Python Vocabulary

Question 1

argument

Answer 1

a piece of information that’s required by a function so it can preform it’s task. usually a string or numbers. example: my_function(argument here)

Question 2

bug

Answer 2

a piece of code that is causing a program to fail

Question 3

casting

Answer 3

the process of converting one data type into another. example: a number may be stored as text but needs to be an integer. it can be done like this: int(“3”)

Question 4

commenting

Answer 4

text in a program that is for human readers. it is ignored by the computer when running the program. i’m python, all comments start with a hash symbol#

Question 5

comparative operator

Answer 5

also called logic operators, they allow us to compare data in a program. they include == and >

Question 6

constant

Answer 6

a number that does not change. it’s good practice to make them in capitals. example: SPEED_OF_LIGHT

Question 7

data - type

Answer 7

different types of info stored by computer. example: floats, integers, and strings

Question 8

default

Answer 8

a value given to an argument or variable as a starting point

Question 9

equals operator

Answer 9

the equal sign is used to assign a value to a variable. example: n=2. this assigns the value 2 to variable n.

Question 10

escape sequence

Answer 10

when characters that have certain meanings in python are required in strings they have to be “escaped” so the computer knows they do not have their usual meaning. this is done by putting a slash in front of them: \

Question 11

execute

Answer 11

another word meaning run

Question 12

float

Answer 12

a number data - type that can have a decimal value

Question 13

function

Answer 13

a reusable piece of code

Question 14

global variable

Answer 14

a variable that is useable anywhere in a program

Question 15

hacking

Answer 15

taking some previously written code and rewriting parts to make it do something different

Question 16

I D E

Answer 16

stands for Integrates Development Environment. I D L E is an example. they are special text editors with useful tools built in for programmers

Question 17

I D L E

Answer 17

stands for Integrated DeveLopment Environment. this is the I D E that comes with python 3 install

Question 18

infinite loop

Answer 18

a piece of code that runs forever. this is usually a bad thing

Question 19

integer

Answer 19

a number data - type that cannot have a decimal value and must be a whole number

Question 20

interactive mode

Answer 20

this is when we use I D L E to try out snippets of code without saving them

Question 21

local variable

Answer 21

a variable that is defined inside a function and is only usable inside a function and is only usable inside that function

Question 22

logical operator

Answer 22

they allow us to compare data in a program. they include == and >
also called comparative operator

Question 23

loop

Answer 23

a piece of code that keeps repeating until a certain condition is met

Question 24

mathematical operator

Answer 24

an operator that preforms some mathematical function on some numbers e.g. multiplication or addition

Question 25

method

Answer 25

the name given to a function in a class

Question 26

module

Answer 26

a saved python file whose functions can be used by another program

Question 27

modulus

Answer 27

a mathematical operation that is used to return the remainder from a division calculation

Question 28

operator

Answer 28

a symbol that performs a simple function on some code such as multiplying two numbers or comparing them to see if they are equal. see also comparative operator and mathematical operator

Question 29

output

Answer 29

data that is sent from a program to a screen or printer etc.

Question 30

return

Answer 30

1. the value a function will produce after it has been run (it is also a python keyword) 2. the ‘end of line’ key on a keyboard, sometimes called the enter key

Question 31

script mode

Answer 31

this is when we use I D L E to help us write code that we will save in a file

Question 32

statement

Answer 32

a piece of code that represents a command or action e.g. a print statement

Question 33

string

Answer 33

text data, which can be stored in a variable

Question 34

syntax error

Answer 34

an error produced when a computer fails to run a program because it cannot recognize the format of the code supplied, e.g. a syntax error would be produced if a bracket had not been closed

Question 35

tkinter

Answer 35

a package of classes that are often imported into python programs that give methods that are useful for producing windows, drawing images, and producing animation

Question 36

variable

Answer 36

a name that refers to a place in a computer’s memory where data is stored. more loosely, it can also be used to refer to that data

Question 37

while loop

Answer 37

a kind of loop that repeats code while a comparative statement returns TRUE