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In this video, you will learn about Python variables and how they are used in cybersecurity tools. Understanding variables in Python is essential for building automation scripts, security tools, and penetration testing programs.

This lesson explains how variables work in Python, different data types, assigning values, and how variables are used inside real cybersecurity scripts.

What you will learn:

. What are variables in Python

. How to declare and assign Python variables

Best practices for variable naming in cybersecurity tools

If you want to build Python tools for cybersecurity, mastering variables in Python is the first step.

This lesson is part of the course: Building Python Tools for Cybersecurity.

Python Variables Explained | Variables in Python for Cybersecurity Beginners

#pythonvariables #PythonForCybersecurity #learnpython #cybersecurity #pythonprogramming #securityautomation #hjcyberx #ethicalhacking
Transcript
00:05In Python we were able to store text, or to output text using the print function, so anything
00:11we gave to the print function is output to the screen.
00:14So this could be either just text, or it can be numbers, or even mathematics.
00:26So you can say, for example, 2 times 3 times 4, and it outputs the result.
00:34So print lets you show data on the screen, but of course at some point you want to store
00:38data.
00:39For example, if you want to define a name, say you want to store a first name, last name,
00:50and such kind of information, you can do so by typing the is symbol, and then defining
00:57your data.
00:58So for example, you can store data like this.
01:09And you can use the print function to output, for example, first name, last name.
01:15And if you run it, you see it outputs that text.
01:19Now this works for different types of data, for example, it doesn't have to be just text.
01:24You can define numbers, and output those.
01:33Now, you can also use dot behind the value.
01:41And you can add them together in a new variable, for example, set is x plus y.
01:47And output that, so you'll see it does the math here when defining z, but you can define
01:55numbers, so you can define different things.
01:59And you can also get it from the user.
02:02For example, you can use the input function, and then output it.
02:09So now it would do keyboard output.
02:11If you use a very old version of python, so you'll see I'm using python3 here.
02:19If you're still using python2 because that's installed on your system, you had to use raw input
02:24instead.
02:25But any modern version of python, python3 and newer, you have the input function.
02:31So if I run this, let me just clear the screen.
02:34If I run this, you'll see it asks for your name.
02:37Then it stores that keyboard input into the variable name, and it outputs that.
02:44And you can get input anything you want.
02:48So for example, let's ask something else.
02:57Output it.
02:59You'll see now it asks for your name, and your job.
03:03And it stores both of them in the variables name and job.
03:09So that's what variables is, it's just a way to store data in the computer.
03:12And these variables exist only when running your program.
03:17So when you stop the program, those variables don't exist anymore.
03:20They only exist while your program is running.
03:23And let's just store different data.
03:24So you can store text, so whatever text you want, you can store numbers.
03:34And you can also store a so-called boolean, which is like a light switch, either true or
03:38false.
03:40So for example, a button can either be on or off.
03:45So off and on.
03:48So those are different rules that Python supports.
03:57We can do a bit more fancy output by using so-called f-strings, or f-out functional strings.
04:03Which you do by typing f in the print function, then the quotes, and then you can type your
04:09variables.
04:12So that would output them to the screen.
04:15You'll see, let me just clear here.
04:18I run it, I type the data, and you'll see it outputs them to the screen.
04:24And you can mix this with text.
04:26So for example, my name is name, and my job is job.
04:33And then if you run it, you'll see it adds those variables to text.
04:41This works for any input, right?
04:43So if we run it again, and maybe type something else, you'll see that it changes that data where
04:54the variables were.
04:57Now Python also supports list variables, which is like a collection.
05:02So we can say names is, and then a list of names, or perhaps rows.
05:10It doesn't really matter what's inside the data.
05:14List can be of any length.
05:18And you can output them.
05:22So let me clear the screen again here.
05:25You'll see it outputs the data of the list.
05:30If you want a single item of that list, you can use these square brackets, and then type
05:35a number.
05:36Zero would be the first item.
05:38So zero, in this case, would be Batman, because computers start counting from zero.
05:42So humans would say this is the first item, but computers would say this is the zeroed
05:47item.
05:48So if we type zero, you'll see it shows the first item.
05:52One would show the second item of the list.
05:55And Python knows it's a list because you're using those square brackets.
05:59So that's a very important distinction, that when you use those square brackets, Python
06:05immediately understands that it is a list.
06:10So if you want to be sure about which type of variable you have, you can do print, type,
06:16and then your variable name.
06:18So for example, if we type heroes, you'll see Python returns that it is a list.
06:26If we define some other variable, let's say name, and then output the type.
06:35Run it again.
06:37You'll see it outputs str here, which starts for string.
06:40Now string in Python is just text, it's just another name for text.
06:44You can say, let's say x is 3, output the type of x, and show it.
06:51You'll see it outputs pins here.
06:55So Python automatically knows the type of your variable, depending on what you feed it.
07:02So here we say, we give it a list.
07:04Python knows because you use those brackets.
07:07Here it knows its text because you use those quotes, or string, and here it knows its number.
07:13Integer is a whole number, or natural number, 1, 2, 3, 4, and so on.
07:18And Python knows it is an integer because you define it like that.
07:24So that's Python.
07:26And lists are dynamic, so you can do some fun things with lists.
07:30For example, you can say heroes.append, and then your own name, print the list.
07:41If we run it, and we look what's inside list, you'll see your own name appear.
07:46So you can use append to add something to the list.
07:50If you want to remove something, you can use the pop function.
07:54So pop removes an item from the list.
07:55You'll see it first calls pop, so it removes Spider-Man.
07:59And we use append and add our own name.
08:03And you'll see it added that.
08:05So lists are collections that you can use.
08:09If you want to store a lot of names or a lot of numbers, so you can also have a
08:14list of
08:15numbers.
08:19Whatever numbers you want.
08:21So it can be whatever numbers you want and the same principles apply.
08:28So those are the common variables in Python or the common ways to store data in Python.
08:35Python.
08:35So whenever you see dot dot dot is equal to something, you know that what's actually happening is
08:43that that data is stored into the variable.
08:46So these are all variables.
08:49And you know that if you see these square brackets, it's a list or a collection.
08:54If not, it can be just a number or text.
08:57So just text like this or just a single number.
09:01So that's what variables do.
09:02It just lets you store a program.
09:04Let's just let you store data for later use in the program.
09:07So whenever you have a variable, let's say name, you can output that as many times as you want.
09:14Or you can use it in your program to do whatever you want.
09:18So a variable lets you store data that you can use throughout your program as much as you
09:25want.
09:25Let's pause.
09:27So let's pause for another episode.
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