kidsSpeak a little code.
A friendly field guide to the words you’ll meet on your adventure. No complicated definitions required.
Boolean
A value that is either true or false. Comparisons produce booleans, and decisions use them.
Primitive value
One simple kind of value, such as a number, text, or a boolean. Exact primitive types vary by programming language.
Data structure
A way to organize values, such as an ordered list or a record of keys and values.
Integer
A whole number such as 0, 7, or -3. Python calls this type int.
Float
A number that can represent a fractional part, such as 2.5. Most decimal fractions are stored approximately by a computer.
Nothing / None
An absent value. It is different from the number zero, false, or empty text. Python calls it None; many languages use null.
Stack
A collection that takes the most recently added item first. Think of pancakes taken from the top.
Queue
A collection that takes the earliest added item first. Think of friends waiting in line.
Nested loop
A loop inside another loop. The inner loop runs again for each step of the outer one.
Expression
Code that produces a value, such as 2 + 3 or score > 5.
Algorithm
A step-by-step plan for solving a problem. A recipe for making a sandwich is an everyday algorithm.
Bug
A mistake that makes a program do something unexpected. Bugs are clues to investigate.
Code
Instructions written in a language a computer can use.
Condition
A question that is either True or False, such as “Do I have at least three stars?”
Coordinate
An address for a position. In our pixel studio, (2, 4) means column 2, row 4, counting from zero.
Debugging
Finding and fixing a bug. Try reading the output and changing one small thing.
Dictionary
A collection of keys and values. A key such as "name" points to a value such as "Bit".
Function
A named, reusable set of instructions. It can take inputs and return a result.
Index
The position of an item in a sequence. Python starts counting list indexes at 0.
Input
Information a program receives, such as an answer you type.
List
An ordered collection of values. In Python, ["red", "blue"] is a list with two items.
Loop
A way to repeat instructions without writing the same code again and again.
Output
Information a program gives back, such as text from print().
Python
A programming language used for games, websites, science, automation, and much more.
Sequence
Instructions in a specific order. Changing the order can change the result.
String
A piece of text. In Python, you can write a string inside quotation marks.
Syntax
The writing rules of a programming language, including punctuation and indentation.
Variable
A name that refers to a value. You can use the name later, and assign it a different value.