🧠 Programming Fundamentals: The Big Picture

Before we dive into writing Python code, it helps to understand what programming actually is and why it matters for data analysis in nutrition, food, and sensory science.

🧱 What Is a Program?

A computer program is just a set of instructions (the code) and data (the values it works on). Imagine a hippo cookbook: the recipe is the instructions, and the ingredients are the data.

A simple Python program:

calories = 2500
protein = 80
print("This diet provides", calories, "kcal and", protein, "g of protein.")

🧩 Structure of a Program

Most programs are built from a few key elements: - Variables (store data) - Functions (perform actions) - Conditionals (make decisions) - Loops (repeat actions) - Comments (explain the code) - Error Handling (deal with unexpected problems)

These are like the pots, pans, and measuring spoons of the programming world. You don’t need them all at once—but you will use them often.

🧑‍🍳 Naming Things: Variables and Functions

Choose descriptive names for clarity. Avoid x, y, or stuff unless it’s obvious what they are. Use snake_case (lowercase with underscores) in Python.

Examples:

hippo_name = "Hilda"
calcium_intake_mg = 1200

🪶 Formatting and Indentation

Python is picky about layout! You must indent your code blocks using spaces (not tabs). This tells Python what belongs together.

Bad:

if iron_intake > 8.0:
print("Sufficient intake")  # ← No indentation!

Good:

if iron_intake > 8.0:
    print("Sufficient intake")  # ← Indented!

Tip: Most editors fix this for you. Stick to 4 spaces.

🗣️ Comment Your Code

Comments are notes in your code, ignored by Python but read by humans.

# This line calculates iron intake
iron_intake = 8.2

Use comments to: - Explain why you’re doing something - Note assumptions or limitations - Make future you grateful

🚨 Try–Except: Handling Errors Gracefully

Python has a friendly way to catch errors using try/except. For example:

try:
    result = 100 / 0
except ZeroDivisionError:
    print("Oops! Can't divide by zero.")

This helps keep your program running even when something goes wrong (and it will!).

🦛 In Summary

Writing code is giving clear, structured instructions—like explaining a nutrition experiment to a hippo. The clearer your code, the better it performs. 🧃

Next, we’ll explore the building blocks of Python: variables, data types, and functions.