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What does "BDFL" stand for?

  • Base Development Framework Library.

  • Benevolent Dictator For Life.

  • Binary Data Format Language.

  • Brave Default Function Loader.

Answer

"BDFL" -- Benevolent Dictator For Life -- was Guido van Rossum's title for having the final say on the language's direction, until he stepped down in 2018.

What is the subject of PEP 8?

  • Type hints.

  • The Zen of Python.

  • The style guide for Python code.

  • The walrus operator.

Answer

PEP 8 is the widely followed style guide for Python code, covering naming, indentation, and layout conventions.

What is the subject of PEP 20?

  • The coding style guide.

  • The Zen of Python.

  • String formatting.

  • The import system.

Answer

PEP 20 is The Zen of Python, the collection of aphorisms you see when you run import this.

Who wrote the Zen of Python?

  • Guido van Rossum.

  • Barry Warsaw.

  • Tim Peters.

  • Raymond Hettinger.

Answer

Tim Peters wrote The Zen of Python (PEP 20). He also created Python's sorting algorithm, Timsort.

What did PEP 484 introduce to Python?

  • f-strings.

  • Type hints.

  • The walrus operator.

  • Async/await.

Answer

PEP 484 introduced type hints, a standard syntax for optionally annotating the types of variables, arguments, and return values.

Which feature was introduced by PEP 572?

  • Decorators.

  • Type hints.

  • The walrus operator (:=).

  • Context managers.

Answer

PEP 572 added assignment expressions using the := operator, nicknamed the "walrus operator" because := resembles a walrus's eyes and tusks.

Which symbol is the "walrus operator"?

  • =>

  • ->

  • <-

  • :=

Answer

:= is the walrus operator; it assigns a value as part of a larger expression.

On what date did Python 2 reach end of life?

  • December 31, 2015.

  • January 1, 2020.

  • June 1, 2018.

  • January 1, 2022.

Answer

Python 2 officially reached end of life on January 1, 2020; no further security or bug fixes are released for it.

Who created Timsort, Python's built-in sorting algorithm?

  • Guido van Rossum.

  • Donald Knuth.

  • Tim Peters.

  • Alex Martelli.

Answer

Timsort, the hybrid sorting algorithm used by sorted() and list.sort(), was created by Tim Peters -- the same author as the Zen of Python.

What does "PEP" stand for?

  • Python Extension Package.

  • Python Enhancement Proposal.

  • Public Execution Protocol.

  • Portable Encoding Policy.

Answer

A PEP is a Python Enhancement Proposal: a design document proposing new features or conventions for the language and community.

In what year was Python 2.0 released?

Answer

Python 2.0 was released in 2000, introducing features such as list comprehensions and cycle-detecting garbage collection.

In what year was Python 3.0 released?

Answer

Python 3.0 was released in 2008. It deliberately broke backward compatibility to clean up long-standing design issues.

What does "GIL" stand for in CPython?

  • General Import Loader.

  • Garbage Inspection Layer.

  • Global Interpreter Lock.

  • Generic Iteration Loop.

Answer

The GIL, or Global Interpreter Lock, ensures that only one thread executes Python bytecode at a time in CPython.

What is CPython?

  • A dialect of C with Python syntax.

  • The reference implementation of Python, written in C.

  • A tool for converting C code to Python.

  • A Python web framework.

Answer

CPython is the reference implementation of Python, written mostly in C. It is the version most people mean when they say "Python".

In what year did Guido van Rossum step down as BDFL?

Answer

Guido stepped down as Benevolent Dictator For Life in 2018, after which Python adopted a Steering Council governance model.

What is the purpose of the __future__ module?

  • To schedule code to run later.

  • To enable features from a newer Python version in current code.

  • To predict the runtime of a function.

  • To roll back to an older Python version.

Answer

from __future__ import ... lets you opt into behaviors that will become standard in a later Python version, easing migration.

In Python jargon, what does "dunder" mean?

  • Dynamic underscore.

  • Double underscore.

  • Duplicated undefined name.

  • Deferred under-load.

Answer

"Dunder" is short for "double underscore", as in the __init__ and __str__ special methods written with two underscores on each side.

Which Python implementation runs on the Java Virtual Machine?

  • JavaPy.

  • Jython.

  • Serpent.

  • PyBridge.

Answer

Jython is the real Python implementation that runs on the Java Virtual Machine and can interoperate with Java code. "JavaPy", "Serpent", and "PyBridge" are made-up names.

Which alternative Python implementation is known for its just-in-time (JIT) compiler?

  • Jython.

  • IronPython.

  • PyPy.

  • MicroPython.

Answer

PyPy is an alternative implementation featuring a just-in-time compiler, which can make many Python programs run significantly faster.

Which line about "one obvious way" appears in the Zen of Python?

  • "There is always a better way to do it."

  • "There should be one-- and preferably only one --obvious way to do it."

  • "Any way that works is the right way."

  • "The fastest way is the only way."

Answer

This aphorism captures Python's preference for a single, clear approach -- often contrasted with Perl's "there's more than one way to do it".

What does import this display?

import this

  • A list of installed packages.

  • The current date and time.

  • The Zen of Python.

  • Nothing at all.

Answer

import this prints The Zen of Python, a short collection of guiding aphorisms for writing Python code.

Why do Python examples so often use the word "spam"?

  • It is an acronym for "sample program".

  • It refers to unwanted email.

  • It is short for "spa memory".

  • It is a nod to a Monty Python sketch.

Answer

The classic placeholder names spam and eggs come from the Monty Python "Spam" sketch, keeping with the language's namesake.

What does import antigravity do?

import antigravity

  • Raises an ImportError.

  • Disables Python's garbage collector.

  • Prints the Zen of Python.

  • Opens an xkcd webcomic in your browser.

Answer

import antigravity is an Easter egg that opens the xkcd comic about Python in your web browser.

Which line is genuinely part of the Zen of Python?

  • "Move fast and break things."

  • "Write once, run anywhere."

  • "Readability counts."

  • "There is more than one way to do it."

Answer

"Readability counts." is one of the aphorisms in The Zen of Python. The last one -- about many ways to do it -- is actually a Perl motto.

Besides spam, which word is the other classic Python placeholder name?

  • foo

  • bar

  • baz

  • eggs

Answer

spam and eggs go together, both borrowed from Monty Python.

Complete the first line of the Zen of Python: "Beautiful is better than ___."

  • "boring".

  • "complex".

  • "clever".

  • "ugly".

Answer

The Zen of Python opens with "Beautiful is better than ugly."

Which of these is a real Python Easter egg?

  • import pizza

  • import this

  • import rainbow

  • import cake

Answer

import this prints The Zen of Python; the others are not real modules.

By what nickname was Guido van Rossum long known in the Python community?

  • The Architect.

  • The Chief Snake.

  • The BDFL.

  • The Grand Wizard.

Answer

Guido was the "BDFL" -- Benevolent Dictator For Life -- until he stepped down from that role in 2018.