38 CHAPTER 2 Introduction to Python PYTHON BASICS In Chapter 1, we looked at many of the basics of scripting. We covered loops, conditionals, functions, and more. Many of the languages we will use have similar capabilities, but syntax and execution will differ from one language to the next. In this section, we will investigate the syntactical and conceptual differences in the concepts that have already been presented, and how they apply to the Python language. Getting started We want to create Python files in a text editor. Text editors are a matter of personal preference. As long as the indentation is consistent, Python won't mind. For those who do not already have an editor of choice, the Kate editor that was demonstrated in Chapter 1 has a graphical user interface (GUI) and is simple to use. In addition to having syntax highlighting, Kate handles automatic indentation, making it easier to avoid whitespace inconsistencies that could cause Python to fail. Python scripts are .py files. For example, hello.py might be our first script. To use Kate, try typing kate hello.py to create a simple script.