Chapter 1

Question 1

algorithm

Answer 1

A set of specific steps for solving a category of problems.

Question 2

bug

Answer 2

An error in a program.

Question 3

comment

Answer 3

Information in a program that is meant for other programmers (or anyone reading the source code) and has no effect on the execution of the program.

Question 4

debugging

Answer 4

The process of finding and removing any of the three kinds of programming errors.

Question 5

exception

Answer 5

Another name for a runtime error.

Question 6

formal language

Answer 6

Any one of the languages that people have designed for specific purposes, such as representing mathematical ideas or computer programs; all programming languages are formal languages.

Question 7

high-level langauge

Answer 7

A programming language like Python that is designed to be easy for humans to read and write.

Question 8

immediate mode

Answer 8

A style of using Python where we type expressions at the command prompt, and the results are shown immediately. Contrast with script, and see the entry under Python shell.

Question 9

interpreter

Answer 9

The engine that executes your Python scripts or expressions.

Question 10

low-level language

Answer 10

A programming language that is designed to be easy for a computer to execute; also called machine language or assembly language.

Question 11

natural language

Answer 11

Any one of the languages that people speak that evolved naturally.

Question 12

object code

Answer 12

The output of the compiler after it translates the program.

Question 13

parse

Answer 13

To examine a program and analyze the syntactic structure.

Question 14

portability

Answer 14

A property of a program that can run on more than one kind of computer.

Question 15

print function

Answer 15

A function used in a program or script that causes the Python interpreter to display a value on its output device.

Question 16

problem solving

Answer 16

The process of formulating a problem, finding a solution, and expressing the solution.

Question 17

program

Answer 17

a sequence of instructions that specifies to a computer actions and computations to be performed.

Question 18

python shell

Answer 18

An interactive user interface to the Python interpreter. The user of a Python shell types commands at the prompt (»>), and presses the return key to send these commands immediately to the interpreter for processing. The word shell comes from Unix. In the PyScripter used in this RLE version of the book, the Interpreter Window is where we’d do the immediate mode interaction.

Question 19

rubntime error

Answer 19

An error that does not occur until the program has started to execute but that prevents the program from continuing.

Question 20

script

Answer 20

A program stored in a file (usually one that will be interpreted).

Question 21

semantic error

Answer 21

An error in a program that makes it do something other than what the programmer intended.

Question 22

semantincs

Answer 22

The meaning of a program.

Question 23

source code

Answer 23

A program in a high-level language before being compiled.

Question 24

syntax

Answer 24

The structure of a program.

Question 25

syntax error

Answer 25

An error in a program that makes it impossible to parse — and therefore impossible to interpret.

Question 26

token

Answer 26

One of the basic elements of the syntactic structure of a program, analogous to a word in a natural language.