Python Scripts and Modules

In previous chapters, you have been executing Python in an interactive Python console or a Jupyter Notebook. However, you may be aware that most Python code lives in text files with a .py extension. These files are simply plain text and can be edited with any text editor. Programmers typically edit these files using either a text editor such as Notepad++, or Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) such as Jupyter or PyCharm.

Typically, standalone .py files are either called scripts or modules. A script is a file that is designed to be executed, usually from the command line. On the other hand, a module is usually imported into another part of the code or an interactive shell to be executed. Note that this is not a hard distinction; modules can be executed, and scripts can be imported into other scripts/modules.

Exercise 34: Writing and Executing Our First Script

In this exercise, you will create a script called my_script.py and execute it on the...