Python Interactive Mode vs Script Mode - Hands-On Comparison

Python Interactive Mode vs Script Mode

📖 Scenario: Imagine you want to quickly test some math calculations and then save a small program to run later. Python offers two ways to do this: interactive mode and script mode.Interactive mode lets you type commands one by one and see results immediately, like a calculator. Script mode lets you write a full program in a file and run it all at once.

🎯 Goal: You will create a simple Python program that adds two numbers and prints the result. You will first try the commands one by one in interactive mode, then write the same commands in a script file and run it.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create two variables with exact names and values

Create a variable to hold the sum of the two numbers

Use a print statement to display the sum

Understand the difference between typing commands interactively and running a script

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

Python interactive mode is great for quick experiments and learning. Script mode is used to write programs that can be saved and run anytime.

💼 Career

Understanding both modes helps you test ideas fast and build reusable programs, a key skill for any Python developer.

1

Create two number variables

Create two variables called num1 and num2 with values 10 and 5 respectively.

Python

# Create variables num1 and num2 with values 10 and 5
# Your code here

Need a hint?

Use the equals sign = to assign values to variables.

2

Add the two numbers

Create a variable called total that adds num1 and num2 together.

Python

num1 = 10
num2 = 5
# Create variable total to hold sum of num1 and num2
# Your code here

Need a hint?

Use the plus sign + to add numbers.

3

Print the sum

Use a print statement to display the value of total.

Python

num1 = 10
num2 = 5
total = num1 + num2
# Print the value of total
# Your code here

Need a hint?

Use print(variable_name) to show the value on screen.

4

Run and observe output

Run the program and observe the output. The output should be the sum of num1 and num2. Type print(total) in interactive mode or run the script file to see the result.

Python

num1 = 10
num2 = 5
total = num1 + num2
print(total)
# Run the program and observe the output

Need a hint?

The output should be 15 because 10 + 5 = 15.