CSC1010H Python Basics Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the introductory Python programming concepts from CSC1010H.

Guido van Rossum

The creator of Python in the early 1990s, known as the Benevolent Dictator for Life (BDFL).

Python Software Foundation

The organization that manages the Python language, accessible at www.python.org.

Multi-paradigm

A programming language feature that supports different styles of programming, specifically imperative, object-oriented, and functional in Python.

Dynamically-typed

A characteristic of languages like Python where variables can be assigned values of different types during execution.

Python 3

The current version of Python that fixes consistency problems in Python 2 but is incompatible with it.

Interpreted Mode

An interactive mode where commands are entered and executed one line at a time.

Bytecode

The intermediate format into which $.py$ files are compiled before execution.

IDE (Integrated Development Environment)

An editor or software suite used for writing, editing, and debugging programs.

WingIDE101

The specific IDE used for this course which features a File window and an interactive Python Shell.

Identifier

A name given to entities in a program such as variables, functions, modules, and classes.

Case-sensitive

A rule where uppercase and lowercase letters are treated as distinct, meaning 'age' is different from 'AGE'.

Python Keywords

Reserved words (such as 'if', 'while', 'import') that cannot be used as identifier names.

Assignment

The process of giving a value to a variable using the equals sign $=$ operator.

Integer (int)

A basic data type representing whole numbers.

Float (float)

A data type representing numbers with a decimal point, such as $2.345$ or $7.8 \times 10^{-24}$.

String (str)

A data type consisting of a piece of text enclosed in single or double quotes.

Boolean (bool)

A data type that can be either True or False; values like $0$, empty strings, and None evaluate to False.

Integer Division ($//$)

An arithmetic operator that performs division and returns only the whole number part of the result.

Modulus ($$)

An arithmetic operator that returns the remainder of a division operation.

Exponentiation ($**$)

The operator used for power calculations, having the highest precedence among arithmetic operators.

Function

A block of code used to perform operations, called using round brackets $()$, and can accept parameters.

Casting

The process of converting a value from one data type to another using functions like $int()$, $float()$, or $str()$.

Concatenation

The process of joining two strings together using the plus sign $+$ operator.

Module

A collection of functions that adds functionality to Python, which can be accessed using the 'import' keyword.

Indentation

The use of a tab (equal to 4 spaces) to indicate the body of a function or code block in Python.

Pseudocode

A simple shorthand used to clearly represent algorithms before they are coded into a programming language.

Syntax

The grammar rules of a language, involving the arrangement of words and punctuation.

Semantics

The logical meaning of code that follows syntax rules.

Syntax Error

A grammatical error in a program that is caught by the compiler or interpreter.

Semantic Error

A logical error where the program runs but produces an incorrect result, such as squaring instead of cubing.

Run-time Error

An error that is not detected until the program is executed, often caused by invalid user input.

Debugging

The process of identifying and fixing errors or 'bugs' in a program.