Glossary: Python Data Structures
Welcome! This alphabetized glossary contains many of the terms in this course. This comprehensive
glossary also includes additional industry-recognized terms not used in course videos. These terms are
important for you to recognize when working in the industry, participating in user groups, and
participating in other certificate programs.
Term Definition
Aliasing Aliasing refers to giving another name to a function or a variable.
Ampersand A character typically "&" standing for the word "and."
Compound Compound statements contain (groups of) other statements; they affect or control the
elements execution of those other statements in some way.
A delimiter in Python is a character or sequence of characters used to separate or
Delimiter mark the boundaries between elements or fields within a larger data structure, such as
a string or a file.
A dictionary in Python is a data structure that stores a collection of key-value pairs,
Dictionaries
where each key is unique and associated with a specific value.
A function is a block of code, defining a set procedure, which is executed only when
Function
it is called.
Immutable Objects are of in-built datatypes like int, float, bool, string, Unicode, and
Immutable
tuple. In simple words, an immutable object can't be changed after it is created.
The intersection of two sets is a new set containing only the elements that are present
Intersection
in both sets.
The keys () method in Python Dictionary, returns a view object that displays a list of
Keys
all the keys in the dictionary in order of insertion using Python.
Lists A list is any list of data items, separated by commas, inside square brackets.
Logic In Python, logic operations refer to the use of logical operators such as "and," "or,"
operations and "not" to perform logical operations on Boolean values (True or False).
Mutable objects in Python are objects whose values can be changed after they are
Mutable created. These objects allow modifications such as adding, removing, or altering
elements without creating a new object.
A nested function is simply a function within another function and is sometimes
Nesting
called an "inner function".
Ratings in Ratings in Python typically refer to a numerical or qualitative measure assigned to
python something to indicate its quality, performance, or value.
Set operations in Python refer to mathematical operations performed on sets, which
Set operations
are unordered collections of unique elements.
Sets in python A set is an unordered collection of unique elements.
Term Definition
Syntax The rules that define the structure of the language for python is called its syntax.
Tuples These are used store multiple items in a single variable.
Type casting In python, this is converting one data type to another.
In python, a variable is a symbolic name or identifier used to store and manipulate
Variables data. Variables serve as containers for values, and these values can be of various data
types, including numbers, strings, lists, and more.
A Venn diagram is a graphical representation that uses overlapping circles to illustrate
Venn diagram
the relationships and commonalities between sets or groups of items.
Versatile data, in a general context, refers to data that can be used in multiple ways, is
Versatile data adaptable to different applications or purposes, and is not restricted to a specific use
case.