startsection section 1 0mm-3.5ex plus -1ex minus -.2ex0.7ex plus.2exStatements

A statement is an instruction that the Python interpreter can execute. We have seen two kinds of statements: print and assignment.

When you type a statement on the command line, Python executes it and displays the result, if there is one. The result of a print statement is a value. Assignment statements don't produce a result.

A script usually contains a sequence of statements. If there is more than one statement, the results appear one at a time as the statements execute.

For example, the script

print 1
x = 2
print x

produces the output

1
2

Again, the assignment statement produces no output.