1.1 Python

Once Python installed, you can invoke the python interpreter by typing 'python'. The python prompt '>>>' will appear.

C:\>python >>>

Now you can make variables and manipulate them, e.g:

>>> a = 3 >>> b = 4 >>> a + b 7 >>>

That's one way to calculate 3 + 4, but not so handy to process lots of data. To avoid the re-typing work, everything can be written in a file: the python script, and will look like this:

a = 3 b = 4 print a +b

save this as sumthreefour.py and invoke the script at the command prompt with python sumthreefour.py.

C:\>python sumthreefour.py 7 C:\>

or choose an interactive mode with

C:\>python -i sumthreefour.py 7 >>>

giving the possebility to work along with the variables

>>> a 7 >>>

That's it. Now use python to build and calculate gratings.