python final exam

%c specifier

A format specifier used in older C-style string formatting to represent a single character from its integer Unicode code.

approximate values

Numerical values stored as floating-point numbers that may contain small inaccuracies due to binary conversion limits.

float(data)

A built-in constructor that converts a string or integer into a floating-point number.

int(data)

A built-in constructor that converts a value into a whole-number integer, truncating any decimal portion.

associative array

An abstract data structure composed of key-value pairs; the computer science term for a Python dictionary.

aware datetime object

A datetime object that includes specific timezone and daylight savings time information.

attributes

Variables that belong to an object, such as the.year or.month components of a date object.

binary file

A file format that stores data in a machine-readable byte format rather than human-readable text.

binary notation

The base-2 numbering system (0s and 1s) used by computers to store all data and perform calculations.

ceil()

A function in the math module that rounds a number up to the nearest whole integer.

class

A blueprint for creating objects, defining the attributes and methods that instances of that class will possess.

clear()

A dictionary method that removes all items, leaving the structure empty.

comma-separated values

A common plain-text format (CSV) for storing tabular data with commas as delimiters between fields.

comparison operators

Symbols such as ==,!=,

constructor

A special method used to initialize a new instance of a class, such as datetime(year, month, day).

CSV

The acronym for Comma-Separated Values, a file format used to store data in a simple text-based table.

csv module

The standard Python library providing tools to read from and write to CSV formatted files.

date and time formatting codes

Special symbols like %Y, %m, and %d used with strftime and strptime to format temporal data.

date class

A class within the datetime module specifically for managing year, month, and day data.

date object

An instance of the date class representing a specific calendar day without a time component.

date.today()

A method that retrieves the current system date and returns it as a date object.

datetime class

A class that integrally stores both calendar date and clock time information.

datetime module

The core Python library for all date, time, and time-interval calculations.

datetime object

A specific instance of the datetime class representing a unique point in time.

datetime.now()

A method that retrieves the current system date and precise time as a datetime object.

Decimal class

A class in the decimal module used for exact numerical calculations, avoiding floating-point errors.

del keyword

A Python keyword used to delete a reference to an object, such as removing an item from a dictionary.

delimiter

A character used to mark the boundary between separate regions in plain text, such as a comma in CSV.

dict()

The constructor used to create a new dictionary object, potentially from a list of tuples.

dictionary

A mutable, unordered collection of key-value pairs that provides fast data retrieval via unique keys.

exact values

Values represented by the Decimal class that do not suffer from binary approximation issues.

except clause

The part of a try statement that defines the code to run if a specific error occurs.

exception

A runtime error that interrupts the normal execution of a program.

exit()

A function from the sys module used to terminate a program immediately, often used in error handling.

FileNotFoundError

An exception raised when the program attempts to open a file that does not exist at the specified path.

finally clause

A block of code within a try statement that executes regardless of whether an exception occurred.

floating-point error

Inaccuracies caused by the inability of computers to represent certain decimal fractions exactly in binary.

floating-point number

A number format (float) that uses 8 bytes to represent decimal values approximately.

floor()

A function in the math module that rounds a decimal value down to the nearest whole integer.

from decimal import Decimal

The standard import statement required to use high-precision decimal arithmetic in Python.

get()

A dictionary method that retrieves a value for a key or a default value if the key does not exist.

immutable

A property of an object that prevents it from being modified after creation; strings and tuples are examples.

in keyword

An operator used to check for the existence of a key in a dictionary or a character in a string.

index

A numerical value representing the position of an item in a sequence, starting at zero.

isalpha()

A string method that returns True if all characters in the string are alphabetic letters.

isdigit()

A string method that returns True if all characters in the string are numeric digits (0-9).

items()

A dictionary method that returns a view object of all key-value pairs in tuple format.

iterators

Objects that allow for the sequential traversal of a data stream, fetching one item at a time.

key

A unique, immutable identifier in a dictionary used to store and retrieve a corresponding value.

key/value pair

The fundamental storage unit in a dictionary consisting of an identifier and its associated data.

keys()

A dictionary method that returns a view object containing all the keys currently in the dictionary.

lc.setlocale

The function used to define the regional formatting rules for numbers and currency.

len()

A built-in function that returns the count of items in a sequence, such as characters in a string.

list

A mutable, ordered sequence of items that can be of different data types.

list()

A constructor that creates a new list object, often used to convert view objects into static collections.

locale module

The library used for formatting data based on cultural and geographic conventions.

map

An abstract term for a dictionary-like structure; also a built-in function to apply logic to a sequence.

math module

A standard library providing advanced mathematical functions and constants like pi and sqrt().

microsecond

The smallest unit of time measured by the datetime module, equal to one-millionth of a second.

millisecond

A unit of time equal to one-thousandth of a second, often used in performance timing.

modify a string

The act of creating a new string based on an existing one, as original strings are immutable.

mutable

A property of an object that allows it to be changed after it is created; lists and dictionaries are examples.

naïve datetime object

A datetime object that lacks timezone information, making it relative to the local system only.

named arguments

A method of passing arguments to a function by specifying the parameter name and value.

new line

A control character (\n) that signifies the end of a line of text.

now()

A datetime method that returns the current local date and time.

object

An instance of a class that contains both data (attributes) and behavior (methods).

octal code

A way to represent a character using its base-8 value, often used in escape sequences like \ooo.

OSError

A generic exception class for errors related to the operating system, such as file access issues.

parsing

The process of analyzing a string to extract structured data, such as converting a date-string into an object.

pickle

The process of serializing a Python object into a byte stream for storage in a binary file.

pickle module

The Python library used for serializing and deserializing complex objects and data structures.

pop()

A method used to remove an item from a dictionary or list and return its value.

print format

A set of rules defined within a string to control how data is displayed to the user.

print(data).format

An older syntax for string formatting, now largely replaced by the.format() method or f-strings.

raise statement

A keyword used to manually trigger an exception when specific conditions are met.

read()

A file method that retrieves the entire contents of a file as a single string.

readline()

A file method that reads the next single line from a text file.

reader()

A function in the csv module that generates an iterator for reading rows from a CSV file.

readlines()

A file method that reads all lines from a file and returns them as a list of strings.

repetition operator

The asterisk (*) used with strings or lists to create multiple copies of the data.

replace()

A string method that returns a new string where specific substrings have been swapped for others.

scientific notation

A way to express very large or small numbers using powers of ten (e.g., 1.5e+2).

sequence

A generic term for an ordered collection of items, such as strings, lists, or tuples.

setlocale()

The primary function in the locale module for defining formatting standards.

slice a string

The process of extracting a portion of a string using the [start:stop] index syntax.

span of time

A duration between two points in time, represented by a timedelta object.

strftime()

A method that converts a datetime object into a formatted string for display.

strings as lists

The concept that strings share properties with lists, such as support for indexing and slicing.

strip()

A string method that removes leading and trailing whitespace from a text value.

strptime()

A datetime method used to create a datetime object from a formatted string.

symbol table

A dictionary-like internal structure that Python uses to map variable names to memory objects.

sys module

A module that provides access to system-specific parameters and functions, such as exit().

text file

A file format that stores data as a sequence of human-readable characters.

time object

An instance of the time class representing a specific clock time regardless of the date.

timedelta()

A class used to calculate the difference between two temporal objects or to shift a date by a duration.

title()

A string method that capitalizes the first letter of every word in the sequence.

try clause

The section of code where exceptions are monitored for potential errors.

try statement

A control structure used to handle runtime errors through try, except, else, and finally blocks.

tuple

An immutable sequence of items, often used for data that should not change during execution.