Glossary terms from Python
Terms and definitions
Argument: Information given to a function in its parentheses
Assignment: The process of storing a value in a variable
Attribute: A value associated with an object or class which is referenced by name using dot notation
Cells: The modular code input and output fields into which Jupyter Notebooks are partitioned
Class: An object’s data type that bundles data and functionality together
Computer programming: The process of giving instructions to a computer to perform an action or set of actions
Data type: An attribute that describes a piece of data based on its values, its programming language, or the operations it can perform
Dot notation: How to access the methods and attributes that belong to an instance of a class
Dynamic typing: Variables that can point to objects of any data type
Explicit conversion: The process of converting a data type of an object to a required data type
Expression: A combination of numbers, symbols, or other variables that produce a result when evaluated
Float: A data type that represents numbers that contain decimals
Immutable data type: A data type in which the values can never be altered or updated
Implicit conversion: The process Python uses to automatically convert one data type to another without user involvement
Integer: A data type used to represent whole numbers without fractions
Jupyter Notebook: An open-source web application for creating and sharing documents containing live code, mathematical formulas, visualizations, and text
Keyword: A special word in a programming language that is reserved for a specific purpose and that can only be used for that purpose
Markdown: A markup language that lets the user write formatted text in a coding environment or plain-text editor
Method: A function that belongs to a class and typically performs an action or operation
Naming conventions: Consistent guidelines that describe the content, creation date, and version of a file in its name
Naming restrictions: Rules built into the syntax of a programming language
Object: An instance of a class; a fundamental building block of Python
Object-oriented programming: A programming system that is based around objects which can contain both data and code that manipulates that data
Programming languages: The words and symbols used to write instructions for computers to follow
String: A sequence of characters and punctuation that contains textual information
Syntax: The structure of code words, symbols, placement, and punctuation
Typecasting: Converting data from one type to another (see explicit conversion)
Variable: A named container which stores values in a reserved location in the computer’s memory
