Question

Assume the variable name references a string. Write a for loop that prints each character in the string.

Short answer

Answer: You can use a for loop to iterate through each character in the string and print them on separate lines by using the following code: ```python given_string = "example_string" for character in given_string: print(character) ``` This code will output each character in the given string on a new line. Replace "example_string" with the desired string you want to print.

Step-by-step solution

Understand For Loop Syntax

In Python, for loop syntax involves the keywords "for" and "in." It is used to iterate through elements in a sequence (string, list, or tuple). In this exercise, we will use a for loop to iterate through the characters in a string.

Create the For Loop

Before creating the for loop, let's assume we have a string variable called "given_string". Our for loop will iterate through given_string, and during each iteration, it will print the current character. We can create the for loop with the following code: ```python for character in given_string: print(character) ```

Test the Solution

Now let's test our solution with a sample string. Suppose we have given_string = "hello". The code would be as follows: ```python given_string = "hello" for character in given_string: print(character) ``` When we run this code, it should print each character in "hello" on a separate line: ``` h e l l o ``` This solution meets the requirements of the exercise.

Key concepts

String Iteration

To understand string iteration in Python, imagine a string as a sequence of characters, each in a specific order. Iteration is the process of going through this sequence one by one. In our case, we are interested in visiting every character in a string variable.

Here's how you might explain it to someone with no coding experience: picture a string as a row of letters, and you are walking by them, pointing to each letter, one at a time. In programming, specifically in Python, we can create this 'walk' through a string using a loop, which brings us to the concept of a 'for loop'. The for loop instructs the computer to perform this pointing action automatically and consecutively for each character in the string.

Python Syntax

When we talk about Python syntax, we are referring to the set of rules that defines how Python code is written and interpreted. Python is known for having a clean, readable syntax that is often described as being close to English. This makes Python an excellent language for beginners.

For our example, the Python syntax for a for loop is quite straightforward. The keyword for begins the loop, followed by a variable name that represents the current element in the loop, the keyword in, and the sequence to loop through. The loop body, which contains the code to execute in each iteration, is indented under the for loop declaration. Proper indentation is a critical part of Python's syntax, as it denotes blocks of code.

Looping Constructs

A looping construct is a programming structure that repeats a block of code multiple times (looping) until a certain condition is met, or in the case of a for loop, until it has gone through all elements in a sequence. Python provides several looping constructs, such as for and while loops.

In our exercise, we are specifically focusing on the for loop, which is ideal for iterating through a sequence like a string, list, or a range of numbers. This type of loop is easy-to-understand and very common in Python scripts. With our given string, 'hello', the for loop runs five times, once for each character.

Print Function

The print function in Python is what allows us to display output to the screen. It is arguably one of the most frequently used functions in Python, especially when learning to code. The basic syntax is print(thing_to_print).

The function can handle not just strings, but also numbers, variables, and even mathematical expressions. In our exercise, the print function is used inside the for loop to output each character of the string individually. When you run the code, the print function processes the characters sequentially and sends each one to the screen, adding a new line after each by default, which is why the characters of 'hello' are printed on separate lines.