Python

problem solving:

The process of formulating a problem, finding a solution, and expressing the solution.

high-level language:

A programming language like Python that is designed to be easy for humans to read and write.

low-level language:

A programming language that is designed to be easy for a computer to execute; also called “machine language” or “assembly language.”

portability:

A property of a program that can run on more than one kind of computer.

interpret:

To execute a program in a high-level language by translating it one line at a time.

compile:

To translate a program written in a high-level language into a low-level language all at once, in preparation for later execution.

source code:

A program in a high-level language before being compiled.

object code:

The output of the compiler after it translates the program.

executable:

Another name for object code that is ready to be executed.

prompt:

Characters displayed by the interpreter to indicate that it is ready to take input from the user.

script:

A program stored in a file (usually one that will be interpreted).

interactive mode:

A way of using the Python interpreter by typing commands and expressions at the prompt.

script mode:

A way of using the Python interpreter to read and execute statements in a script.

program:

A set of instructions that specifies a computation.

algorithm:

A general process for solving a category of problems.

bug:

An error in a program.

debugging:

The process of finding and removing any of the three kinds of programming errors.

syntax:

The structure of a 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.

natural language:

Any one of the languages that people speak that evolved naturally.

formal language:

Any one of the languages that people have designed for specific purposes, such as representing mathematical ideas or computer programs; all programming languages are formal languages.

token:

One of the basic elements of the syntactic structure of a program, analogous to a word in a natural language.

parse:

To examine a program and analyze the syntactic structure.

print statement:

An instruction that causes the Python interpreter to display a value on the screen.