HG2051 – Glossary

A

Absolute Path: A path that is fully specified from the filesystem root (in Linux and macOS) or the drive (in Windows).

C

A statement or instruction which is interpreted and executed by the computer.

In a shell, the command prompt is where a user enters commands. It often has some info such as the user name, machine (host) name, or current directory. In Linux and macOS, it generally looks like this:

user@host:~/hg2051$

And in Windows it looks like this:

C:\Users\user\hg2051>

Current Directory

The directory where an executed command takes place. Any relative paths in the command begin at the current directory. In a path, . represents the current directory.

D

Directory: A location on a computer’s file system that contains a listing of files or subdirectories. Synonymous with “folder”. Also see current directory and parent directory.

I

Integrated Development Environment (IDE): A program that combines a text editor with other tools that aid in software development, such as debuggers or integration with a terminal or version control system.

P

Parent Directory: The directory above the current directory. In a path, .. represents the parent directory.
Path: A pointer to a location on a filesystem, similar to how URLs point to locations on the internet. For instance, C:\Users\user\Desktop\hello.py is a Windows path that points to the file hello.py on the user’s desktop. In macOS and Linux, it might look similar to /home/user/Desktop/hello.py. Also see absolute path and relative path
Platform: The kind of operating system used to run some software. Examples include Windows, macOS, and Linux.

R

Relative Path: A partial path that begins at the current directory. For instance, hw1-user/hw1.py is a relative path to the file hw1.py in the subdirectory hw1-user/ within the current directory.

S

Shell: A program that prompts a user for commands, then interprets and executes them on the system and returns their output. Examples of shells are Powershell, Bash, and zsh.

T

Terminal: A program that handles the interaction between a user and a shell. Also called a “terminal emulator” or sometimes a “console”. Examples of terminals are Terminal.app, Windows Console, and Visual Studio Code’s integrated terminal.
Text Editor: A program that edits text files. See also IDE.

V

Version Control System (VCS): Software that manages the versions and history of files.