Input/output: Be able to obtain user input from the keyboard.

The idea

Keyboard input means a running program pauses, waits for the user to type characters and press Enter, then stores what was typed in a variable so later code can use it. In Python, input() returns a string; to do arithmetic you must convert it, for example age = int(input("Age? ")). In pseudocode, write INPUT name or name = USERINPUT. The prompt text is a courtesy to the user, not the data itself. A common method is: display a prompt, read the line, convert to the required data type, then validate. Assessment asks you to recognise correct input statements, predict stored values and spot type errors, such as comparing a string with a number.

What earns the marks

• Identifies that keyboard input requires the program to wait for the user to type and confirm entry (usually Enter).
• Recognises that the entered characters are stored in a named variable for later use.
• States that input is normally captured as text (a string) and must be converted, e.g. int() or float(), before numeric use.
• Distinguishes the prompt message shown to the user from the value actually stored.
• Selects the correct input statement or predicts the value held after a given input line executes.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Assuming input() automatically produces a number.

  Put it right: Is that it returns a string, so conversion such as int() is needed for arithmetic.

• Confusing the prompt text with the stored value.

  Put it right: Is that the prompt is displayed, while the typed response is what the variable holds.

• Thinking input happens without the user acting.

  Put it right: Is that the program pauses until the user types and confirms.

Exam tips

• Read the whole line of code and note which variable receives the value.
• Check the data type: if arithmetic follows, look for a conversion function.
• When predicting output, separate what is displayed (the prompt) from what is stored.