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pythonterminology

In Python REPL, what is the difference between using a variable and printing it?

Consider the following Python 3.7.2 code [*] i ran in IDLE (I have added line numbers for reference):

[1] >>>> a_tuple = (1,2,3)
[2] >>>> a_tuple
[3] (1,2,3)
[4] >>>> print(a_tuple)
[5] (1,2,3)
[6] >>>> an_ndarray = numpy.array([1,2,3])
[7] >>>> an_ndarray
[8] array([1, 2, 3])
[9] >>>> print(an_ndarray)
[10] [1, 2, 3]

I am learning computer science terminology and Python, and I have the following questions/requests:

  1. What am I doing in [2], calling the object? Or is calling reserved for functions?
  2. What is being returned in [8]? It is not the contents of the ndarray. It doesn't make sense, but it is as if what is returned is the function call to create it, except it lacks the numpy. part.
  3. Is [1,2,3] in [6] considered a list or just the syntax for numpy.array() arguments?
  4. Is there a way to obtain the contents of an ndarray without the array() part in [8] and without using print()?
  5. Using precise technical terms, could you elaborate as to why [3] and [8] are so different?
  6. In general, what is what one types in the console called (e.g. [2])? Commands, calls, inputs?
  7. What are [3], [5], [8] and [10] called? Output? What are some synonyms?
  8. What is [*] (see the first sentence) called? It is not precisely code.
Solution

  • IDLE is an example of a Read-Eval-Print Loop, AKA REPL. You type a statement, it executes it, and if it's an expression with a value it prints the value.

    1. You call a function, you use or assign a variable. So in [2] you used the variable a_tuple. IDLE evaluated it and printed its value.
    2. In [8] it's printing the representation of ndarray, which is a numpy array. The representation of numpy arrays is shown as the contents in square brackets inside array().
    3. [1, 2, 3] is a list, being passed as the argument to the numpy.array() function. numpy will then create an array whose contents are the elements of the list.
    4. You can convert the array to a list with ndarray.tolist().
    5. The only difference between [3] and [8] is the type of value that you're evaluating and printing. [3] is a list, [8] is an array. Different types are shown in different ways.
    6. They're Python statements.
    7. Yes, they're output. More specifically, they're the values of the expressions that you typed on the previous lines.
    8. Yes, it's code. The purpose of an REPL is to allow you to execute code interactively, as opposed to running code in a script file.