These are all examples of Python reserved words. In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at what they mean and why they matter.

To start: what exactly is a reserved word in programming? Essentially, it’s a keyword that has been set aside by the language for specific purposes. These keywords cannot be used as variable names or function names because they have already been assigned a meaning within the language itself.In Python, there are over 30 reserved words to keep track of!

So why do we need all these fancy terms? Well, it’s simple: without them, programming would be much more difficult and error-prone. For example, let’s say you wanted to create a function that adds two numbers together. Without reserved words like “def” (which stands for define) or “return”, your code might look something like this:

# This is a simple python script that demonstrates the use of reserved words and variables in programming.

# First, we define a function called "add_numbers" using the reserved word "def" which stands for define.
def add_numbers():
    # Inside the function, we assign the result of adding 2 and 3 to a variable called "sum".
    sum = 2 + 3
    # We then use the reserved word "return" to specify that we want to return the value of "sum" when the function is called.
    return sum

# Now, we call the function "add_numbers" and store the returned value in a variable called "result".
result = add_numbers()

# Finally, we print out the value stored in "result" using the reserved word "print".
print(result)

# The output of this script will be 5, which is the result of adding 2 and 3 together. 
# By using reserved words like "def" and "return", we can easily define and call functions in our code, making it more organized and efficient.

As you can see, this code is not very clear or concise. It doesn’t tell us what the function does or how it works. By using reserved words like “def” and “return”, we can make our code much more readable:

# This is a simple function that adds two numbers together and returns the result.

def add_numbers(x, y): # Defining a new function called 'add_numbers' that takes two arguments (x and y)
    result = x + y # Assigning the sum of x and y to a variable called 'result'
    return result # Returning the value stored in 'result'

# To use this function, we need to call it and pass in two numbers as arguments.
# For example, if we want to add 5 and 10, we would write:
# add_numbers(5, 10)
# The function will then return the sum of 5 and 10, which is 15.

# We can also store the result in a variable and use it later in our code.
# For example, if we want to add 3 and 7 and then multiply the result by 2, we would write:
# sum = add_numbers(3, 7)
# product = sum * 2
# The variable 'product' will now hold the value of 20, which is the result of adding 3 and 7 and then multiplying by 2.

In this example, we can see how reserved words like “def” and “return” help us write more concise and readable code. They also make our code easier to understand for other programmers who might be reading it later on!

So what are some of the most commonly used Python reserved words? Here’s a list:

– def (define)
– class (create a new object type)
– while (repeat an action until a condition is met)
– for (loop through a sequence or set of values)
– if (execute code based on a condition)
– else (execute code if the previous ‘if’ statement was not true)
– try (try to execute some code, and catch any errors that occur)
– except (catch an error that occurred in the previous ‘try’ block)
– finally (execute code regardless of whether there were any errors or not)
– import (import a module from another file)
– from (import specific items from a module)
– as (assign a name to an imported item for easier use later on)
– with (open and close resources automatically, like files or databases)
– yield (return a value while also pausing the function’s execution)
– raise (throw an error or exception)
– pass (do nothing in this block of code)
– break (exit a loop early)
– continue (skip to the next iteration of a loop)
– del (delete a variable, object, or item from memory)
– nonlocal (modify a variable that was defined outside of the current function)
– global (access a variable that was defined outside of the current function)
– lambda (create an anonymous function on the fly)
– assert (check if a condition is true and raise an error if it’s not)
– True (a boolean value representing ‘true’)
– False (a boolean value representing ‘false’)
– None (represents ‘no value’ or ‘null’)

As you can see, there are quite a few reserved words to keep track of! And remember: if in doubt, always consult the official Python documentation for more information on any given keyword.

User
This article on Python reserved words is great, but can you add more examples of how to use them in real-life scenarios? I think that would make the concepts easier to understand.