PythonTranslated
Abstracting = the process of turning a specific answer (or program) into a more general one. The code below uses x and y as abstract place-holders for the actual numbers of apples in the computation.
# 4 apples - 1 apples gives me 3 apples left left = 4 - 1 # original, specific answer x = 4 y = 1 left = x - y # general, abstract answer
Argument = the Python objects sent as inputs to a function This example calls map with arguments abs and [-1,2,-3,4]
map(abs, [-1,2,-3,4])
Code block = a group of Python code with the same number of spaces in front of the line. Here's an example of a block of 3 lines executed when x is larger than 4:
if x > 4: x = x - 4 z = z + "a" print x
Control flow = the order in which lines of code are executed by the Python interpreter. If-statements interrupt control flow by skipping over one of the branches. The third step could print either "Win" or "Lose".
x = 100 # first step if x == 100: # second step print "Win" # true-branch else: print "Lose" # false-branch print "Game Over." # fourth step
Interpreter = the computer program that runs Python code. All Python code is run by the interpreter, usually by typing (at the $-prompt).
$ python code.py # You can also start an interactive interpreter $ python >>> # this prompt means you are now talking to Python >>> print "Hello World!"
List = a collection of Python objects inside brackets, []
[1,2,3,4]
Tuple = a collection of Python objects inside parentheses, ()
("string", 5*6, ['a'])
Type ... Every Python object has a type (like int, string, or float) that describes what kind of object it is.
type(7) ~> <type 'int'>
Variable = a name used to refer to any Python object Note: Every word in your program other than special keywords (or words beginning with numbers) is treated as a variable.
x, y, hallo