Glossary

Question 1

> > >

Answer 1

The default Python prompt of the interactive shell.

Question 2

…

Answer 2

Either:

1. The default Python prompt of the interactive shell when entering the code for an indented code block.
2. The Ellipsis built-in constant

Question 3

2to3

Answer 3

A tool that tries to convert Python 2.x code to Python 3.x code.

Question 4

abstract base class

Answer 4

ABCs provide a blueprint for concrete classes. They don’t contain implementation. They instead provide an interface and make sure the derived concrete classes are properly implemented.

Question 5

annotation

Answer 5

A label associated with a variable, a class attribute or a function parameter or return value, used by convention as a type hint.

Question 6

argument

Answer 6

A value passed to a function (or method) when calling the function.

Question 7

asynchronous context manager

Answer 7

An object which controls the environment seen in an async with statement by defining __aenter__() and __aexit__() methods.

Question 8

asynchronous generator

Answer 8

A function which returns an asynchronous generator iterator.

Question 9

asynchronous generator iterator

Answer 9

An object created by an asynchronous generator function.

Question 10

asynchronous iterable

Answer 10

An object that can be used in an async for statement.

Question 11

asynchronous iterator

Answer 11

An object that implements the __aiter__() and __anext__() methods.

Question 12

attribute

Answer 12

A value associated with an object which is reference by name using dotted expressions.

Question 13

awaitable

Answer 13

An object that can be used in an await expression.

Question 14

BDFL

Answer 14

Benevolent Dictator For Life, a.k.a. Guido van Rossum, Python’s creator.

Question 15

binary file

Answer 15

A file object able to read and write bytes-like objects.

Question 16

borrowed reference

Answer 16

In Python’s C API, a borrowed reference is a reference to an object.

Question 17

bytes-like object

Answer 17

An object that supports the Buffer Protocol and can export a C-contiguous buffer.

Question 18

bytecode

Answer 18

Python source code is compiled into bytecode, the internal representation of a python program in the CPython interpreter.

Question 19

callback

Answer 19

A subroutine function which is passed as an argument to be executed at some point in the future.

Question 20

class

Answer 20

A template for creating user-defined objects.

Question 21

class variable

Answer 21

A variable defined in a class and intended to be modified only at a class level

Question 22

coercion

Answer 22

The implicit conversion of an instance of one type to another during an operation which involved two arguments of the same type.

Question 23

complex number

Answer 23

An extension of the familiar real number system in which all numbers are expressed as a sum of a real part and an imaginary part.

Question 24

context manager

Answer 24

An object which controls the environment seen in a with statement by defining __enter__() and __exit__ () methods.

Question 25

context variable

Answer 25

A variable which can have different values depending on its context.

Question 26

contiguous

Answer 26

A buffer is considered contiguous exactly if it is either C-contiguous or Fortran contiguous.

Question 27

coroutine

Answer 27

Coroutines are a more generalized form of subroutines. Subroutines are entered at one point and exited at another point. Coroutines can be entered exited, and resumed at many different points.

Question 28

coroutine function

Answer 28

A function which returns a coroutine object.

Question 29

CPython

Answer 29

The canonical implementation of the Python programming language.

Question 30

decorator

Answer 30

A function returning another function, usually applied as a function transformation using the @wrapper syntax.

Question 31

descriptor

Answer 31

Any object which defines the methods __get__(), __set__(), or __delete()__.

Question 32

dictionary

Answer 32

An associative array, where arbitrary keys are mapped to values.

Question 33

dictionary comprehension

Answer 33

A compact way to process all or part of the elements in an iterable and return a dictionary with the results.

Question 34

dictionary view

Answer 34

The objects returned from dict.keys(), dict.values(), and dict.items() are called dictionary views.

Question 35

docstring

Answer 35

A string literal which appears as the first expression in a class, function, or module.

Question 36

duck-typing

Answer 36

A programming style which does not look at an object’s type to determine if it has the right interface; instead, the method or attribute is simply called or used (“if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck.”).

Question 37

EAFP

Answer 37

Easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. This common Python coding style assumes the existence of valid keys or attributes and catches exceptions if the assumption proves false.

Question 38

expression

Answer 38

A piece of syntax which can be evaluated to some value.

Question 39

extension module

Answer 39

A module written in C or C++, using Python’s C API to interact with the core and with user code.

Question 40

f-string

Answer 40

String literals prefixed with ‘f’ or ‘F’ are commonly called “f-strings” which is short for formatted string literals.

Question 41

file object

Answer 41

An object exposing a file-oriented API.

Question 42

file-like object

Answer 42

a synonym for file object.

Question 43

filesystem encoding and error handler

Answer 43

Enoding and error handler used by Python to decode bytes from the operating system and encode Unicode to the operating system.

Question 44

finder

Answer 44

An object that tries to find the loader for a module that is being imported.

Question 45

floor division

Answer 45

Mathematical division that rounds down to nearest integer

Question 46

function

Answer 46

A series of statements which returns some value to a caller.

Question 47

function annotation

Answer 47

An annotation of a function parameter or return value.

Question 48

__future__

Answer 48

A future statement that directs the compiler to compile the current module using syntax or semantics that will become standard in a future release of Python.

Question 49

garbage collection

Answer 49

The process of freeing memory when it is not used anymore.

Question 50

generator

Answer 50

A function which returns a generator iterator

Question 51

generator iterator

Answer 51

An object created by a generator function.

Question 52

generator expression

Answer 52

An expression that returns an iterator.

Question 53

Generic function

Answer 53

A function composed of multiple functions implementing the same operation for different types.

Question 54

generic type

Answer 54

A type that can be parameterized; typically a container class such as list or dict.

Question 55

global interpreter lock (GIL)

Answer 55

The mechanism used by the CPython interpreter to assure that only one thread executes Python bytecode at a time.

Question 56

hash-based pyc

Answer 56

A bytecode cache file that uses the hash rather than the last-modified time of the corresponding source file to determine its validity.

Question 57

hashable

Answer 57

An object is hashable if it has a hash value which never changes during its lifetime and can be compared to other objects.

Question 58

IDLE

Answer 58

An Integrated Development Environment for Python that ships with Python.

Question 59

Immutable

Answer 59

An object with a fixed value.

Question 60

Import path

Answer 60

A list of locations that are searched by the path based finder for modules to import.

Question 61

importing

Answer 61

The process by which Python code in one module is made available to Python code in another module.

Question 62

importer

Answer 62

An object that both finds and loads a module; both a finder and loader object.

Question 63

interactive

Answer 63

Python has an interactive interpreter which means you can enter statements and expressions at the interpreter prompt, immediately execute them and see their results.

Question 64

Interpreted

Answer 64

The source files can be run directly without explicitly creating an executable which is then run.
Python is an interpreted language, as opposed to a compiled one.

Question 65

interpreter shutdown

Answer 65

When asked to shut down, the Python interpreter enters a special phase where it gradually releases all allocated resources, such as modules and various critical internal structures.

Question 66

Iterable

Answer 66

An object capable of returning its members one at a time.

Question 67

iterator

Answer 67

An object representing a stream of data.

Question 68

key function

Answer 68

A key function or collation function is a callable that returns a value used for sorting or ordering.

Question 69

lambda

Answer 69

An anonymous inline function consisting of a single expression which is evaluated when the function is called.

Question 70

LBYL

Answer 70

Look before you leap.

This coding style explicitly tests for pre-conditions before making calls or lookups.

Question 71

list

Answer 71

A built-in Python sequence

Question 72

list comprehension

Answer 72

A compact way to process all or part of the elements in a sequence and return a list with the results.

Question 73

loader

Answer 73

An object that loads a module.

Question 74

magic method

Answer 74

An informal synonym for “special method.”

Question 75

mapping

Answer 75

A container object that supports arbitrary key lookups and implements the methods specified in the Mapping or MutableMapping abstract base classes.

Question 76

meta path finder

Answer 76

A finder returned by a search of sys.meta_path.

Question 77

metaclass

Answer 77

The class of a class.

Question 78

method

Answer 78

A function which is defined inside a class body.

Question 79

method resolution order (MRO)

Answer 79

Method resolution order is the order in which base classes are searched for a member during lookup.

Question 80

module

Answer 80

An object that serves as an organizational unit of Python code.

Question 81

module spec

Answer 81

A namespace containing the import-related information used to load a module.

Question 82

mutable

Answer 82

Mutable objects can change their value but keep their id().

Question 83

named tuple

Answer 83

The term “named tuple” applies to any type or class that inherits from typle and whose indexable elements are also accessible using named attributes.

Question 84

namespace

Answer 84

The place where a variable is stored.

Question 85

namespace package

Answer 85

A PEP 420 package which serves only as a container for subpackages.

Question 86

nested scope

Answer 86

The ability to refer to a variable in an enclosing definition.

Question 87

new-style class

Answer 87

Old name for the flavor of classes now used for all class objects.

Question 88

object

Answer 88

Any data with state (attributes or value) and defined behavior (methods).

Question 89

package

Answer 89

A Python module which can contain submodules or recursively, subpackages.

Question 90

parameter

Answer 90

A named entity in a function (or method) definition that specifies an argument (or in some cases, arguments) that the function can accept. There are five types of parameter:
positional-or-keyword
positional-only
keyword-only
var-positional
var-keyword

Question 91

path entry

Answer 91

A single location on the import path which the path based finder consults to find modules for importing.

Question 92

path entry finder

Answer 92

A finder returned by a callable on sys.path_hooks which knows how to locate modules given a path entry.

Question 93

path entry hook

Answer 93

A callable on the sys.path_hook list which returns a path entry finder if it knows how to find modules on a specific path entry.

Question 94

path based finder

Answer 94

One of the default meta path finders which searches an import path for modules.

Question 95

path-like object

Answer 95

An object representing a file system path.

Question 96

PEP

Answer 96

Python Enhancement Proposal.
A PEP is a design document providing information to the Python community, or describing a new feature for Python or its processes or environment.