Your first Python steps: from data to decisions

Install Python 3 and create a file named robot.py. This educational example prints a decision and does not control real hardware.

Data and conditions

A variable names a value. An if statement chooses a path through your program. Indentation is part of Python syntax; use four spaces inside each block.

distance_cm = 18

if distance_cm < 20:
    print("STOP")
else:
    print("MOVE")

Turn the logic into a function

A function lets you repeat the same decision for different inputs. This function returns STOP below 20 and MOVE otherwise. The for loop tests three distances.

def decide(distance_cm):
    if distance_cm < 20:
        return "STOP"
    return "MOVE"

for distance in [10, 20, 35]:
    print(distance, decide(distance))

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