Coding can look like a super complicated skill to learn, but if we decompose each component and learn them individually it can turn out to be quite easy!

In this tutorial we will present 3 basic components, mainly:

• Variables -> Used for storing values
• If-else statements -> Used for decision making
• While loops -> Used to easily repeat operations

Variables

A variable is like a box that stores information for your program. You can declare a variable and give it a value, and later change that value if needed.

score = 5      # Declares a variable named "score" and assigns it a value of 5

score = 6      # Updates the value of "score" to 6

If-Else statements

if , elif and else statements help your program choose between different actions based on conditions.

current_state = 0

if buttun_pressed is True:
   current_state = 1
else:
   current_state = 0

In the previous example our code checks whether the button has been pressed, if that’s the case then current_state will be updated to have value 1.

Here’s how to use each statement:

• if: States the First condition, can be used on its own
• else: States the Last and fallback condition, must either follow an if or elif
• elif: States an alternative condition after an if, must either follow an if or elif

The main difference between else and elif is that elif can have condition parameters, while else cannot, for example:

condition = False

if condition is True:
   print('Condition satisfied!`)
elif button_is_pressed is True:
   print('Button is pressed!')
else:
   print('Idle')

While loops

While loops are parts of code that are repeated, like the name suggests, while a certain condition is satisfied

while button_is_pressed:
   print('Button is pressed!')        # Print while button is pressed
   button_is_pressed = button.value   # Detect button press

Keep in mind that only the code inside the while block will be executed as long as the condition is satisfied, thus it’s important to update the variable checking the condition if we want to exit the loop at some point.

Small note: writing button_is_pressed is True and button_is_pressed is essentially the same thing, although the first one makes it easier to understand the code while reading it.

The most common while loop you will see during this course is the while True: loop. This loop defines the behavior that your code will keep repeating while it’s on.

Remember to always include time.sleep(0.1) at the end of your while True: loop, this prevents it to execute your code too fast and overwhelm the board.

while True:

   # Your code logic here....

   time.sleep(0.1)