4
1 T h e F i r s t F e w S t e p s
Some computer science terms
Note that, quite often, the terms script and scripting are used as synonyms for
program and programming, respectively.
The inventor of the Perl programming language, Larry Wall, tried to
explain the difference between script and program in a humorous way (from
perl.com a ): Suppose you went back to Ada Lovelace b and asked her the
difference between a script and a program. She’d probably look at you funny,
then say something like: Well, a script is what you give the actors, but a
program is what you give the audience. That Ada was one sharp lady. . . Since
her time, we seem to have gotten a bit more confused about what we mean
when we say scripting. It confuses even me, and I’m supposed to be one of the
experts.
There are many other widely used computer science terms to pick up as
well. For example, writing a program (or script or code) is often expressed as
implementing the program. Executing a program means running the program.
A default value is what will be used if nothing is specified. An algorithm
is a recipe for how to construct a program. A bug is an error in a program,
and the art of tracking down and removing bugs is called debugging (see,
e.g., Wikipedia c ). Simulating or simulation refers to using a program to mimic
processes in the real world, often through solving differential equations that
govern the physics of the processes. A plot is a graphical representation of
a data set. For example, if you walk along a straight road, recording your
position y with time t, say every second, your data set will consist of pairs
with corresponding y and t values. With two perpendicular axes in a plane
(e.g., a computer screen or a sheet of paper), one “horizontal” axis for t and
one “vertical” axis for y, each pair of points could be marked in that plane. The
axes and the points make up a plot, which represents the data set graphically.
Usually, such plotting is done by a computer.
a http://www.perl.com/pub/2007/12/06/soto-11.html.
b http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ada_Lovelace.
c http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_bug#Etymology.
1.1.1 Installing Python
To study this book, you need a Python installation that fits the purpose. The quickest
way to get a useful Python installation on your Windows, Mac, or Linux computer,
is to download and install Anaconda. 2 There are alternatives (as you can find on
the internet), but we have had very good experiences with Anaconda for several
years, so that is our first choice. No separate installation of Python or Spyder (our
recommended environment for writing Python code) is then required, as they are
both included in Anaconda.
2 https://www.anaconda.com/distribution.
1 T h e F i r s t F e w S t e p s
Some computer science terms
Note that, quite often, the terms script and scripting are used as synonyms for
program and programming, respectively.
The inventor of the Perl programming language, Larry Wall, tried to
explain the difference between script and program in a humorous way (from
perl.com a ): Suppose you went back to Ada Lovelace b and asked her the
difference between a script and a program. She’d probably look at you funny,
then say something like: Well, a script is what you give the actors, but a
program is what you give the audience. That Ada was one sharp lady. . . Since
her time, we seem to have gotten a bit more confused about what we mean
when we say scripting. It confuses even me, and I’m supposed to be one of the
experts.
There are many other widely used computer science terms to pick up as
well. For example, writing a program (or script or code) is often expressed as
implementing the program. Executing a program means running the program.
A default value is what will be used if nothing is specified. An algorithm
is a recipe for how to construct a program. A bug is an error in a program,
and the art of tracking down and removing bugs is called debugging (see,
e.g., Wikipedia c ). Simulating or simulation refers to using a program to mimic
processes in the real world, often through solving differential equations that
govern the physics of the processes. A plot is a graphical representation of
a data set. For example, if you walk along a straight road, recording your
position y with time t, say every second, your data set will consist of pairs
with corresponding y and t values. With two perpendicular axes in a plane
(e.g., a computer screen or a sheet of paper), one “horizontal” axis for t and
one “vertical” axis for y, each pair of points could be marked in that plane. The
axes and the points make up a plot, which represents the data set graphically.
Usually, such plotting is done by a computer.
a http://www.perl.com/pub/2007/12/06/soto-11.html.
b http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ada_Lovelace.
c http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_bug#Etymology.
1.1.1 Installing Python
To study this book, you need a Python installation that fits the purpose. The quickest
way to get a useful Python installation on your Windows, Mac, or Linux computer,
is to download and install Anaconda. 2 There are alternatives (as you can find on
the internet), but we have had very good experiences with Anaconda for several
years, so that is our first choice. No separate installation of Python or Spyder (our
recommended environment for writing Python code) is then required, as they are
both included in Anaconda.
2 https://www.anaconda.com/distribution.