Liner Notes
Sample answers to "Check Yourself…" questions
When you buy an album on vinyl, the liner notes (or "jacket notes") are the information that’s printed on the back of the sleeve or, for music on CD or cassette, in a booklet inside the plastic case. Basic liner notes are just the song titles, and the names of the artists and producers. But sometimes you get lucky, and the liner notes have blurbs written by the artists, or maybe even the complete lyrics to the songs. In other words, a cheat sheet that really helps you understand the music.
These liner notes have answers and basic explanations to the Check Yourself… questions from the chapters. These aren’t meant to be comprehensive answers, just a little information so you can confirm you’re…well, I hate to say it, but…on the right track.
The review questions are intended to be a little open-ended, so your answers will vary from these.
Sound Check
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What tools do you need to develop Python programs?
You’ll need an IDE and the Python installation package.
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What does IDE stand for and what is it’s role in software development?
IDE stands for Integrated Development Environment. It’s the software you’ll use to write your C# code.
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What IDE did you choose? Why?
Anything is fine, as long as it supports Python! Popular choices include JetBrains PyCharm, Visual Studio Code, eclipse, and many others.
1. Computers and Coding
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What is the primary role of a programming language in the context of computer programming?
The primary role of a programming language is to act as a bridge between human language and machine language. It allows humans to write instructions in a way that is easier for them to understand and use, which can then be accurately translated into machine language that a computer can execute.
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What happens when you run a Python program? Describe that process in simple terms.
When you run a Python program, the Python interpreter reads you source code line by line, translates it into machine language, and executes the instructions before moving on to the next line. The repeats until the program is finished.
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What is PEP-8
PEP-8 is the official style guide for Python code. It specifies the conventions we should use for formatting our code so that it is consistent and easy to read.
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How would you explain what a “program” is to an 8-year-old?
A program is like a list of instructions you give to a computer—kind of like a recipe. The computer follows the steps exactly to do something, like showing a message or solving a puzzle.
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Explain the difference between compiled and interpreted programming languages. Which is Python?
Compiled languages are translated into machine language by a compiler before the program is run. This machine language file can then be executed directly by the computer. Interpreted languages are translated into machine language on the fly, as the program is running, by an interpreter.
Python is an interpreted language.
