[Python-checkins] python/dist/src/Doc/tut glossary.tex,1.2,1.3
fdrake at users.sourceforge.net
fdrake at users.sourceforge.net
Sat Sep 27 14:59:46 EDT 2003
Update of /cvsroot/python/python/dist/src/Doc/tut
In directory sc8-pr-cvs1:/tmp/cvs-serv31014
Modified Files:
glossary.tex
Log Message:
Lots of markup corrections. Some are minor, but others are not: the
contents of an \item should not be enclosed in a group!
Index: glossary.tex
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvsroot/python/python/dist/src/Doc/tut/glossary.tex,v
retrieving revision 1.2
retrieving revision 1.3
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*** glossary.tex 27 Sep 2003 05:42:14 -0000 1.2
--- glossary.tex 27 Sep 2003 18:59:43 -0000 1.3
***************
*** 7,79 ****
\index{...}
! \item[...]{The typical Python prompt of the interactive shell when entering
! code for an indented code block.}
\index{>>>}
! \item[>>>]{The typical Python prompt of the interactive shell. Often seen
! for code examples that can be tried right away in the interpreter.}
\index{__slots__}
! \item[__slots__]{A declaration inside a \emph{new-style class} that saves
! memory by pre-declaring space for instance attributes and eliminating
! instance dictionaries. Though popular, the technique is somewhat tricky to
! get right and is best reserved for rare cases where there are large numbers
! of instances in a memory critical application.}
\index{BDFL}
! \item[BDFL]{Benevolent Dictator For Life, a.k.a. \ulink{Guido van
! Rossum}{http://www.python.org/~guido/}, Python's creator.}
\index{byte code}
! \item[byte code]{The internal representation of a Python program in the
! interpreter. The byte code is also cached in the \code{.pyc} and
! {}\code{.pyo} files so that executing the same file is faster the second
! time (compilation from source to byte code can be saved). This
! "intermediate language" is said to run on a "virtual machine" that calls the
! subroutines corresponding to each bytecode.}
\index{classic class}
! \item[classic class]{Any class which does not inherit from \class{object}.
! See new-style class.}
\index{coercion}
! \item[coercion]{Converting data from one type to another. For example,
! {}\code{int(3.15)} coerces the floating point number to the integer, \code{3}.
! Most mathematical operations have rules for coercing their arguments to a common
! type. For instance, adding \code{3 + 4.5}, causes the integer \code{3} to be
! coerced to be a float \code{3.0} before adding to \code{4.5} resulting in the
! float \code{7.5}.}
\index{descriptor}
! \item[descriptor]{Any object that defines the methods \method{__get__()},
! \method{__set__()}, or \method{__delete__()}. When a class attribute is a
! descriptor, its special binding behavior is triggered upon attribute lookup.
! Normally, writing {}\var{a.b} looks up the object \var{b} in the class
! dictionary for \var{a}, but if \var{b} is a descriptor, the defined method
! gets called. Understanding descriptors is a key to a deep understanding of
! Python because they are the basis for many features including functions,
! methods, properties, class methods, static methods, and reference to super
! classes.}
\index{dictionary}
! \item[dictionary]{An associative array, where arbitrary keys are mapped to
! values. The use of \class{dict} much resembles that for \class{list}, but
! the keys can be any object with a \function{__hash__} function, not just
! integers starting from zero. Called a hash in Perl.}
\index{EAFP}
! \item[EAFP]{Easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. This common
! Python coding style assumes the existence of valid keys or attributes and
! catches exceptions if the assumption proves false. This clean and fast
! style is characterized by the presence of many \keyword{try} and
! {}\keyword{except} statements. The technique contrasts with the \emph{LBYL}
! style that is common in many other languages such as C.}
\index{__future__}
! \item[__future__]{A pseudo module which programmers can use to enable
! new language features which are not compatible with the current interpreter.
! For example, the expression \code{11 / 4} currently evaluates to \code{2}.
! If the module in which it is executed had enabled emph{true division} by
! executing:}
\begin{verbatim}
--- 7,92 ----
\index{...}
! \item[\code{.\code{.}.}]
! The typical Python prompt of the interactive shell when entering code
! for an indented code block.
\index{>>>}
! \item[\code{>\code{>}>}]
! The typical Python prompt of the interactive shell. Often seen for
! code examples that can be tried right away in the interpreter.
\index{__slots__}
! \item[__slots__]
! A declaration inside a \emph{new-style class} that saves memory by
! pre-declaring space for instance attributes and eliminating instance
! dictionaries. Though popular, the technique is somewhat tricky to get
! right and is best reserved for rare cases where there are large
! numbers of instances in a memory critical application.
\index{BDFL}
! \item[BDFL]
! Benevolent Dictator For Life, a.k.a. \ulink{Guido van
! Rossum}{http://www.python.org/~guido/}, Python's creator.
\index{byte code}
! \item[byte code]
! The internal representation of a Python program in the interpreter.
! The byte code is also cached in the \code{.pyc} and \code{.pyo}
! files so that executing the same file is faster the second time
! (compilation from source to byte code can be saved). This
! \emph{intermediate language} is said to run on a \emph{virtual
! machine} that calls the subroutines corresponding to each bytecode.
\index{classic class}
! \item[classic class]
! Any class which does not inherit from \class{object}. See
! \emph{new-style class}.
\index{coercion}
! \item[coercion]
! Converting data from one type to another. For example,
! {}\code{int(3.15)} coerces the floating point number to the integer,
! {}\code{3}. Most mathematical operations have rules for coercing
! their arguments to a common type. For instance, adding \code{3 +
! 4.5}, causes the integer \code{3} to be coerced to be a float
! {}\code{3.0} before adding to \code{4.5} resulting in the float
! {}\code{7.5}.
\index{descriptor}
! \item[descriptor]
! Any \emph{new-style} object that defines the methods
! {}\method{__get__()}, \method{__set__()}, or \method{__delete__()}.
! When a class attribute is a descriptor, its special binding behavior
! is triggered upon attribute lookup. Normally, writing \var{a.b} looks
! up the object \var{b} in the class dictionary for \var{a}, but if
! {}\var{b} is a descriptor, the defined method gets called.
! Understanding descriptors is a key to a deep understanding of Python
! because they are the basis for many features including functions,
! methods, properties, class methods, static methods, and reference to
! super classes.
\index{dictionary}
! \item[dictionary]
! An associative array, where arbitrary keys are mapped to values. The
! use of \class{dict} much resembles that for \class{list}, but the keys
! can be any object with a \method{__hash__()} function, not just
! integers starting from zero. Called a hash in Perl.
\index{EAFP}
! \item[EAFP]
! Easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. This common Python
! coding style assumes the existence of valid keys or attributes and
! catches exceptions if the assumption proves false. This clean and
! fast style is characterized by the presence of many \keyword{try} and
! {}\keyword{except} statements. The technique contrasts with the
! {}\emph{LBYL} style that is common in many other languages such as C.
\index{__future__}
! \item[__future__]
! A pseudo module which programmers can use to enable new language
! features which are not compatible with the current interpreter. For
! example, the expression \code{11 / 4} currently evaluates to \code{2}.
! If the module in which it is executed had enabled emph{true division}
! by executing:
\begin{verbatim}
***************
*** 81,88 ****
\end{verbatim}
! the expression \code{11 / 4} would evaluate to \code{2.75}. By actually
! importing the \module{__future__} module and evaluating its variables, you
! can see when a new feature was first added to the language and when it will
! become the default:
\begin{verbatim}
--- 94,101 ----
\end{verbatim}
! the expression \code{11 / 4} would evaluate to \code{2.75}. By
! actually importing the \refmodule[future]{__future__} module and
! evaluating its variables, you can see when a new feature was first
! added to the language and when it will become the default:
\begin{verbatim}
***************
*** 93,268 ****
\index{generator}
! \item[generator]{A function that returns an iterator. It looks like a
! normal function except that the \keyword{yield} keyword is used instead of
{}\keyword{return}. Generator functions often contain one or more
! {}\keyword{for} or \keyword{while} loops that \keyword{yield} elements back to
! the caller. The function execution is stopped at the \keyword{yield} keyword
! (returning the result) and is resumed there when the next element is
! requested by calling the \function{next()} method of the returned iterator.}
\index{GIL}
! \item[GIL]{See \emph{global interpreter lock}.}
\index{global interpreter lock}
! \item[global interpreter lock]{the lock used by Python threads to assure
! that only one thread can be run at a time. This simplifies Python by
! assuring that no two processes can access the same memory at the same time.
! Locking the entire interpreter makes it easier for the interpreter to be
multi-threaded, at the expense of some parallelism on multi-processor
! machines. Efforts have been made in the past to create a "free-threaded"
! interpreter (one which locks shared data at a much finer granularity), but
! performance suffered in the common single-processor case.}
\index{IDLE}
! \item[IDLE]{an Integrated Development Environment for Python. IDLE is a
basic editor and interpreter environment that ships with the standard
distribution of Python. Good for beginners, it also serves as clear
example code for those wanting to implement a moderately
! sophisticated, multi-platform GUI application.}
\index{immutable}
! \item[immutable]{A object with fixed value. Immutable objects are numbers,
! strings or tuples (and more). Such an object cannot be altered. A new object
has to be created if a different value has to be stored. They play an
! important role in places where a constant hash value is needed. For example
! as a key in a dictionary.}
\index{integer division}
! \item[integer division]{Mathematical division discarding any remainder. For
! example, the expression \code{11 / 4} currently evaluates to \code{2} in
! contrast to the \code{2.75} returned by float division. Also called
! \emph{floor division}. When dividing two integers the outcome will always be
! another integer (having the floor function applied to it). However, if one
! of the operands is another numeric type (such as a \class{float}), the result
! will be coerced (see \emph{coercion}) to a common type. For example, a integer
! divided by a float will result in a float value, possibly with a decimal
! fraction. Integer division can be forced by using the \code{//} operator
! instead of the \code{/} operator.
! See also, \emph{__future__}.}
\index{interactive}
! \item[interactive]{Python has an interactive interpreter which means that
! you can try out things and directly see its result. Just launch
! {}\code{python} with no arguments (possibly by selecting it from your
! computer's main menu). It is a very powerful way to test out new ideas or
! inspect modules and packages (remember \code{help(x)}).}
\index{interpreted}
! \item[interpreted]{Python is an interpreted language, opposed to a compiled
! one. This means that the source files can be run right away without first
! making an executable which is then run. Interpreted languages typically have
a shorter development/debug cycle than compiled ones. See also
! {}\emph{interactive}.}
\index{iterable}
! \item[iterable]{A container object capable of returning its members one at a
! time. Examples of iterables include all sequence types (such as\class{list},
{}\class{str}, and \class{tuple}) and some non-sequence types like
! {}\class{dict} and \class{file} and objects of any classes you define with
! an \method{__iter__} or \function{__getitem__} method. Iterables can be
! used in a \keyword{for} loop and in many other places where a sequence is
! needed (\function{zip}, \function{map}, ...). When an iterable object is
! passed as an argument to the builtin function \function{iter()}, it returns
! an iterator for the object. This iterator is good for one pass over the set
! of values. When using iterables, it is usually not necessary to call
! {}\function{iter()} or deal with iterator objects yourself - the \code{for}
! statement does that automatically for you, creating a temporary unnamed
! variable to hold the iterator for the duration of the loop. See also
! \emph{iterator}, \emph{sequence} and \emph{generator}.}
\index{iterator}
! \item[iterator]{An object representing a stream of data. Repeated calls to
! the iterator's \function{next()} method return successive items in the
stream. When no more data is available a \exception{StopIteration}
! exception is raised instead. At this point, the iterator object is exhausted
! and any further calls to its \function{next()} method just raise
! {}\exception{StopIteration} again. Iterators are required to have an
! {}\function{__iter__()} method that returns the iterator object itself so
! every iterator is also iterable and may be used in most places where other
! iterables are accepted. One notable exception is code that attempts
! multiple iteration passes. A container object (such as a \class{list})
! produces a fresh new iterator each time you pass it to the \function{iter()}
! function or use it in a \function{for} loop. Attempting this with an iterator
! will just return the same exhausted iterator object from the second iteration
! pass, making it appear like an empty container.}
\index{list comprehension}
! \item[list comprehension]{A compact way to process all or a subset of elements
! in a sequence and return a list with the results. \code{result = ["0x\%02x"
\% x for x in range(256) if x \% 2 == 0]} generates a list of strings
containing hex numbers (0x..) that are even and in the range from 0 to 255.
The \keyword{if} clause is optional. If omitted, all elements in
! {}\code{range(256)} are processed in that case.}
\index{mapping}
! \item[mapping]{A container object (such as \class{dict}) that supports
! arbitrary key lookups using the special method \function{__getitem__()}.}
\index{metaclass}
! \item[metaclass]{The class of a class. Class definitions create a class
! name, a class dictionary, and a list of base classes. The metaclass is
! responsible for taking those three arguments and creating the class. Most
! object oriented programming languages provide a default implementation.
! What makes Python special is that it is possible to create custom
! metaclasses. Most users never need this tool, but when the need arises,
! metaclasses can provide powerful, elegant solutions. They have been used
! for logging attribute access, adding thread-safety, tracking object
! creation, implementing singletons, and many other tasks.}
\index{LBYL}
! \item[LBYL]{Look before you leap. This coding style explicitly tests for
! pre-conditions before making calls or lookups. This style contrasts with
! the \emph{EAFP} approach and is characterized the presence of many
! {}\keyword{if} statements.}
\index{mutable}
! \item[mutable]{Mutable objects can change their value but keep their
! \function{id()}. See also immutable.}
\index{namespace}
! \item[namespace]{The place where a variable is stored. Namespaces are
! implemented as dictionary. There is the local, global and builtins
! namespace and the nested namespaces in objects (in methods). Namespaces
! support modularity by preventing naming conflicts. For instance, the
! functions \function{__builtins__.open()} and \function{os.open()} are
! distinguished by their namespaces. Namespaces also aid readability and
! maintainability by making it clear which modules implement a function. For
! instance, writing \function{random.seed()} or \function{itertools.izip()}
! makes it clear that those functions are implemented by the \module{random}
! and \module{itertools} modules respectively.}
\index{nested scope}
! \item[nested scope]{The ability to refer to a variable in an enclosing
! definition. For instance, a function defined inside another function can
! refer to variables in the outer function. Note that nested scopes work only
for reference and not for assignment which will always write to the
! innermost scope. In contrast, local variables both read and write in the
! innermost scope. Likewise, global variables read and write to the global
! namespace.}
\index{new-style class}
! \item[new-style class]{Any class that inherits from \class{object}. This
! includes all built-in types like \class{list} and \class{dict}. Only
! new-style classes can use Python's newer, versatile features like
! {}\var{__slots__}, descriptors, properties, \var{__getattribute__}, class
! methods, and static methods.}
\index{Python3000}
! \item[Python3000]{A mythical python release, allowed not to be backward
! compatible, with telepathic interface.}
\index{sequence}
! \item[sequence]{An \emph{iterable} which supports efficient element access using
! integer indices via the \function{__getitem__} and \function{__len()__}
! special methods. Some builtin sequence types are \class{list}, \class{str},
! {}\class{tuple}, and \class{unicode}. Note that \class{dict} also supports
! {}\function{__getitem__} and \function{__len__}, but is considered a mapping
! rather than a sequence because the lookups use arbitrary \emph{immutable} keys
! rather than integers.}
\index{Zen of Python}
! \item[Zen of Python]{listing of Python design principles and philosophies
! that are helpful in understanding and using the language. The listing can
! be found by typing \code{import this} at the interactive prompt.}
\end{description}
--- 106,309 ----
\index{generator}
! \item[generator]
! A function that returns an iterator. It looks like a normal function
! except that the \keyword{yield} keyword is used instead of
{}\keyword{return}. Generator functions often contain one or more
! {}\keyword{for} or \keyword{while} loops that \keyword{yield} elements
! back to the caller. The function execution is stopped at the
! {}\keyword{yield} keyword (returning the result) and is resumed there
! when the next element is requested by calling the \method{next()}
! method of the returned iterator.
\index{GIL}
! \item[GIL]
! See \emph{global interpreter lock}.
\index{global interpreter lock}
! \item[global interpreter lock]
! The lock used by Python threads to assure that only one thread can be
! run at a time. This simplifies Python by assuring that no two
! processes can access the same memory at the same time. Locking the
! entire interpreter makes it easier for the interpreter to be
multi-threaded, at the expense of some parallelism on multi-processor
! machines. Efforts have been made in the past to create a
! "free-threaded" interpreter (one which locks shared data at a much
! finer granularity), but performance suffered in the common
! single-processor case.
\index{IDLE}
! \item[IDLE]
! An Integrated Development Environment for Python. IDLE is a
basic editor and interpreter environment that ships with the standard
distribution of Python. Good for beginners, it also serves as clear
example code for those wanting to implement a moderately
! sophisticated, multi-platform GUI application.
\index{immutable}
! \item[immutable]
! A object with fixed value. Immutable objects are numbers, strings or
! tuples (and more). Such an object cannot be altered. A new object
has to be created if a different value has to be stored. They play an
! important role in places where a constant hash value is needed. For
! example as a key in a dictionary.
\index{integer division}
! \item[integer division]
! Mathematical division discarding any remainder. For example, the
! expression \code{11 / 4} currently evaluates to \code{2} in contrast
! to the \code{2.75} returned by float division. Also called
! {}\emph{floor division}. When dividing two integers the outcome will
! always be another integer (having the floor function applied to it).
! However, if one of the operands is another numeric type (such as a
! {}\class{float}), the result will be coerced (see \emph{coercion}) to
! a common type. For example, a integer divided by a float will result
! in a float value, possibly with a decimal fraction. Integer division
! can be forced by using the \code{//} operator instead of the \code{/}
! operator. See also \emph{__future__}.
\index{interactive}
! \item[interactive]
! Python has an interactive interpreter which means that you can try out
! things and directly see its result. Just launch \code{python} with no
! arguments (possibly by selecting it from your computer's main menu).
! It is a very powerful way to test out new ideas or inspect modules and
! packages (remember \code{help(x)}).
\index{interpreted}
! \item[interpreted]
! Python is an interpreted language, opposed to a compiled one. This
! means that the source files can be run right away without first making
! an executable which is then run. Interpreted languages typically have
a shorter development/debug cycle than compiled ones. See also
! {}\emph{interactive}.
\index{iterable}
! \item[iterable]
! A container object capable of returning its members one at a time.
! Examples of iterables include all sequence types (such as\class{list},
{}\class{str}, and \class{tuple}) and some non-sequence types like
! {}\class{dict} and \class{file} and objects of any classes you define
! with an \method{__iter__()} or \method{__getitem__()} method. Iterables
! can be used in a \keyword{for} loop and in many other places where a
! sequence is needed (\function{zip()}, \function{map()}, ...). When an
! iterable object is passed as an argument to the builtin function
! {}\function{iter()}, it returns an iterator for the object. This
! iterator is good for one pass over the set of values. When using
! iterables, it is usually not necessary to call \function{iter()} or
! deal with iterator objects yourself---the \code{for} statement does
! that automatically for you, creating a temporary unnamed variable to
! hold the iterator for the duration of the loop. See also
! {}\emph{iterator}, \emph{sequence}, and \emph{generator}.
\index{iterator}
! \item[iterator]
! An object representing a stream of data. Repeated calls to the
! iterator's \method{next()} method return successive items in the
stream. When no more data is available a \exception{StopIteration}
! exception is raised instead. At this point, the iterator object is
! exhausted and any further calls to its \method{next()} method just
! raise \exception{StopIteration} again. Iterators are required to have
! an \method{__iter__()} method that returns the iterator object
! itself so every iterator is also iterable and may be used in most
! places where other iterables are accepted. One notable exception is
! code that attempts multiple iteration passes. A container object
! (such as a \class{list}) produces a fresh new iterator each time you
! pass it to the \function{iter()} function or use it in a
! {}\keyword{for} loop. Attempting this with an iterator will just
! return the same exhausted iterator object from the second iteration
! pass, making it appear like an empty container.
\index{list comprehension}
! \item[list comprehension]
! A compact way to process all or a subset of elements in a sequence and
! return a list with the results. \code{result = ["0x\%02x"
\% x for x in range(256) if x \% 2 == 0]} generates a list of strings
containing hex numbers (0x..) that are even and in the range from 0 to 255.
The \keyword{if} clause is optional. If omitted, all elements in
! {}\code{range(256)} are processed in that case.
\index{mapping}
! \item[mapping]
! A container object (such as \class{dict}) that supports arbitrary key
! lookups using the special method \method{__getitem__()}.
\index{metaclass}
! \item[metaclass]
! The class of a class. Class definitions create a class name, a class
! dictionary, and a list of base classes. The metaclass is responsible
! for taking those three arguments and creating the class. Most object
! oriented programming languages provide a default implementation. What
! makes Python special is that it is possible to create custom
! metaclasses. Most users never need this tool, but when the need
! arises, metaclasses can provide powerful, elegant solutions. They
! have been used for logging attribute access, adding thread-safety,
! tracking object creation, implementing singletons, and many other
! tasks.
\index{LBYL}
! \item[LBYL]
! Look before you leap. This coding style explicitly tests for
! pre-conditions before making calls or lookups. This style contrasts
! with the \emph{EAFP} approach and is characterized the presence of
! many \keyword{if} statements.
\index{mutable}
! \item[mutable]
! Mutable objects can change their value but keep their \function{id()}.
! See also \emph{immutable}.
\index{namespace}
! \item[namespace]
! The place where a variable is stored. Namespaces are implemented as
! dictionary. There is the local, global and builtins namespace and the
! nested namespaces in objects (in methods). Namespaces support
! modularity by preventing naming conflicts. For instance, the
! functions \function{__builtin__.open()} and \function{os.open()} are
! distinguished by their namespaces. Namespaces also aid readability
! and maintainability by making it clear which modules implement a
! function. For instance, writing \function{random.seed()} or
! {}\function{itertools.izip()} makes it clear that those functions are
! implemented by the \refmodule{random} and \refmodule{itertools}
! modules respectively.
\index{nested scope}
! \item[nested scope]
! The ability to refer to a variable in an enclosing definition. For
! instance, a function defined inside another function can refer to
! variables in the outer function. Note that nested scopes work only
for reference and not for assignment which will always write to the
! innermost scope. In contrast, local variables both read and write in
! the innermost scope. Likewise, global variables read and write to the
! global namespace.
\index{new-style class}
! \item[new-style class]
! Any class that inherits from \class{object}. This includes all
! built-in types like \class{list} and \class{dict}. Only new-style
! classes can use Python's newer, versatile features like
! {}\var{__slots__}, descriptors, properties,
! \method{__getattribute__()}, class methods, and static methods.
\index{Python3000}
! \item[Python3000]
! A mythical python release, allowed not to be backward compatible, with
! telepathic interface.
\index{sequence}
! \item[sequence]
! An \emph{iterable} which supports efficient element access using
! integer indices via the \method{__getitem__()} and
! {}\method{__len__()} special methods. Some built-in sequence types
! are \class{list}, \class{str}, \class{tuple}, and \class{unicode}.
! Note that \class{dict} also supports \method{__getitem__()} and
! {}\method{__len__()}, but is considered a mapping rather than a
! sequence because the lookups use arbitrary \emph{immutable} keys
! rather than integers.
\index{Zen of Python}
! \item[Zen of Python]
! Listing of Python design principles and philosophies that are helpful
! in understanding and using the language. The listing can be found by
! typing \code{import this} at the interactive prompt.
\end{description}
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