Python For Real

Question 1

parameter

Answer 1

a named variable that passes through a function’s argument(s)

Question 2

module

Answer 2

a file that contains definitions—including variables and functions—that you can use once it is imported

Question 3

generic import

Answer 3

Hint: It’s helpful to print the contents of a newly imported module you’re unfamiliar with to make sure you’re not reusing its content names.

simply calling a module in its entirety allowing access to all of its contents but forcing you to include the module name before each owned function (which may help by allowing you to write similarly named functions and variables)

import math
math.sqrt(#)

Question 4

function import

Answer 4

calls a single function from a module freeing you from having to prefix each use of the function with the module name

from module import function

Question 5

universal import

Answer 5

Hint: It’s common for professional developers to import only the functionality that is required, and not blindly import an entire module when there is no good reason to do so.

calling everything from a module and allowing you to call its contents without a module name prefix which can potentially cause the hazard of overlapping names if you write a similar function or variable yourself

from module import *

Question 6

argument

Answer 6

the process(es) defined in a function such as multiplying the parameter(s) by 3 then returning the result

Question 7

return

Answer 7

command to return values or to exit the method without returning a value

Question 8

list

Answer 8

a datatype you can use to store a collection of different pieces of information as a sequence under a single variable name (the sequence starts at 0, not 1)

list_name = [item1, item2, item3, etc.]

Question 9

index

Answer 9

address that identifies an individual item’s place on a list (starting with 0, not 1) allowing you access by including it’s identifier in brackets attached to and immediately following the list name

index_name[3]

Question 10

slice

Answer 10

calls forth a section of a list or string beginning with the first included index item and ending with but not including the last index number written

index_name[3:9]

Question 11

.index()

Answer 11

searches an index for the first instance of the parameters input and returns the numerical location

example.index(wanted)

Question 12

.insert()

Answer 12

allows you to add an item to a list as well as its new specific index location if provided first in the parentheses subsequently shifting all other list items down the list in terms of index numbering (keep in mind that the number doesn’t have to be a digit, it can be the numerical content of another variable)

example.insert(#, new_item)

Question 13

for loop

Answer 13

assigns to a variable (for variable) the value of a designated list (in list_name) whose contents will be used one at a time in the following code (:)

for variable in list_name:
code

Question 14

.append()

Answer 14

adds a new variable to the end of your list

list_name.append(variable)

Question 15

.sort()

Answer 15

alphabetizes the contents of your chosen list

list_name.sort()

Question 16

dictionary

Answer 16

similar to a list whose contents can be called by using keys rather than index numbers (great for things phone books & login pages) and is distinguished by declaring its contents within curly brackets even though its information is still manipulated using standard brackets

dict_name = {"k1":v1, "k2":v2, etc}
dict_name["key_name"] = new_value

Question 17

key-value pair

Answer 17

components of a dictionary item starting with the string to identify the item, colon, then the contents inside curly brackets

dict_name = {“key”:contents of item}

Question 18

del

Answer 18

deletes the chosen item from a dictionary

del dict_name[“key_name”]

Question 19

.remove()

Answer 19

removes the first instance of the specified item from the list without returning anything using the actual contents in quotation marks rather than an index location

list_name.remove(“item”)

Question 20

.pop()

Answer 20

removes and returns the contents of the list item at the index number/identifier you provide in parentheses

list_name.pop(index)

Question 21

del()

Answer 21

removes the contents of a list at the index location provided without returning anything

del(list_name[index])

Question 22

range()

Answer 22

function which returns a list of numbers from start up to (but not including) stop, each time increasing by step (start defaults to 0 and step defaults to 1)

range(start_num, stop_num, step_num)

Question 23

.join()

Answer 23

function that returns a string of the list argument’s elements (a sequence of strings) separated by the string named in the prefix

separator.join(string_list)

Question 24

\

Answer 24

escape character: also allows you to continue a specific line of code on the next line

Question 25

break

Answer 25

a one-line statement that means “exit the current loop”