs and spaces are supported, but the standard indentation requires standard Python code to use four spaces. For example:

python
x = 1
if x == 1:
    # indented four spaces
    print("x is 1.")
Exercise

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