Programming Terms: A to Z

Glossary
We will use many programming terms in the course and explain them
accordingly. Below is a glossary of all the terms. You don't need to read the
glossary now, but you can refer to it whenever you want to know what a term
means:

A
Algorithm: A step-by-step procedure for solving a problem or performing a
task.

Argument: A value passed to a function when calling it.

Example: print("Hello, World!")

The part "Hello, World!" is an argument.

Array: The term that is equivalent to a Python list, but used in other
languages such as Javascript. See "list" to learn what a Python list is.

Assignment: Assigning a value to a variable.

Example: x = 10

x is assigned the value 10 .

B
Boolean: A data type representing True or False .

Example: is_valid = True

Break: A statement that exits a loop.

Example:

for i in range(10):
if i == 5:
break

Bug: An error, flaw, or unintended behavior in a program that causes it to

produce incorrect or unexpected results. Debugging is the process of

Programming Terms: A to Z Glossary 1

 finding and fixing these issues.

Example: If a program crashes when it tries to divide by zero, that is

considered a bug.

C
Class: A blueprint for creating objects that encapsulate data and methods.

Example:

class Dog:
def __init__(self, name):
self.name = name

Code: The set of instructions written by a programmer to be executed by a

computer.

Example: print("Hello, World!") is a line of code in Python.

Command Line: A text interface used to enter commands to the operating

system or software. It often refers to the prompt where users type
commands to perform specific tasks.

Example: In a command line interface, you might type python script.py to

run a Python script. The term is used interchangeably with terminal and
console.

Comment: A line ignored by the Python interpreter, used to explain code.

Example: # This is a comment

Conditional: A statement that executes code only if a condition is true.

Example:

if x > 5:
print("x is greater than 5")

Console: A term often used interchangeably with terminal and command

line; it refers to the interface for entering commands or viewing output from
programs. It may also refer to the area in an Integrated Development
Environment (IDE) where output is displayed.

Programming Terms: A to Z Glossary 2

 Example: The console in an IDE shows the results of print statements
and error messages.

CSV (Comma Separated Values): A file format where data is stored in rows
and columns, with values separated by commas.

Example: A file with rows like name,age and John,30 is in .csv file.

D
Data Type: A classification that specifies the type of data a variable can
hold, such as integers, strings, lists, etc. Each data type determines what
operations can be performed on the data.

Example:

age = 25 # Integer data type

name = "Alice" # String data type
numbers = [1, 2, 3] # List data type

Def (Function Definition): A keyword that denotes the start of a function

definition.

Example:

def greet():
print("Hello")

Dependency: A package or library that a program requires to run.

Managing dependencies is crucial for ensuring that a program works
correctly with the required versions of libraries.

Example: If you use the requests library in your Python project, it

becomes a dependency that must be installed.
The terms library and package are used interchangeably with package.

Dictionary: A collection of key-value pairs.

Example: person = {"name": "John", "age": 30}

E
Exception: An error that occurs during program execution.

Programming Terms: A to Z Glossary 3

 Example:

"Hello" + 10

The above would throw an exception, also known as error, because

adding a number to a string is not possible.

Execute: To run a program or a block of code.

Example: When you press "Run" in your IDE, it executes your code.

Expression: Any valid combination of variables, operators, and function

calls that can be evaluated by the interpreter.

Example: 3 + 4 * 2

F
File: A collection of data or information stored on a computer.

Example: A .txt or .csv file.

For Loop: A loop that iterates over a sequence.

Example:

for product in ["butter", "milk", "bread"]:

print(product)

Function: A block of reusable code that performs a specific task, usually

getting some input, processing it, and returning some output.

Example:

def add(a, b):

return a + b

G
Git: A version control system that allows developers to track changes in
their code, collaborate with others, and manage different versions of their
projects.

Example: You can initialize a new Git repository with the command git

init .

Programming Terms: A to Z Glossary 4

 GitHub: A web-based platform that uses Git for version control and offers
collaboration features for software development. It allows developers to
host and share code repositories, track issues, and manage project
workflows.

Example: A project can be shared on GitHub by pushing local changes

with the command git push origin main .

I
IDE (Integrated Development Environment): A software application that
provides tools for writing and testing code.

Example: PyCharm or VSCode are popular Python IDEs.

If Statement: A conditional that runs code if its condition is true.

Example:

if x == 10:
print("x is 10")

Import: Bringing code from an external module or package into your

program.

Example: import math brings Python's advanced math functions such as

cos() into your program, so you can use those functions.

Indentation: The spaces or tabs used at the beginning of a line to define

the structure of the code. In Python, indentation is crucial for defining code
blocks.

Example:

if True:
print("This is indented")

Input: Data provided to a program by the user, usually via the keyboard on a
console/terminal.

Example:

name = input("Enter your name: ")

Programming Terms: A to Z Glossary 5

 Inheritance: A key feature of object-oriented programming (OOP) that
allows a new class (called a subclass or derived class) to inherit attributes
and methods from an existing class (called a superclass or base class).
Inheritance promotes code reusability and establishes a hierarchical
relationship between classes. Subclasses can override or extend the
functionality of the superclass.
Example:

class Animal: # Superclass

def speak(self):
return "Some sound"

class Dog(Animal): # Subclass

def speak(self): # Overriding method
return "Woof!"

The subclass Dog inherits from its superclass Animal.

Interpreter: A program that reads and executes code line-by-line. Instead

of converting the entire code into machine language at once (like a
compiler does), it translates and runs each line sequentially. This is why
Python, as an interpreted language, allows you to run code immediately
without needing to compile it first. The program you download from
python.org is an interpreter.

Iteration: Repeatedly executing a block of code, typically using a loop.

Example:

for i in range(3):
print(i)

J
JSON (JavaScript Object Notation): A format for storing and exchanging
data, similar to dictionaries in Python.

Example: {"name": "John", "age": 30} is a JSON object and it is normally

stored in a .json file.

Programming Terms: A to Z Glossary 6

 Lambda: An anonymous function defined using the lambda keyword. A
lambda function is used when you need a small, simple function that you
want to define quickly, usually for a short, one-time use, and in some part
of the code where you cannot write multiple lines of code to define a
normal function.

Example: students_sorted = sorted(students, key=lambda x: x[1])

Library: A collection of pre-written code that you can use to perform

common tasks.

Example: math or random are built-in Python libraries. When a library is

made of only one file, it is usually referred to as a module.

List: A mutable collection of items in a specific order.

Example: fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]

Loop: A control structure that repeatedly executes a block of code while a

condition is true (includes for and while loops).

Example:

for i in range(5):
print(i)

M
Method: A function that is associated with an object and typically operates
on its data.

Example: fruits.append("orange")

append() is a method of the list fruits .

Module: A file that contains Python code, such as functions or classes,

which can be imported into other Python programs.

Example: import random is used to import the random module.]

When there are multiple files containing related code, it is referred to as

a library.

O
Object: An instance of a class.

Programming Terms: A to Z Glossary 7

 Example:

my_dog = Dog("Buddy")

Here my_dog is an instance of the Dog class. Integer 15 is also an instance

of the int class. String "Hello" is an instance of the str class, etc.

Object-Oriented Programming (OOP): A programming paradigm based on

the concept of "objects," which can contain data (attributes) and code
(methods). OOP emphasizes organizing code into reusable structures,
making it easier to manage and scale software applications.

Example: A simple class definition in Python that illustrates OOP might

look like this:

class Dog:
def __init__(self, name):
self.name = name # Attribute

def bark(self): # Method

return f"{self.name} says woof!"

my_dog = Dog("Buddy")
print(my_dog.bark()) # Output: Buddy says woof!

Operator: A symbol that performs an operation on variables or values.

Example: + , , , / are arithmetic operators.

Output: Data produced by a program, typically displayed on the screen or

written to a file.

Example:

print("Hello, World!"

The above code will display the output "Hello, World!" in the console.

P
Parameter: A variable listed in a function's definition, used to receive
arguments.

Programming Terms: A to Z Glossary 8

 Example:

def greet(name):
print(f"Hello, {name}")

name is a parameter of the greet function.

Package: A bundle of Python modules that can be easily distributed and

installed. Packages can include libraries, frameworks, and tools to extend
Python's capabilities.

Example: The numpy package is widely used for numerical computations

in Python.

The term library is used interchangeably.

Pass: A statement that does nothing, often used as a placeholder.

Example:

def my_function():
pass

Pip: The package installer for Python. It allows users to install and manage
additional libraries and dependencies that are not part of the Python
standard library.

Example: To install the requests package, you would use:

pip install requests

Program: A set of instructions that a computer can execute to perform a

specific task.

Example: A Python script that adds two numbers is a program.

Other terms used interchangeably are script and code.

Python: A high-level, interpreted programming language designed for

readability and ease of use. It is known for its simple syntax, which allows
beginners to quickly learn and start programming. Python is versatile and
widely used in various fields such as web development, data analysis,
artificial intelligence, scientific computing, automation, and more. Python
supports multiple programming paradigms, including procedural, object-

Programming Terms: A to Z Glossary 9

 oriented, and functional programming, making it suitable for a wide range of
applications.

Example: A simple Python program that prints "Hello, World!" to the

console looks like this:

print("Hello, World!") # Output: Hello, World!

Python Console: An interactive command-line interface that allows users to

execute Python code line-by-line and see immediate results. It’s often used
for testing snippets of code, experimenting with commands, and
debugging.

Example: You can launch the Python console by typing python , py -3 or

python3 in your terminal. Once in the console, you can enter commands

directly, such as:

>>> print("Hello, World!")

Hello, World!

R
Repository: A storage location for software packages, where files,
including source code, documentation, and metadata, are managed using
version control systems like Git.

Example: A Git repository can be hosted on platforms like GitHub,

GitLab, or Bitbucket.

Requirements File: A text file (usually named requirements.txt ) that lists the
libraries required for a Python project. It allows for easy installation of all
specified packages using pip.

Example: A requirements.txt file might look like this:

requests==2.25.1
numpy>=1.20.0

This file can be uploaded in a server where the program will be

deployed and all the same libraries can be installed in that server so the
program runs the same way as locally.

Programming Terms: A to Z Glossary 10

 Return: A statement used to exit a function and optionally send a value
back to the caller.

Example:

def add(a, b):

return a + b

In the above example, the return statement exits the function and
returns the sum of a and b .

S
Script: A file containing a sequence of Python statements that can be
executed.

Example: my_script.py contains Python code that can be run.

Other terms used interchangeably are program and even code.

Statement: A line of code that performs some action.

Example: x = 5

String: A sequence of characters enclosed in quotes.

Example: name = "Alice"

Syntax: The rules that define the structure of a programming language.

Example: In Python, proper syntax would be print("Hello") instead of

Print "Hello" .

Syntax Error: An error that occurs when the syntax rules of the language
have not been followed.

Example: name = 'Alice

Running the code above will produce a syntax error because the syntax
rules require string Alice to be inside two quotes (i.e., 'Alice' )not just
one.

T
Terminal: A text-based interface that allows users to interact with the
operating system by entering commands. It provides a way to execute

Programming Terms: A to Z Glossary 11

 programs and perform system tasks. The term is used interchangeably with
console and command line.

Example: On macOS, the Terminal application is used to run shell

commands.

Tuple: An immutable collection of items in a specific order.

Example: coordinates = (10, 20)

Type: The category of data a value belongs to, such as integer, string, or
list.

Example: type(10) will return int , indicating that 10 is an integer.

V
Value: The data stored in a variable or used in an expression.

Example: In x = 5 , the value of x is 5 .

Variable: A name that refers to a value stored in memory.

Example: age = 25

Variable Scope: The area in a program where a variable can be accessed.

Example: Variables defined inside a function have local scope and

cannot be accessed outside that function.

Venv: A module in Python used to create lightweight, isolated environments

for Python projects, known as virtual envirionments. It allows developers to
manage dependencies separately for different projects, avoiding conflicts
between package versions.

Example: You can create a new virtual environment by running the

following command in your terminal:

python -m venv myenv

Version Control: A system that keeps track of changes to code, often used
in collaborative environments.

Example: Git is a version control system used to manage changes in

software projects.

Programming Terms: A to Z Glossary 12

 Virtual Environment: An isolated environment in which Python projects can
run independently of other projects. This allows developers to manage
dependencies and package versions without conflicts. Virtual environments
are particularly useful when working on multiple projects that may require
different versions of the same libraries.

W
While Loop: A loop that continues as long as a condition is true.

Example:

while x < 5:
x += 1

The above code will run as long as x is less than 5.

Programming Terms: A to Z Glossary 13