By Aran Squeaky DataNut — currently powered by coffee, tacos al pastor, and the nostalgic smell of vintage comic books.

Intro: Hold on to your nuts… we’re entering Python!

Hey hey, fellow code-adventurer! Aran Squeaky DataNut here 🐿️💻 — your friendly neighborhood Senior Software Architect, AI tamer, and professional hoarder of digital acorns (aka data).

Right now I’m sipping a dangerously strong café de olla and rereading a Batman comic while my IDE loads.

And today… we begin your Python journey!
This is Chapter 1 of your beginner series — our mini-saga to go from “What is Python?” to “I can build awesome scripts while eating tacos.”

Let’s unlock our first nut: printing text, understanding execution flow, escaping strings, fixing errors, and writing comments like a pro.

Your First Spell: Hello, world!

Every programmer — from rookies to Gandalfs of the code realm — begins with the same sacred ritual:

print("Hello, world!")

Why?
Because in programming, this is like Goku’s first punch, Naruto’s first jutsu, or Sailor Moon’s first transformation: simple, symbolic, and the start of everything.

What is Python? (And why everyone loves it)

Python is an interpreted language, which means it runs your code line by line — kind of like reading a manga panel by panel.

Created in 1991 by Guido van Rossum, it became popular because:

• It’s readable (almost like English!)
• It lets you build things fast
• It powers data science, ML, automation, backend systems … even NASA uses it.

But the real superpower Python gives you?

👉 You learn to think like a programmer.
And once that happens, your brain never goes back.

Fixing Code Like a Pro: Calculating Pi

Now THIS is where things start to get spicy — like adding salsa verde to your tacos. 🌮🔥

In this challenge, you’re given a full Python program that calculates digits of π using a famous algorithm from Chudnovsky brothers (yup, the guys who helped break world records for computing pi — total giga-nerds, my kind of people).

Here’s the exact code:

from decimal import Decimal, getcontext

def calculate_pi(n):
    getcontext().prec = n + 2  # Set precision higher than needed for accuracy
    
    C = 426880 * Decimal(10005).sqrt()
    K = 6
    M = 1
    X = 1
    L = 13591409
    S = L
    
    for i in range(1, n):
        M = (K ** 3 - 16 * K) * M // i ** 3
        L += 545140134
        X *= -262537412640768000
        S += Decimal(M * L) / X
        K += 12
    
    pi = C / S
    return str(pi)[:n + 2]  # Return first n digits plus the '3.'

n = 19
pi_digits = calculate_pi(n)
print(pi_digits)

This program does some big-brain math using Python’s decimal module to give exact digits of pi — something floats can’t handle without melting faster than an ice cream in Monterrey at 40°C.

When you run it as-is, it prints 19 digits of pi.

Want 20 digits?

Find this line:

n = 19

and change that line to:

n = 20

That’s it.
Just one tiny change, and BOOM — your program prints 20 digits of π instead of 19.

Execution Order — Python Reads Top to Bottom

Just like scanning a comic page, Python reads code in order:

print("First")
print("Second")
print("Third")

Outputs:

First
Second
Third

Printing Text and Escaping Quotes

Here’s a classic rookie boss fight:

print("They said, "Hello, world!"")

Python sees chaos here. It doesn’t know which quote ends where.

Solution: escape quotes using backslashes:

print("They said, \"Hello, world!\"")

Use escapes like a ninja using hand signs.

Syntax Errors — Your Frenemies

Ever run code and see something like this?

SyntaxError: invalid syntax

This means the code breaks the grammar rules of Python — like shouting the wrong spell in the middle of Hogwarts and watching your wand explode in your face. 💥🪄🐀

Syntax errors are actually the best kind of errors you can get. Why?

• Python tells you exactly where the mistake is
• You usually fix them in seconds
• They teach you to write cleaner, clearer code

Earlier in the lesson, you saw this broken line:

print("My favorite quote is "To be or not to be."")

Python gets confused because the quotation marks open and close in the wrong places.
It thinks the string ends early, and the rest of the text is rogue chaos wandering outside the quotes.

Total syntax meltdown.

🐿️ Quick Tip from Aran

When Python throws a syntax error, don’t panic.

Look at:

• the line number it shows
• the little arrow ^ pointing to where it got confused

Most of the time, the problem is right there — missing quotes, missing parentheses, extra commas…you know the classic ones.

Comments — Notes for Future You

In Python, comments begin with #.

# This is a comment

Your program ignores them — they’re for humans.

You can also “turn off” code by commenting it out:

# print("This won't run")

But remember: don’t delete any lines — use comments wisely.

Conclusion

Today you learned:

• How to print text
• How Python executes code
• How to fix syntax issues
• How to escape characters
• How to write comments
• And how to debug like a baby Batman in training 🦇

This is the foundation — your Episode 1.
The next chapters will build on this until you’re crafting scripts smoother than a churro dipped in chocolate.

Your Turn

What was your first programming language?
Do you remember your first “Hello, World!” moment — or was it more chaotic than Yamcha in every fight?
Tell me in the comments!