Exercise 37: Symbol Review

It’s time to review the symbols and Python words you know and to try to pick up a few more for the next few lessons. I have written out all the Python symbols and keywords that are important to know.

In this lesson take each keyword and first try to write out what it does from memory. Next, search online for it and see what it really does. This may be difficult because some of these are difficult to search for, but try anyway.

If you get one of these wrong from memory, make an index card with the correct definition and try to “correct” your memory.

Finally, use each of these in a small Python program, or as many as you can get done. The goal is to find out what the symbol does, make sure you got it right, correct it if you do not, then use it to lock it in.

Keywords

Keyword Description Example
and Logical and. True and False == False
as Part of the with-as statement. with X as Y: pass
assert Assert (ensure) that something is true. assert False, "Error!"
break Stop this loop right now. while True: break
class Define a class. class Person(object)
continue Don’t process more of the loop, do it again. while True: continue
def Define a function. def X(): pass
del Delete from dictionary. del X[Y]
elif Else if condition. if: X; elif: Y; else: J
else Else condition. if: X; elif: Y; else: J
except If an exception happens, do this. except ValueError, e: print e
exec Run a string as Python. exec 'print "hello"'
finally Exceptions or not, finally do this no matter what. finally: pass
for Loop over a collection of things. for X in Y: pass
from Importing specific parts of a module. from x import Y
global Declare that you want a global variable. global X
if If condition. if: X; elif: Y; else: J
import Import a module into this one to use. import os
in Part of for-loops. Also a test of X in Y. for X in Y: pass also 1 in [1] == True
is Like == to test equality. 1 is 1 == True
lambda Create a short anonymous function. s = lambda y: y ** y; s(3)
not Logical not. not True == False
or Logical or. True or False == True
pass This block is empty. def empty(): pass
print Print this string. print 'this string'
raise Raise an exception when things go wrong. raise ValueError("No")
return Exit the function with a return value. def X(): return Y
try Try this block, and if exception, go to except. try: pass
while While loop. while X: pass
with With an expression as a variable do. with X as Y: pass
yield Pause here and return to caller. def X(): yield Y; X().next()

Data Types

For data types, write out what makes up each one. For example, with strings write out how you create a string. For numbers write out a few numbers.

Type Description Example
True True boolean value. True or False == True
False False boolean value. False and True == False
None Represents “nothing” or “no value”. x = None
strings Stores textual information. x = "hello"
numbers Stores integers. i = 100
floats Stores decimals. i = 10.389
lists Stores a list of things. j = [1,2,3,4]
dicts Stores a key=value mapping of things. e = {'x': 1, 'y': 2}

String Escape Sequences

For string escape sequences, use them in strings to make sure they do what you think they do.

Escape Description
\\ Backslash
\' Single-quote
\" Double-quote
\a Bell
\b Backspace
\f Formfeed
\n Newline
\r Carriage
\t Tab
\v Vertical tab

String Formats

Same thing for string formats: use them in some strings to know what they do.

Escape Description Example
%d Decimal integers (not floating point). "%d" % 45 == '45'
%i Same as %d. "%i" % 45 == '45'
%o Octal number. "%o" % 1000 == '1750'
%u Unsigned decimal. "%u" % -1000 == '-1000'
%x Hexadecimal lowercase. "%x" % 1000 == '3e8'
%X Hexadecimal uppercase. "%X" % 1000 == '3E8'
%e Exponential notation, lowercase ‘e’. "%e" % 1000 == '1.000000e+03'
%E Exponential notation, uppercase ‘E’. "%E" % 1000 == '1.000000E+03'
%f Floating point real number. "%f" % 10.34 == '10.340000'
%F Same as %f. "%F" % 10.34 == '10.340000'
%g Either %f or %e, whichever is shorter. "%g" % 10.34 == '10.34'
%G Same as %g but uppercase. "%G" % 10.34 == '10.34'
%c Character format. "%c" % 34 == '"'
%r Repr format (debugging format). "%r" % int == "<type 'int'>"
%s String format. "%s there" % 'hi' == 'hi there'
%% A percent sign. "%g%%" % 10.34 == '10.34%'

Operators

Some of these may be unfamiliar to you, but look them up anyway. Find out what they do, and if you still can’t figure it out, save it for later.

Operator Description Example
+ Addition 2 + 4 == 6
- Subtraction 2 - 4 == -2
* Multiplication 2 * 4 == 8
** Power of 2 ** 4 == 16
/ Division 2 / 4.0 == 0.5
// Floor division 2 // 4.0 == 0.0
% String interpolate or modulus 2 % 4 == 2
< Less than 4 < 4 == False
> Greater than 4 > 4 == False
<= Less than equal 4 <= 4 == True
>= Greater than equal 4 >= 4 == True
== Equal 4 == 5 == False
!= Not equal 4 != 5 == True
<> Not equal 4 <> 5 == True
( ) Parenthesis len('hi') == 2
[ ] List brackets [1,3,4]
{ } Dict curly braces {'x': 5, 'y': 10}
@ At (decorators) @classmethod
, Comma range(0, 10)
: Colon def X():
. Dot self.x = 10
= Assign equal x = 10
; semi-colon print "hi"; print "there"
+= Add and assign x = 1; x += 2
-= Subtract and assign x = 1; x -= 2
*= Multiply and assign x = 1; x *= 2
/= Divide and assign x = 1; x /= 2
//= Floor divide and assign x = 1; x //= 2
%= Modulus assign x = 1; x %= 2
**= Power assign x = 1; x **= 2

Spend about a week on this, but if you finish faster that’s great. The point is to try to get coverage on all these symbols and make sure they are locked in your head. What’s also important is to find out what you do not know so you can fix it later.

Reading Code

Now find some Python code to read. You should be reading any Python code you can and trying to steal ideas that you find. You actually should have enough knowledge to be able to read, but maybe not understand what the code does. What this lesson teaches is how to apply things you have learned to understand other people’s code.

First, print out the code you want to understand. Yes, print it out, because your eyes and brain are more used to reading paper than computer screens. Make sure you print a few pages at a time.

Second, go through your printout and take notes of the following:

  1. Functions and what they do.
  2. Where each variable is first given a value.
  3. Any variables with the same names in different parts of the program. These may be trouble later.
  4. Any if-statements without else clauses. Are they right?
  5. Any while-loops that might not end.
  6. Any parts of code that you can’t understand for whatever reason.

Third, once you have all of this marked up, try to explain it to yourself by writing comments as you go. Explain the functions, how they are used, what variables are involved and anything you can to figure this code out.

Lastly, on all of the difficult parts, trace the values of each variable line by line, function by function. In fact, do another printout and write in the margin the value of each variable that you need to “trace.”

Once you have a good idea of what the code does, go back to the computer and read it again to see if you find new things. Keep finding more code and doing this until you do not need the printouts anymore.

Study Drills

  1. Find out what a “flow chart” is and draw a few.
  2. If you find errors in code you are reading, try to fix them and send the author your changes.
  3. Another technique for when you are not using paper is to put # comments with your notes in the code. Sometimes, these could become the actual comments to help the next person.

Common Student Questions

What’s the difference between %d and %i formatting?
Shouldn’t be any difference, other than people use %d more due to historical reasons.
How would I search for these things online?
Simply put “python” before anything you want to find. For example, to find yield search for python yield.