Introduction

Technology is essential for our everyday lives. Understanding technology is not only necessary for a successful career, but it is also necessary for understanding the world we live in. Programming underlies all computer technologies and learning to program is a very powerful skill.

Put simply, by creating programs we can communicate instructions to a computer. It is creative. With programming you can create nearly anything you can think of. To create a program we use a programming language.

This book provides exercises and documentation in the Python programming language. All of the exercises use Minecraft Pi on the Raspberry Pi to provide concrete and fun ways to develop programming skills. Alongside this book it is recommended that students complete the Codecademy Python track. Codecademy is an excellent resource for supporting students as they learn programming with Python. Exercises follow on from Codecademy so that students can further develop their problem solving skills and apply their knowledge in an environment that is fun and challenging.

When learning to program, developing problem solving skills is just as important as remembering a programming language.

Using This Book

This book develops programming skills through exercises using Minecraft and Python on the Raspberry Pi. It assumes you are using this resource alongside the Codecademy Python track and provides reference materials that supplement this.

Every exercise in this book is challenging and has a number of suggested extensions. You apply your knowledge of Python to create some really useful programs with Minecraft Pi. Along the way you’ll develop problem solving skills that are essential for programming.

Trying out your own ideas is highly encouraged. Use the concepts you’ve learned to work out how to make your ideas a reality. If you want to do something, but can’t work out how to do it yet, try finding it out for yourself by skipping ahead in the book or try searching for help online. Finding things out for yourself is a really important skill.

The reference parts of chapters provide supplementary material based on the Codecademy Python track. These materials are meant to be used when you need extra support to understand a concept or when you’re developing a program and need a reference for a certain piece of code. If you’re sitting exams you can also use the book to revise concepts and definitions.

Codecademy is an excellent, free, online site for learning to program. You work through programming exercises and learn at the same time. The content of this book matches the content of the Codecademy Python track. It is recommended that you work through each Codecademy lesson before attempting the corresponding exercises in this book. However, if you’re feeling really adventurous and want a challenge, don’t use Codecademy and try using the reference materials in this book or elsewhere as a starting point for learning how to do things.

Standards Used in this Book

The following standards are used in this book: Example code looks like this:

items = 6
# add more items
items = items + 5

When lines of code are too long to fit the page, the -> indicates the code has been pushed onto a new line in order to fit. When copying code with this symbol ignore the line break and write code as a single line.

Code Syntax Definitions

The syntax definition box explains a key piece of code in Python. It also includes a definition of the code in its simplest form and an example.

Expression:

12

Statement:

age = 12

Alert:

This is an alert. They usually contain important information, tips and warnings.

Note:

Disclaimer: Any reference or resemblance to the intellectual property of an individual or organisation is used for educational purposes only.

This book is not affiliated or endorsed by the Raspberry Pi Foundation, Mojang/Minecraft, Codecademy or any organisation mentioned in this book.