Learn C# In One Day and Learn It Well C# for Beginners with Hands-On Project The only book you need to start coding in C# immediately
By Jamie Chan http://www.learncodingfast.com/csharp Copyright © 2015 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Preface This book is written to help you learn C# FAST and learn it WELL. The book does not assume any prior background in coding. If you are an absolute beginner, you'll find that this book explains complex concepts in an easy to understand manner. If you are an experienced coder but new to C#, this book will provide you with enough depth to start coding in C# immediately. All examples in the book are carefully chosen to demonstrate each concept so that you can gain a deeper understand of the language. Topics are carefully selected to give you a broad exposure to C#, while not overwhelming you with information overload. These topics include object-oriented programming concepts, error handling techniques, file handling techniques and more. In addition, as Richard Branson puts it: "The best way of learning about anything is by doing". This book comes with a project where you’ll be guided through the coding of a simple payroll software from scratch. The project uses concepts covered in the book and gives you a chance to see how it all ties together. You can download the source code for the project and all the sample programs in this book at http://www.learncodingfast.com/csharp Contact Information I would love to hear from you. For feedback or queries, you can contact me at
[email protected].
More Books by Jamie
Python: Learn Python in One Day and Learn It Well
CSS: Learn CSS in One Day and Learn It Well
Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction to C# What is C#? Why Learn C#? Chapter 2: Getting ready for C# Installing Visual Studio Community Your First C# Program Basic Structure of a C# Program Directive Namespace The Main() Method Comments Chapter 3: The World of Variables and Operators What are variables? Name of Staff: {0}", f.NameOfStaff); sw.WriteLine("Hours Worked: {0}", f.HoursWorked); sw.WriteLine(""); sw.WriteLine("Basic Pay: {0:C}", f.BasicPay);
if (f.GetType() == typeof(Manager)) sw.WriteLine("Allowance: {0:C}", ((Manager)f).Allowance); else if (f.GetType() == typeof(Admin)) sw.WriteLine("Overtime: {0:C}", ((Admin)f).Overtime);
sw.WriteLine(""); sw.WriteLine("===================="); sw.WriteLine("Total Pay: {0:C}", f.TotalPay); sw.WriteLine("====================");
sw.Close(); } }
}
public void GenerateSummary(List myStaff) { var result = from f in myStaff where f.HoursWorked < 10 orderby f.NameOfStaff ascending select new { f.NameOfStaff, f.HoursWorked };
string path = "summary.txt";
using (StreamWriter sw = new StreamWriter(path))
{ sw.WriteLine("Staff with less than 10 working hours"); sw.WriteLine("");
foreach (var f in result) sw.WriteLine("Name of Staff: {0}, Hours Worked: {1}", f.NameOfStaff, f.HoursWorked);
sw.Close(); } }
public override string ToString() { return "month = " + month + "year = " + year; } } }
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP CS3 TUTORIAL
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP CS3 Adobe Photoshop CS3 is a popular image editing software that provides a work environment consistent with Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe ImageReady, and other products in the Adobe Creative Suite. This tutorial is an introduction to using Adobe Photoshop. Here you will learn how to get started, how to use the interface, and how to modify images with basic Photoshop tools.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Section 1: Getting Started
Pg. 3
Section 2: Interface Layout
Pg. 6
Section 3: Palettes
Pg. 7
Section 4: Toolbox
Pg. 11
Section 5: Selection Tools
Pg. 13
Section 6: Alteration Tools
Pg. 15
Section 7: Drawing and Selection Tools
Pg. 17
Section 8: Assisting Tools
Pg. 18
Section 9: Color Boxes and Modes
Pg. 19
Section 10: Basic Image Editing
Pg. 20
Section 11: Cropping
Pg. 21
Section 12: Resizing
Pg. 25
Section 13: Correcting
Pg. 29
Section 14: Sharpening/Softening
Pg. 35
Section 15: Saving
Pg. 37
Adobe Photoshop CS3
2
GETTING STARTED
OPENING Begin by opening Adobe Photoshop CS3. On a PC, click Start > Programs > Adobe > Photoshop CS3, or click on the shortcut on the desktop. On a Mac, click Macintosh HD > Applications > Adobe Photoshop CS3 > Photoshop CS3 shown in Figure 1, or click the icon in the Dock.
Fig. 1. Navigation to Photoshop CS3 on a Mac
SETTING UP THE DOCUMENT Setting up your document correctly from the start will make your job much easier as you work through your project. This will require some advanced planning. For example, if your final output will be a brochure, you may need to set up your document to be horizontal and double-sided. To create a new document, click File > New. This will open the Document Setup dialog box (Fig. 2).
Adobe Photoshop CS3
3
Fig. 2. Document Setup dialog box Here you will be able to name your file, set up the correct page size, and orientation for your document. Options include, but are not limited to: Page Size and Orientation Change the page size by typing in new values for width and height. Page size represents the final size you want after bleeds or trimming other marks outside the page. In the Preset dropdown menu you can find such common sizes as letter, legal, tabloid, etc. Typing in exact values for Height and Width gives you more control over the size and orientation of your page. Resolution Resolution is a number of pixels on a printed area of an image. The higher the resolution, the more pixels there are on the page, the better is the quality of the image. However, high resolution increases the size of the file. The standard recommended resolution for printed images is 150 - 300, for Web images - 72. Color Mode Choose a color mode that will best fit your project. For example, when making a graphic for a web site, choose RGB. When making an image for print, choose CMYK. Background Contents Choose the background: white, color, or transparent. When you have entered all of your document settings, click OK.
Adobe Photoshop CS3
4
OPENING AN IMAGE FROM A DISK If the image you have is saved on a disk, select File > Open, and then navigate to the disk drive where your image is saved. Choose the image file and click Open. At this point, you may want to save your image under a different name so that you can always have the original to fall back on in case of a mistake. To save you r file, select File > Save As and type in the new name of the file in the dialogue box. Now you should be ready to go.
Adobe Photoshop CS3
5
INTERFACE LAYOUT This is the layout of Adobe Photoshop interface.
Menu Bar If you look at the top of the screen you will see the Menu bar which contains all the main functions of Photoshop, such as File, Edit, Image, Layer, Select, Filter, View, Window, and Help. Tool Bar Most of the major tools are located in the Tool bar for easy access. The Image The image will appear in its own window once you open a file. Image Name The name of any image that you open will be at the top of the image window as shown above. Palettes Palettes contain functions that help you monitor and modify images. By default, palettes are stacked together in groups. These are the palettes that are usually visible: Navigator, Color, Histogram, Layer. If none of the palettes are visible, go to Window in the Menu bar and choose palettes you need to work with.
Adobe Photoshop CS3
6
PALETTES Below is the description of the most commonly used palettes in Adobe Photoshop CS3. Palettes used for more advanced image editing will be covered in the Adobe Photoshop CS3 Tutorial - Intermediate.
NAVIGATOR The Navigator palette (Fig. 1) allows you to resize and move around within the image. Drag the slider, click on the Zoom In and Zoom Out icons, or specify the percentage to navigate in the image.
Fig. 1. Navigator palette
COLOR, SWATCHES, STYLE The Color palette (Fig. 2) displays the current foreground and background colors and RGB values for these colors. You can use the sliders to change the foreground and background colors in different color modes. You can also choose a color from the spectrum of colors displayed in the color ramp at the bottom of the palette.
Fig. 2. Color palette In the Swatches palette (Fig. 3) you can choose a foreground or background color or add a customized color to the library. Adobe Photoshop CS3
7
Fig. 3. Swatches palette The Styles palette (Fig. 4) allows you to view, select, and apply preset layer styles. By default, a preset style replaces the current layer style. You can use the styles in the palette or add your own using the Create New Style icon.
Figure 4. Styles palette
HISTORY The History palette (Fig. 5) stores and displays each action performed allowing you jump to any recent stage of the image alteration. The alterations should be created during the current working session; after saving or closing the document the History palette clears all the contents. Each time you apply a change to an image, the new state of that image is added to the palette. The History palette can store up to 20 stages. However, you can always go back to the first stage, for example opening the document. It is important to know that once you click on any of the previous stages, all the changes that were made after it will be lost.
Adobe Photoshop CS3
8
Fig. 5. History palette
LAYERS Layers let you organize your work into distinct levels that can be edited and viewed as individual units. Every Photoshop CS3 document contains at least one layer. Creating multiple layers lets you easily control how your artwork is printed, displayed, and edited. You will use the Layers palette (Fig. 6) often while creating a document, so it is crucial to understand what it does and how to use it. A) Layer Visibility - The eye shows that the selected layer is visible. Click on or off to see or to hide a layer. B) Layer Locking Options - Click the checkered square icon to lock Transparency; click the brush icon to lock the Image; click the arrow icon to lock the Position; click the lock icon to lock all options. C) Layer Blending Mode - Defines how the layer's pixels blend with underlying pixels in the image. By choosing a particular blending mode from the dropdown menu you can create a variety of special effects. D) Fill - By typing in a value or dragging the slider you can specify the transparency of the Adobe Photoshop CS3
9
Fig. 6. Layers Palette
color of the image or object. E) Opacity - By typing in a value or dragging a slider you can specify the transparency of the entire layer. F) Layer Lock - The icon shows when the layer is locked and disappears when it is unlocked. Double-click the icon to unlock the layer. G) Layer Options Menu - Click the black triangle to see the following options: New Layer, Duplicate Layer, Delete Layer, Layer Properties, etc. Some of the options are presented as icons at the bottom of the Layers palette. H) Link Layers – Can be used to link layers together. I) Layer Styles - If a layer has a style, an "F" icon shows at the bottom of the Layers palette. Click the little black triangle to see style options. J) Layer Mask - A grayscale image, with parts painted in black hidden, parts painted in white showing, and parts painted in gray shades showing in various levels of transparency. K) Layer Set - This option helps to organize images with multiple layers. Click the icon to create a folder for several layers. L) Create New Fill or Adjustment Layer - Have the same opacity and blending mode options as image layers and can be rearranged, deleted, hidden, and duplicated in the same manner as image layers. Click the icon and select an option to create a new fill or adjustment layer. M) Create New Layer - Click this icon to create a new layer. N) Delete Layer - To delete a layer, select a layer in the Layers palette and drag it to the trash can icon; or, select a layer and click the icon.
Adobe Photoshop CS3 10
TOOLBOX If you used other Adobe products, such as Illustrator or InDesign, you should be familiar with the toolbox in Photoshop CS3 as it shares some of the tools from these applications. If you are a novice user of Adobe products, you should keep in mind that you might not need to use all of the tools. In this tutorial, only the basic tools will be discussed in depth.
Adobe Photoshop CS3 11
Some tools in the toolbar have additional "hidden" tools. These tools have small black triangles in the right-hand corner. To view the "hidden" tools, click and hold down on any tool that has a black triangle in the corner (Fig. 1).
Fig. 1. "Hidden" tools
Adobe Photoshop CS3 12
SELECTION TOOLS BUTTON
TOOL Marquee
DESCRIPTION Selects an object by drawing a rectangle or an ellipse around it. Click the tool button, choose a rectangular or an elliptical marquee. Drag the marquee over the area of the image you wish to select.
Move
Used to select and move objects on the page. Click the tool button, then click on any object on the page you wish to move.
Lasso
Selects an object by drawing a freehand border around it. Click the tool button, drag to draw a freehand border around the are of the image you wish to select.
Polygonal Lasso
Selects an object by drawing a straight-edge border around it. Click the tool button, click on the starting point on the image, drag to draw a straight-edge border, click and drag again to select the are of the image you wish to select. Double-click to finish.
Magnetic Lasso
Selects an object by drawing a border that snaps to the edges of the defined area of the object. Click on the starting point on the image, drag around the are of the image. The tool will make fastening points at the edges. To finish selecting, drag the border to the starting point and click precisely in the point.
Magic Wand
Selects all objects in a document with the same or similar fill color, stroke weight, stroke color, opacity, or blending mode. By specifying the color range, or tolerance, you can control what the Magic Wand tool selects. Click the tool button, then click on the area of the image you wish to select.
Crop Tool
Selects and cuts parts of an image. Click the tool button, then click and drag the tool over the part of the image that you want to keep. Resize the selected area dragging the squares at the sides and corners. Click the RETURN key when your crop box is sized correctly. Adobe Photoshop CS3 13
Slice Tool
Used to cut images into slices, which can be exported to a web page.
Adobe Photoshop CS3 14
ALTERATION TOOLS BUTTON
TOOL Healing Brush
DESCRIPTION Corrects small blemishes in scanned photos. Select the tool, hold down the ALT key and left-click on the base color you need to heal. Then left-click over the blemish.
Brush Tool
Draws lines of different thicknesses and colors. Select the tool. Then click on the selected area, drag to draw lines. Use the Options bar to change the Brush, Mode, Opacity, and Flow.
Clone Stamp
Takes a sample of an image and applies over another image, or a part of the same image. Select the tool. Hold down the ALT key and left-click on a certain point of the document where you want to start your copy point. Then, put your mouse over whatever part of the new document you want the picture to go to. Hold down the left mouse button and drag the mouse across the page to copy the picture.
Art History Brush
Paints over an image using the source , num=string.count(str)) ........................................................................................................... 108 splitlines(num=string.count('\n')).............................................................................................................. 109 startswith(str, beg=0,end=len(string)) ....................................................................................................... 110 strip([chars]) ............................................................................................................................................. 111 swapcase() ................................................................................................................................................ 111 title() ......................................................................................................................................................... 112 translate(table, deletechars="") ................................................................................................................ 113
upper() ...................................................................................................................................................... 114 zfill (width) ................................................................................................................................................ 115 isdecimal()................................................................................................................................................. 116
10. PYTHON ─ LISTS .................................................................................................................... 118 Python Lists ............................................................................................................................................... 118 Accessing Values in Lists ............................................................................................................................ 118 Updating Lists ........................................................................................................................................... 119 Deleting List Elements ............................................................................................................................... 119 Basic List Operations ................................................................................................................................. 120 Indexing, Slicing, and Matrixes .................................................................................................................. 121 Built-in List Functions and Methods .......................................................................................................... 121 Cmp(list1, list2) ......................................................................................................................................... 122 len(List) ..................................................................................................................................................... 123 max(list) .................................................................................................................................................... 124 min(list) ..................................................................................................................................................... 124 List.append(obj) ........................................................................................................................................ 126 list.count(obj)............................................................................................................................................ 127 list.extend(seq) ......................................................................................................................................... 128 list.index(obj) ............................................................................................................................................ 128 list.insert(index,obj) .................................................................................................................................. 129 list.pop(obj=list[-1]) .................................................................................................................................. 130 List.remove(obj) ........................................................................................................................................ 131 List.reverse() ............................................................................................................................................. 131 list.sort([func]) .......................................................................................................................................... 132
11. PYTHON ─ TUPLES ................................................................................................................ 134 Accessing Values in Tuples ........................................................................................................................ 134 Updating Tuples ........................................................................................................................................ 135 Deleting Tuple Elements ........................................................................................................................... 135 Basic Tuples Operations ............................................................................................................................ 136 Indexing, Slicing, and Matrixes .................................................................................................................. 136 No Enclosing Delimiters............................................................................................................................. 137 Built-in Tuple Functions............................................................................................................................. 137 Cmp(tuple1, tuple2) .................................................................................................................................. 138 Len(tuple).................................................................................................................................................. 139 Max(tuple) ................................................................................................................................................ 140 Min(tuple) ................................................................................................................................................. 141 Tuple(seg) ................................................................................................................................................. 141
12. PYTHON ─ DICTIONARY......................................................................................................... 143 Accessing Values in Dictionary .................................................................................................................. 143 Updating Dictionary .................................................................................................................................. 144 Delete Dictionary Elements ....................................................................................................................... 144 Properties of Dictionary Keys .................................................................................................................... 145 Built-in Dictionary Functions and Methods ............................................................................................... 146 Cmp(dict1, dict2) ....................................................................................................................................... 146 len(dict) ..................................................................................................................................................... 147 str(dict) ..................................................................................................................................................... 148 type() ........................................................................................................................................................ 149 dict.clear() ................................................................................................................................................. 151 Dict.copy() ................................................................................................................................................. 151
Dict.fromkeys() ......................................................................................................................................... 152 Dict.get(key,default=none) ....................................................................................................................... 153 Dict.has_key(key) ...................................................................................................................................... 154 Dict.items() ............................................................................................................................................... 155 Dict.keys() ................................................................................................................................................. 156 dict.setdefault(key, default=None) ........................................................................................................... 156 dict.update(dict2)...................................................................................................................................... 157 dict.values() .............................................................................................................................................. 158
13. PYTHON ─ DATE AND TIME................................................................................................... 160 What is Tick? ............................................................................................................................................. 160 What is TimeTuple?................................................................................................................................... 160 Getting Current Time................................................................................................................................. 162 Getting Formatted Time ............................................................................................................................ 162 Getting Calendar for a Month ................................................................................................................... 163 The time Module ...................................................................................................................................... 163 time.altzone .............................................................................................................................................. 165 time.actime([tupletime])........................................................................................................................... 166 time.clock( ) .............................................................................................................................................. 166 time.ctime([secs]) ..................................................................................................................................... 168 time.gmtime([secs]) .................................................................................................................................. 168 time.localtime([secs])................................................................................................................................ 169 time.mktime(tupletime)............................................................................................................................ 170 time.sleep(secs) ........................................................................................................................................ 171 time.strftime(fmt[,tupletime]) .................................................................................................................. 172 time.strptime(str,fmt='%a %b %d %H:%M:%S %Y') ................................................................................... 174
time.time( ) ............................................................................................................................................... 176 time.tzset()................................................................................................................................................ 177 The calendar Module ................................................................................................................................ 179 Other Modules and Functions ................................................................................................................... 181
14. PYTHON ─ FUNCTIONS ......................................................................................................... 182 Defining a Function ................................................................................................................................... 182 Calling a Function ...................................................................................................................................... 183 Passing by Reference Versus Passing by Value .......................................................................................... 184 Function Arguments .................................................................................................................................. 185 Required Arguments ................................................................................................................................. 185 Keyword Arguments.................................................................................................................................. 186 Default Arguments .................................................................................................................................... 187 Variable Length Arguments ....................................................................................................................... 188 The Anonymous Functions ........................................................................................................................ 189 The return Statement ............................................................................................................................... 190 Scope of Variables ..................................................................................................................................... 190 Global vs. Local variables .......................................................................................................................... 191
15. PYTHON ─ MODULES ............................................................................................................ 192 The import Statement ............................................................................................................................... 192 The from...import Statement ..................................................................................................................... 193 The from...import * Statement: ................................................................................................................. 193 Locating Modules: ..................................................................................................................................... 193 The PYTHONPATH Variable ....................................................................................................................... 194 Namespaces and Scoping .......................................................................................................................... 194 The dir( ) Function ..................................................................................................................................... 195
The globals() and locals() Functions ........................................................................................................... 196 The reload() Function ................................................................................................................................ 196 Packages in Python ................................................................................................................................... 196
16. PYTHON ─ FILES I/O .............................................................................................................. 198 Printing to the Screen................................................................................................................................ 198 Reading Keyboard Input ............................................................................................................................ 198 The raw_input Function ............................................................................................................................ 198 The input Function .................................................................................................................................... 199 Opening and Closing Files .......................................................................................................................... 199 The open Function .................................................................................................................................... 199 The file Object Attributes .......................................................................................................................... 201 The close() Method ................................................................................................................................... 202 Reading and Writing Files .......................................................................................................................... 203 The write() Method ................................................................................................................................... 203 The read() Method .................................................................................................................................... 204 File Positions ............................................................................................................................................. 204 Renaming and Deleting Files ..................................................................................................................... 205 The rename() Method ............................................................................................................................... 206 The remove() Method ............................................................................................................................... 206 Directories in Python ................................................................................................................................. 207 The mkdir() Method .................................................................................................................................. 207 The chdir() Method ................................................................................................................................... 207 The getcwd() Method................................................................................................................................ 208 The rmdir() Method................................................................................................................................... 208 File and Directory Related Methods .......................................................................................................... 209
file.close() ................................................................................................................................................. 210 File.flush() ................................................................................................................................................. 211 File.fileno() ................................................................................................................................................ 212 File.isatty() ................................................................................................................................................ 213 File.next() .................................................................................................................................................. 214 File.read([size]) ......................................................................................................................................... 215 File.readline([size]) .................................................................................................................................... 216 file.readline([sizehint]) .............................................................................................................................. 218 file.seek(offset[,whence]) ......................................................................................................................... 219 file.tell() .................................................................................................................................................... 221 file.truncate([size]) .................................................................................................................................... 222 file.write(str) ............................................................................................................................................. 224 file.writelines(sequence) ........................................................................................................................... 225 OS Object Methods ................................................................................................................................... 227
17. PYTHON ─ EXCEPTIONS ........................................................................................................ 233 Assertions in Python ................................................................................................................................. 235 The assert Statement ................................................................................................................................ 235 What is Exception? .................................................................................................................................... 236 Handling an Exception ............................................................................................................................... 236 The except Clause with No Exceptions ....................................................................................................... 238 The except Clause with Multiple Exceptions .............................................................................................. 239 The try-finally Clause ................................................................................................................................. 239 Argument of an Exception ......................................................................................................................... 240 Raising an Exception ................................................................................................................................. 241 User-Defined Exceptions ........................................................................................................................... 242
18. PYTHON ─ CLASSES AND OBJECTS ........................................................................................ 244 Overview of OOP Terminology .................................................................................................................. 244 Creating Classes ........................................................................................................................................ 245 Creating Instance Objects .......................................................................................................................... 246 Accessing Attributes .................................................................................................................................. 246 Built-In Class Attributes ............................................................................................................................. 248 Destroying Objects (Garbage Collection) ................................................................................................... 249 Class Inheritance ....................................................................................................................................... 251 Overriding Methods .................................................................................................................................. 252 Base Overloading Methods ....................................................................................................................... 253 Overloading Operators .............................................................................................................................. 254 and press Enter.
In the sh or ksh shell: type PATH="$PATH:/usr/local/bin/python" and press Enter.
Note: /usr/local/bin/python is the path of the Python directory
Setting path at Windows To add the Python directory to the path for a particular session in Windows: At the command prompt: type path %path%;C:\Python and press Enter. Note: C:\Python is the path of the Python directory
Python Environment Variables Here are important environment variables, which can be recognized by Python: Variable
PYTHONPATH
Description It has a role similar to PATH. This variable tells the Python interpreter where to locate the module files imported into a program. It should include the Python source library directory and the directories
containing Python source code. PYTHONPATH is sometimes preset by the Python installer.
PYTHONSTARTUP
It contains the path of an initialization file containing Python source code. It is executed every time you start the interpreter. It is named as .pythonrc.py in Unix and it contains commands that load utilities or modify PYTHONPATH.
PYTHONCASEOK
It is used in Windows to instruct Python to find the first caseinsensitive match in an import statement. Set this variable to any value to activate it.
PYTHONHOME
It is an alternative module search path. It is usually embedded in the PYTHONSTARTUP or PYTHONPATH directories to make switching module libraries easy.
Running Python There are three different ways to start Python:
(1) Interactive Interpreter You can start Python from Unix, DOS, or any other system that provides you a command-line interpreter or shell window. Enter python the command line. Start coding right away in the interactive interpreter. $python
# Unix/Linux
or
python%
# Unix/Linux
or
C:>python
# Windows/DOS
Here is the list of all the available command line options:
Option
Description
-d
It provides debug output.
-O
It generates optimized bytecode (resulting in .pyo files).
-S
Do not run import site to look for Python paths on startup.
-v
verbose output (detailed trace on import statements).
-X
disable class-based built-in exceptions (just use strings); obsolete starting with version 1.6.
-c cmd file
run Python script sent in as cmd string run Python script from given file
(2) Script from the Command-line A Python script can be executed at command line by invoking the interpreter on your application, as in the following: $python
script.py
python% script.py Windows/DOS
# Unix/Linuxor # Unix/Linuxor C:>python script.py
#
Note: Be sure the file permission mode allows execution.
(3) Integrated Development Environment You can run Python from a Graphical User Interface (GUI) environment as well, if you have a GUI application on your system that supports Python.
Unix: IDLE is the very first Unix IDE for Python.
Windows: PythonWin is the first Windows interface for Python and is an IDE with a GUI.
Macintosh: The Macintosh version of Python along with the IDLE IDE is available from the main website, downloadable as either MacBinary or BinHex'd files.
If you are not able to set up the environment properly, then you can take help from your system admin. Make sure the Python environment is properly set up and working perfectly fine. Note: All the examples given in subsequent chapters are executed with Python 2.4.3 version available on CentOS flavor of Linux. We already have set up Python Programming environment online, so that you can execute all the available examples online at the same time when you are learning theory. Feel free to modify any example and execute it online.
End of ebook preview If you liked what you saw… Buy it from our store @ https://store.tutorialspoint.com
ChatGPT Tutorial – How to use Chat GPT for Learning and Practicing English | Transcript
Podcast intro: Welcome to the InFluency Podcast. I’m Hadar. And this is episode number 288. And today we are going to talk about how to use the incredible new AI tool (Artificial Intelligence), called ChatGPT, to practice and improve your English. Hey everyone, it’s Hadar. How are you doing? Listen, I am addicted to this new thing that I’m gonna talk about today. It is so interesting, it is so much fun, it is so useful. And I think it can save you a lot of time and effort practicing English. That tool is ChatGPT. ChatGPT is an AI model that is capable of understanding and generating natural language. So, it’s like having a robot at your disposal to practice English with, that does a really good job with so many things. Now, there are a lot of ethical questions about the use of Chat… ChatGPT. It’s a tongue twister, say it: ChatGPT, ChatGPT. I’m not going to advocate for using ChatGPT to write your papers, academic papers, or emails or stories. And I also think that even though you can use ChatGPT to have conversations, it’s never going to be the same as having a conversation with a human being. So let’s agree on that. It is not gonna replace people, or it’s not gonna save you from having to think and come up with your own texts. But in this episode, I’m going to tell you all about how you can leverage everything you’re working on using this free tool. All right, so let’s go ahead and listen to today’s episode. It’s also on my blog with a YouTube video, and the reason why I’m saying that is because this episode is very visual with a lot of examples that you can actually see. So you might wanna watch the video later to get a better understanding as to how to use it. And also on my website, in the blog, I give you a lot more examples and prompts and ways in which you can utilize ChatGPT to practice English. So you might wanna come back to it every now and then, whether it’s for you to watch the video or just read the blog post. So if you go to hadarshemesh.com/chatgpt in one word, you are going to find both the video and the article I wrote. You can also click the link in the description. Enjoy the episode. Video transcript: Are you ready to take your English skills to the next level? Well, get ready to meet your new virtual language partner – ChatGPT. This cutting-edge AI model is like having a personal English tutor at your fingertips. With its ability to understand and respond to natural language, it’ll make writing, grammar and vocabulary exercises more interactive and fun. It’s like having a personal English coach who’s always ready to help you improve. So, don’t wait any longer. Let’s dive in and see how ChatGPT can help you speak right and understand English better. Trust me, you won’t regret it.
2020 © All rights Reserved To Hadar Shemesh | 1
ChatGPT Tutorial – How to use Chat GPT for Learning and Practicing English | Transcript
I didn’t come up with any of this. You know who wrote the introduction for this video? ChatGPT. In fact, I asked it to write a text for an English teacher introducing ChatGPT to her class. And then it was kind of boring, so I asked it to make it a bit more fun, like an introduction to a YouTube video. And that’s what we got. The entire introduction was written by a robot, by ChatGPT. So what is ChatGPT really? For those who are not that familiar with artificial intelligence, ChatGPT is a type of computer program that is designed to understand and generate natural language. It uses complex algorithm and a large amount of data to generate responses to questions or prompts that it receives. Think of it as a robot that can understand and respond to human-like conversation. And in this episode I’m going to show you a few amazing ways in which you can use ChatGPT to skyrocket your English practice. It’s pretty incredible. So, let’s get started, for real, this time. One of the first things that you can do with ChatGPT is practice conversation, or practice a natural dialogue. You can actually have it generate scripts for you to practice different conversations in different situations. For example… So we have an example of a back-and-forth conversation. So what you can do, you can actually read the conversation, see the type of language that is used, and practice with it. Or you can ask it to write a conversation at the bank. “Hi, I would like to check my account balance, please.” “Hey, sure thing, may I have your account number and personal identification number? Pin, please.” “My account number is 123456, and my pin is 1234.” Now, you can also ask it to have a conversation with you and ask it to correct your answers, your writing, grammar, and syntax. Take a look. Another thing you can do is prepare for a job interview together. So you can actually ask it to simulate an interview with you, where it is going to be the interviewer, ChatGPT, and you will be answering questions, and ask for feedback on your answers. Take a look. By the way, you don’t have to remember everything. I have written an elaborate blog post – I have written it, not ChatGPT – with a bunch of different examples on how to use ChatGPT to practice English effectively. And there are a lot more ideas over there, so make sure you check it out a link to the blog post in the description below. All right, so one more thing you can do with ChatGPT is to practice vocabulary. For example, you can ask it for the meaning of a specific word. “What is livid?” And then you can ask it to use it in a sentence. “Give me three example sentences using the word livid.”
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ChatGPT Tutorial – How to use Chat GPT for Learning and Practicing English | Transcript
And here’s something else that’s pretty cool. You can actually copy this text and paste it to any type of text-to-speech software or program. For example, Natural Readers, I’m gonna show you how to do that. You can simply copy-paste it and then have it read it to you so you can also listen to it and not just read it. “The coach was livid when the team lost the game.” You can also practice phrasal verbs. “Can you write a short text using as many phrasal verbs as possible?” You can actually spend a lot of time just asking silly questions and getting fun responses. Be careful. Another thing you can do is to practice grammar with ChatGPT. So first, you can ask for an explanation on a certain grammar form or tense if you struggle with something. For example: “When to use the Future Perfect tense?” And you get a short explanation. But that is not enough. You want to see it in examples. And one of the best ways to practice grammar, and I have an entire video just about that, is to repeat certain structures and forms until you understand it subconsciously simply by the act of repetition of the same tense in the same context, but NOT the same sentences. So what I can do is ask it to generate example sentence for me. And then when you get those lists, you can just repeat it again and again and say it out loud, or use text-to-speech and listen to it and repeat it back. Which is such a great way to practice grammar, especially when you’re trying to internalize the tenses that you find it really hard to get and to understand. Sometimes just the repetitions make it easier for you to understand it. And ChatGPT really helps with providing you with the resources to practice it effectively. Another thing you can do is practice pronunciation with ChatGPT. So no, it’s not gonna give you feedback, but you can create for yourself some resources to practice pronunciation. Let’s say you wanna practice the R. So what you can do is ask it to write a sentence with as many Rs as possible. And then you can read it out loud or use text-to-speech to have someone read it for you and then you can repeat it. Or let’s say you wanna practice the difference between sheep-ship and reach-rich – tense ‘ee’ and lax ‘i’. So you can do something complicated like this. Please write a sentence with the words reach, rich, least, list, seat, sit, leave, live. And then you just need to read it out loud and practice the difference between the tense ‘ee’ and the lax ‘i’ within the same sentence. Now, again, just to remind you, everything is listed in my blog post with a lot of additional examples and prompts. So that you can use that and you don’t have to come up with your own ideas to practice effectively, whether it’s a conversation, grammar, pronunciation, and anything else you’d like to practice. Another thing that ChatGPT can do for you is to simplify a complicated text. So for example,
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ChatGPT Tutorial – How to use Chat GPT for Learning and Practicing English | Transcript
you can take an article from the New York Times that you might have some trouble understanding. You can copy-paste it into ChatGPT and ask it to simplify the article. And then it can rewrite it in a simpler language. You can also write that it’s for an intermediate or a beginner level speaker of English. And then it will write the text or rewrite the text accordingly. Another incredible thing that ChatGPT can help you out with is writing. So for example, if you need to write an email, you can write a draft and then copy and paste it into ChatGPT, and ask it to make it more friendly or to make it more formal depending on who you’re writing to. So, no more sitting in front of the computer trying to figure out what to write and how to write it. Now mind you, that everything that I suggested here has to do with writing, rewriting, practicing conversation, getting feedback. You can also ask for information, but please take into consideration that it’s not always accurate. So this is why I don’t necessarily recommend that. If you wanna learn English in depth, then maybe you should use some more traditional resources to learn things that are a little more than just the explanation of a word or a certain grammar form. So to conclude, ChatGPT is an incredible tool. [I think I said ChatGPT like 600 times today.] It is an incredible tool to help you practice English effectively. It’s also a lot of fun, and it’s like a game. You can totally gamify your English practice. However, please remember that it will never replace a real human interaction, which is the essence of communicating in English. It is a great tool for you to practice when you are on your own, when you have no one else to practice with. But it’s not ideal to help you learn how to have a real conversation and overcome the fear of speaking with others and generating real fluency, especially when you are the one who is speaking and not just writing. So please remember that no matter what technology may offer, there is nothing like the real human interaction. And by the way, if you wanna find partners for conversation and practice speaking freely to others, you can definitely check out the InFluency community, our free English practice community, that is incredible and a safe and creative space for you to practice English with real humans. Now, let’s make it even more exciting and let me know in the comments below how do you practice your English with ChatGPT. And definitely go check out my blog post with a bunch of other different examples on how to practice using this AI tool. All right, that’s it. If you enjoyed this video, consider sharing it and liking it and subscribing to my channel. You can also check out my website at hadarshemesh.com, where you can sign
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ChatGPT Tutorial – How to use Chat GPT for Learning and Practicing English | Transcript
up for my weekly newsletter to get the weekly lesson into your inbox every single week. And I also have a bunch of other resources for you to download for free. Have a beautiful, beautiful rest of the day. And I’ll see you next week in the next video. Bye.
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