01/09/2026 Lecture 1
An environment is Python in a specific version and a range of compatible packages. It
is not advised to update an environment to a new version, as it can create
incompatibilities in previous projects. Instead, you should create a new environment
with the new version. Now all projects work without interfering with each other.
Variables and data types
(a)Primitive data types are basic data types that store a single value.
(1) Numeric
(2) Text
(3) Truth
(4) Nothing
(b)Composite data types are more complex data types that can store multiple
values or combine different types of data.
I Collections:
Standardised data structures of any other primitive or composite data type (including
other collections), with pre-defined functions that work on the data.
(1) Sequences:
Elements
are stored in
a
given
order
or
sequence.

Immutable
sequence
ops are
sequences
whose
elements
cannot be
changed
after
creation.

Mutable
sequence
Ops
are
sequences
whose
elements
can
be
changed,
added,
or
removed
after
creation.
(2) Sets:
Unordered,
unique
elements.

Immutable
set ops are
sets whose
elements
cannot
be
changed
after
creation.
Python’s
frozenset is
immutable.

Mutable set
Ops are sets
that can be
changed by
adding
or
removing
elements.
Python’s set
is mutable.
(3) Dictionarie
s:
Unordered
key-value
mappings.

Dictionary
Ops
II Classes and objects:
Custom data structures of any other primitive or composite data type (including other
objects), with custom functions that operate on the object. All collections are also
classes/objects. In Python, all primitives are also classes/objects.
(1) Classes
Custom data structures of any other primitive or composite data type (including
other objects), with custom functions that operate on the object. All collections are
also classes/objects. In Python, all primitives are also classes/objects.
(2) Objects
A class is a pattern. Its instantiations (”realisations”) are called objects or instances.
Functions
(a)Built-in functions
(b)Data creation & conversion functions