Chapter 1 Exercise Set 1: PCEP Prep

This and subsequent exercise sets in the next five chapters labelled “PCEP Practice” will contain practice exercises designed to help prepare you for the certification exam that goes by that name.

They will also contain a few additional topics needed for the exam which are not presented in the main text of the book. By the end of the Dictionaries, sets, files and modules chapter, you will have been presented with all the topics tested by the certification.

History of Python

The Python programming language was first created by Dutch born programmer Guido van Rossum in December of 1989. Guido released the first version (0.9.0) to the public in February of 1991.

He named the language after the British comedy troupe Monty Python. People familiar with Monty Python will find its humour sprinkled throughout the documentation of the Python programming language.

Design Goals

In his 1999 DARPA funding proposal titled “Computer Programming for Everybody”, Guido spelled out his design goals for Python:

• An easy and intuitive language just as powerful as major competitors

• Open source, so anyone can contribute to its development

• Code that is as understandable as plain English

• Suitability for everyday tasks, allowing for short development times

Twenty-five years later it is clear that he achieved his goals.

Alphabets, Lexemes, Syntax, and Semantics

Do a web search (Wikipedia is your best place to start) and define the following terms in your own words:

• alphabet

• lexeme

• syntax

• semantics