GCSE Python Skills - Lists, Files and Loops

In this video we go over part 1 and part 2 of the first Python skill up challenge.

In section 1 we take a look at the commenting challenge and discuss each line of the code in detail. In section 2 we then analyse the code with errors, fix it and discuss how each of the errors affect our code.

Key terms and phrases:

open - A python function that gets a file ready for us to read or write.

read - A python function that reads the data from a file in as a string.

split - A python function that allows us to split a string up into a list, based on a certain character e.g splitting a sentence up into separate words, based on the space character

list - A data structure in python that allows me to store multiple pieces of information. I store a list in a variable, and then multiple pieces of data inside the list.

Sequence - Running instructions in the correct order.

Selection - Making decisions in our algorithm. In python, we use if statements to make a decision.

Iteration - Repeatedly running code either a certain number of times, or until a condition is met.

format - A python function that allows us to put information into a string.

Type - Describes what information is stored in a certain variable. At it's simplest level, this tells the computer whether my data is a number or text.

Integer - A whole number. A type of information.

String (literal) - Stores alphanumeric (letters, numbers and punctuation) characters. A type of information.

Tuple - An immutable data structure which holds multiple pieces of information. Immutable means that data can't be changed, added to or deleted from the structure.