Skip to main content
Engineering LibreTexts

2.9: Glossary

  • Page ID
    40945
  • \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    variable:
    A name that refers to a value.
    assignment:
    A statement that assigns a value to a variable.
    state diagram:
    A graphical representation of a set of variables and the values they refer to.
    keyword:
    A reserved word that is used to parse a program; you cannot use keywords like if, def, and while as variable names.
    operand:
    One of the values on which an operator operates.
    expression:
    A combination of variables, operators, and values that represents a single result.
    evaluate:
    To simplify an expression by performing the operations in order to yield a single value.
    statement:
    A section of code that represents a command or action. So far, the statements we have seen are assignments and print statements.
    execute:
    To run a statement and do what it says.
    interactive mode:
    A way of using the Python interpreter by typing code at the prompt.
    script mode:
    A way of using the Python interpreter to read code from a script and run it.
    script:
    A program stored in a file.
    order of operations:
    Rules governing the order in which expressions involving multiple operators and operands are evaluated.
    concatenate:
    To join two operands end-to-end.
    comment:
    Information in a program that is meant for other programmers (or anyone reading the source code) and has no effect on the execution of the program.
    syntax error:
    An error in a program that makes it impossible to parse (and therefore impossible to interpret).
    exception:
    An error that is detected while the program is running.
    semantics:
    The meaning of a program.
    semantic error:
    An error in a program that makes it do something other than what the programmer intended.

    This page titled 2.9: Glossary is shared under a CC BY-NC 3.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Allen B. Downey (Green Tea Press) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.

    • Was this article helpful?