For courses in Python programming.

A clear and student-friendly introduction to the fundamentals of Python

In Starting Out with Python^®, 4th Edition, Tony Gaddis’ accessible coverage introduces students to the basics of programming in a high-level language. Python, an easy-to-learn and increasingly popular object-oriented language, allows readers to become comfortable with the fundamentals of programming without the troublesome syntax that can be challenging for novices. With the knowledge acquired using Python, students gain confidence in their skills and learn to recognize the logic behind developing high-quality programs.

Starting Out with Python discusses control structures, functions, arrays, and pointers before objects and classes. As with all Gaddis texts, clear and easy-to-read code listings, concise and practical real-world examples, focused explanations, and an abundance of exercises appear in every chapter. Updates to the 4th Edition include revised, improved problems throughout, and new Turtle Graphics sections that provide flexibility as assignable, optional material.

MyLab^TM Programming not included. Students, if MyLab is a recommended/mandatory component of the course, please ask your instructor for the correct ISBN and course ID. MyLab should only be purchased when required by an instructor. Instructors, contact your Pearson rep for more information.

MyLab^TM Programming is an online learning system designed to engage students and improve results. MyLab Programming consists of programming exercises correlated to the concepts and objectives in this book. Through practice exercises and immediate, personalized feedback, MyLab Programming improves the programming competence of beginning students who often struggle with the basic concepts of programming languages.

Teach Python from the fundamentals to the details

• Written with clear, easy-to-understand language, and rich with example programs that are concise, practical, and real-world oriented.
• The hundreds of Example Programs in the text are designed to highlight the topic currently being studied. Source code for these programs is provided so that students can run the programs themselves.
• Students not only learn how to implement the features and constructs of Java, but why and when to use them.
• Turtle Graphics sections are designed with flexibility in mind and can be assigned as optional material, incorporated into your existing syllabus, or skipped altogether.
• The Turtle Graphics library, which is a standard part of Python, is a fun and motivating way to introduce programming concepts to students who have never written code before. The library allows the student to write Python statements that draw graphics by moving a cursor on a canvas.
• Topics from Java 8, including Lambda Expressions.
• Tips advise students on the best techniques for approaching different programming or animation problems.

• Concept Statements, Checkpoints, Notes, and Warnings throughout the book all call out important pieces of information for the student.
• Program Output is a sample of its screen output shown after each example program. This immediately shows the student how the program should function.
• In the Spotlight sections provides a programming problem and a detailed, step-by-step analysis showing the student how to solve it.
• VideoNotes developed specifically for this book. Icons appear throughout the text alerting the student to videos about specific topics. Students can follow along with the author as he works through each tutorial in the videos. Also, one programming project at the end of each chapter has an accompanying VideoNote that shows the student how to create the solution.
• Case studies that simulate real-world applications appear in many chapters throughout the text. These case studies are designed to highlight the major topics of the chapter in which they appear.

• A thorough and diverse set of review questions, such as fill-in-the-blank and short answer, check the student’s mastery of the basic material presented in each chapter. These are followed by exercises requiring problem solving and analysis, such as the Algorithm Workbench, Predict the Output, and Find the Errors sections.
• Several new programming problems have been added throughout the book.
• Programming Challenges are designed to solidify the student’s knowledge of the topics currently being studied. Each chapter offers a pool of programming exercises. In most cases the assignments present real-world problems to be solved.

About the Book

· New sections on the Python Turtle Graphics library have been added to Chapters 2 through 5. The Turtle Graphics library, which is a standard part of Python, is a fun and motivating way to introduce programming concepts to students who have never written code before. The library allows the student to write Python statements that draw graphics by moving a cursor on a canvas. The new sections that have been added to this edition are:

o Chapter 2: Introduction to Turtle Graphics

o Chapter 3: Determining the State of the Turtle

o Chapter 4: Using Loops to Draw Designs

o Chapter 5: Modularizing Turtle Graphics Code with Functions

· The new Turtle Graphics sections are designed with flexibility in mind. They can be assigned as optional material, incorporated into your existing syllabus, or skipped altogether.

· Chapter 2 has a new section on named constants. Although Python does not support true constants, you can create variable names that symbolize values that should not change as the program executes. This section teaches the student to avoid the use of “magic numbers,” and to create symbolic names that make his or her code more self-documenting and easier to maintain.

· Chapter 7 has a new section on using the matplotlib package to plot charts and graphs from lists. The new section describes how to install the matplotlib package, and use it to plot line graphs, bar charts, and pie charts.

· Chapter 13 has a new section on creating graphics in a GUI application with the Canvas widget. The new section describes how to use the Canvas widget to draw lines, rectangles, ovals, arcs, polygons, and text.

· Several new, more challenging, programming problems have been added throughout the book.

· Appendix E is a new appendix that discusses the various forms of the import statement.

· Appendix F is a new appendix that discusses installing third-party modules with the pip utility.

MyLab^TM Programming not included. Students, if MyLab is a recommended/mandatory component of the course, please ask your instructor for the correct ISBN and course ID. MyLab should only be purchased when required by an instructor. Instructors, contact your Pearson representative for more information.

· UPDATED! User Interface provides a new streamlined interface based on experienced user feedback. Course creation, configuration, and navigation are now easier than ever.

· EXPANDED! Exercise Editor now allows you to easily create new programming exercises. In addition to assigning the hundreds of programming exercises already available in MyLab Programming, you can create and assign programming exercises to customize your course.

· UPDATED! VideoNotes Tutorials provide step-by-step video tutorials specifically designed to enhance the programming concepts presented in Starting Out with Python. Students can view the entire problem-solving process outside of the classroom—when they need help the most.

· The Plagiarism Detection Tool alerts instructors of potential plagiarism issues by checking:

o Students’ average submission rate

o Students’ average number of attempts until correct