Beginning Programming with Python for Dummies by John Paul Mueller EPUB & PDF Dummies 2nd Edition – Book Details Online
- Authors: John Paul Mueller
- Publish Date: January 17, 2018
- Language: English
- Genre: Python Programming, Beginning Programming
- Format: PDF / EPUB
- Size: 9 MB
- Pages: 376
- Price: Free
- ISBN: B079FY2ZPQ
Talking to Your
Computer
Having a conversation with your computer might sound like the script of a
science fiction movie. After all, the members of the Enterprise on Star Trek
regularly talked with their computer. In fact, the computer often talked
back. However, with the rise of Apple’s Siri (http://www.apple.com/ios/siri/),
Amazon’s Echo (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X4WHP5E/), and other interactive
software, perhaps you really don’t find a conversation so unbelievable.
Asking the computer for information is one thing, but providing it with instructions is quite another. This chapter considers why you want to instruct your computer about anything and what benefit you gain from it.
You also discover the need
for a special language when performing this kind of communication and why you
want to use Python to accomplish it. However, the main thing to get out of this
chapter is that programming is simply a kind of communication that is akin to
other forms of communication you already have with your computer.
Understanding Why You Want to Talk to Your Computer
Talking to a machine may seem quite odd at first, but it’s necessary because a
computer can’t read your mind — yet. Even if the computer did read your mind,
it would still be communicating with you. Nothing can occur without an exchange
of information between the machine and you. Activities such as
» Reading your email
» Writing about your vacation
» Finding the greatest gift in the world
are all examples of communication that occurs between a computer and you. That
the computer further communicates with other machines or people to address
requests that you make simply extends the basic idea that communication is necessary to produce any result.
In most cases, the communication takes place in a manner that is nearly invisible
to you unless you really think about it. For example, when you visit a chat room
online, you might think that you’re communicating with another person.
However,
you’re communicating with your computer, your computer is communicating with
the other person’s computer through the chat room (whatever it consists of), and
the other person’s computer is communicating with that person. Figure 1-1 gives
you an idea of what is actually taking place.
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