Variables and Simple Math
Explore how to use variables and simple math in Python to create a dynamic point-of-sale receipt generator. Learn to store data, perform calculations, and update prices efficiently using variables, and practice integrating these concepts with AI-assisted coding.
The project
Let’s revisit the POS systems: We’ve all been out shopping. We get to the mart, we buy our stuff, we get to the cash counter, we put our stuff through the system, and we get to experience the point of sale. There’s this machine there. There is a guy behind the counter, but there is a machine that prints receipts. Someone has built a system using code for that machine and the receipt it prints. This is what the receipt looks like.
You have been hired to create this point-of-sale system! You can see the sample receipt.
You know how to print stuff on the screen already, but you don’t want to hardcode everything. You want a flexible enough system such that if the price of an item changes, you don’t have to change the code manually at various places. The same is the case for the quantity of items.
The programming concept
Today’s programming concept is the variable. In programming languages such as Python, a variable is a named place where information can be stored. That information might be data, a value, or a number. We will also look at how Python works with numbers. Many applications, such as a receipt-generating system, need to perform calculations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and percentages. This allows the system to calculate the total bill automatically. A point-of-sale worker should not need to reach for a calculator and add everything by hand while the ...