Hello World in Python

Every programming journey starts with Hello World. Python makes this incredibly simple—it’s just one line.

The Code

Create a file named hello.py:

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print("Hello, World!")

That’s it. One line. This simplicity is what makes Python so beloved as a first programming language.

Understanding the Code

• print() - A built-in function that outputs text to the console
• "Hello, World!" - A string literal (text) enclosed in double quotes
• No semicolons needed - Python uses newlines to separate statements
• No boilerplate - Unlike Java or C, there’s no class or main function required

Running with Docker

The easiest way to run this without installing Python locally:

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# Pull the official Python Alpine image (lightweight)
docker pull python:3.13-alpine

# Run the program
docker run --rm -v $(pwd):/app -w /app python:3.13-alpine python hello.py

Running Locally

If you have Python installed (Python 3.6+):

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# Run directly
python hello.py

# Or on some systems
python3 hello.py

Expected Output

Hello, World!

Why Python is Different

Compare Python’s Hello World to other languages:

This minimal boilerplate is a core Python philosophy: simple things should be simple.

Key Concepts

1. Python is interpreted - No compilation step; source runs directly
2. Indentation matters - Python uses whitespace to define code blocks (you’ll see this in later tutorials)
3. Dynamic typing - No need to declare variable types
4. Interactive mode - You can also run python and type print("Hello, World!") directly

The Interactive Shell

Python also has a REPL (Read-Eval-Print Loop). Try it:

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docker run --rm -it python:3.13-alpine python

Then type:

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>>> print("Hello, World!")
Hello, World!
>>> exit()

This interactive mode is great for experimenting and learning.

Next Steps

Continue to Variables and Data Types to learn about storing and manipulating data in Python.