Troubleshooting and Debugging Techniques Coursera Quiz Answers

All Module Troubleshooting and Debugging Techniques Coursera Quiz Answers

Practice Quiz: Introduction to Debugging

Q1. What is part of the final step when problem-solving?

  • Documentation
  • Long-term remediation
  • Finding the root cause
  • Gathering information

Q2. Which tool can you use when debugging to look at library calls made by the software?

  • top
  • strace
  • tcpdump
  • ltrace

Q3. What is the first step of problem solving?

  • Prevention
  • Gathering information
  • Long-term remediation
  • Finding the root cause

Q4. What software tools are used to analyze network traffic to isolate problems? (Check all that apply)

  • tcpdump
  • wireshark
  • strace
  • top

Q5. The strace (in Linux) tool allows us to see all of the _ our program has made.

  • Network traffic
  • Disk writes
  • System calls
  • Connection requests

Practice Quiz: Understanding the Problem

Q1. When a user reports that an “application doesn’t work,” what is an appropriate follow-up question to gather more information about the problem?

  • Is the server plugged in?
  • Why do you need the application?
  • Do you have a support ticket number?
  • What should happen when you open the app?

Q2. What is a heisenbug?

  • The observer effect.
  • A test environment.
  • The root cause.
  • An event viewer.

Q3. The compare_strings function is supposed to compare just the alphanumeric content of two strings, ignoring upper vs lower case and punctuation. But something is not working. Fill in the code to try to find the problems, then fix the problems.

import re
def compare_strings(string1, string2):
  #Convert both strings to lowercase 
  #and remove leading and trailing blanks
  string1 = string1.lower().strip()
  string2 = string2.lower().strip()

  #Ignore punctuation
  ## punctuation = r"[.?!,;:-']"
  punctuation = r"[.?!,;:'-]"
  string1 = re.sub(punctuation, r"", string1)
  string2 = re.sub(punctuation, r"", string2)

  #DEBUG CODE GOES HERE
  """
  change r"[.?!,;:-']" with r"[.?!,;:'-]" in punctuation variable 
  because of pattern error (Character range is out of order ('-' pattern))
  """

  return string1 == string2

print(compare_strings("Have a Great Day!", "Have a great day?")) ## True
print(compare_strings("It's raining again.", "its raining, again")) ## True
print(compare_strings("Learn to count: 1, 2, 3.", "Learn to count: one, two, three.")) ## False
print(compare_strings("They found some body.", "They found somebody.")) ## False

Output:

True
True
False
False

Q4. How do we verify if a problem is still persisting or not?

  • Restart the device or server hardware
  • Attempt to trigger the problem again by following the steps of our reproduction case
  • Repeatedly ask the user
  • Check again later

Q5. The DateTime module supplies classes for manipulating dates and times and contains many types, objects, and methods. You’ve seen some of them used in the dow function, which returns the day of the week for a specific date. We’ll use them again in the next_date function, which takes the date_string parameter in the format of “year-month-day”, and uses the add_year function to calculate the next year that this date will occur (it’s 4 years later for the 29th of February during Leap Year, and 1 year later for all other dates). Then it returns the value in the same format as it receives the date: “year-month-day”.

Can you find the error in the code? Is it in the next_date function or the add_year function? How can you determine if the add_year function returns what it’s supposed to? Add debug lines as necessary to find the problems, then fix the code to work as indicated above.

import datetime
from datetime import date

def add_year(date_obj):
  try:
    new_date_obj = date_obj.replace(year = date_obj.year + 1)
  except ValueError:
    ## This gets executed when the above method fails, 
    ## which means that we're making a Leap Year calculation
    new_date_obj = date_obj.replace(year = date_obj.year + 4)
  return new_date_obj ## OK

def next_date(date_string):
  ## Convert the argument from string to date object
  date_obj = datetime.datetime.strptime(date_string, r"%Y-%m-%d")
  next_date_obj = add_year(date_obj)
  ## print(f'{date_obj} | {next_date_obj}') ## OK

  ## Convert the datetime object to string, 
  ## in the format of "yyyy-mm-dd"
  ## next_date_string = next_date_obj.strftime("yyyy-mm-dd")
  next_date_string = next_date_obj.strftime("%Y-%m-%d")
  return next_date_string

today = date.today()  ## Get today's date
print(next_date(str(today))) 
## Should return a year from today, unless today is Leap Day

print(next_date("2021-01-01")) ## Should return 2022-01-01
print(next_date("2020-02-29")) ## Should return 2024-02-29

Output:

2020-08-03 00:00:00 | 2021-08-03 00:00:00
2021-08-03
2021-01-01 00:00:00 | 2022-01-01 00:00:00
2022-01-01
2020-02-29 00:00:00 | 2024-02-29 00:00:00
2024-02-29

Quiz Answers: Binary Searching a Problem

Q1. When searching for more than one element in a list, which of the following actions should you perform first in order to search the list as quickly as possible?

  • Sort the list
  • Do a binary search
  • Do a linear search
  • Use a base three logarithm

Module 01 Challenge: Debug Python Scripts Quiz Answers

Q1. When debugging scripts, what is the primary type of issue that effective debugging can help address?

Answer: Syntax errors and typos in the code

Explanation: Debugging scripts often targets syntax errors and typos, which prevent the code from running correctly. These issues are among the most common obstacles encountered during scripting.


Q2. In the lab, where was the root cause of the issue located?

Answer: Within the print statement

Explanation: The lab revealed that the root cause was in the print statement, likely involving incorrect syntax or improper handling of data types.


Q3. Why is it important to reproduce an error when debugging scripts? (Select all that apply)

Answer:

  • To isolate the variables and conditions contributing to the error
  • To confirm that the issue is real and not a one-time occurrence
    Explanation:
    Reproducing the error ensures that it is consistent and not a random anomaly. It also helps isolate the conditions leading to the issue for a more precise diagnosis and fix.

Q4. In the lab, what is the main issue with the script involving concatenating two different data points?

Answer: The script uses incompatible data types for concatenation.

Explanation: The problem arose from attempting to combine incompatible data types (e.g., strings and integers) without converting them into a common format.


Q5. What does the error message TypeError: Can't convert 'int' object to str implicitly tell you?

Answer: Something in the code is trying to concatenate a string and an integer.

Explanation: The error indicates that the code is attempting to combine a string with an integer, which Python does not allow directly without explicit conversion.


Q6. While debugging Python code, when faced with the situation of attempting to combine two different data types directly, what corrective action should be taken to resolve this error?

Answer: Modify the code to avoid combining different data types directly.

Explanation: To resolve the error, convert the integer to a string or handle the data types separately to prevent incompatible operations.


Q7. In the lab, you encountered an error message that indicates a problem with concatenating a string and an integer. To figure out the root cause of this bug, what step did you take next in the lab after successfully reproducing the error?

Answer: Examined the code within the script

Explanation: Reviewing the script helps identify the exact line causing the issue, enabling targeted corrections.


Q8. When a bug is found in a software program during testing, what is the best way to communicate it to the right individual(s)?

Answer: Document it and notify relevant team members

Explanation: Clear documentation and communication ensure that the issue is addressed efficiently by the responsible individuals.


Q9. A recurring problem can be defined as what?

Answer: A problem that occurs consistently under the same set of conditions.

Explanation: Recurring problems follow a predictable pattern, occurring only when specific conditions are met. Identifying this helps pinpoint the cause.


Q10. What can you infer if a recurring problem goes away when you change the system settings?

Answer: Something in the system settings was causing the problem.

Explanation: Adjusting system settings that resolve the issue implies that the original configuration contributed to the problem.

Module 02: Practice quiz: Understanding slowness

Q1. Which of the following will an application spend the longest time retrieving data from?

Answer: The network

Explanation: Among the options, retrieving data over the network typically takes the longest due to latency and bandwidth limitations. Disk and RAM access are much faster by comparison, with CPU cache being the fastest.


Q2. Which tool can you use to verify reports of ‘slowness’ for web pages served by a web server you manage?

Answer: The ab tool

Explanation: The ab (Apache Benchmark) tool is used to measure and analyze the performance of web servers. It helps simulate multiple requests to verify slowness and identify performance issues.


Q3, If our computer running Microsoft Windows is running slow, what performance monitoring tools can we use to analyze our system resource usage to identify the bottleneck? (Check all that apply)

Answer:

  • Performance Monitor
  • Resource Monitor
    Explanation:
    Both Performance Monitor and Resource Monitor are built-in Windows tools designed to provide detailed insights into system resource usage, helping identify bottlenecks. Activity Monitor is specific to macOS, and top is typically a Linux command-line utility.

Q4. Which of the following programs is likely to run faster and more efficiently, with the least slowdown?

Answer: A program small enough to fit in RAM

Explanation: Programs that fit entirely in RAM execute faster since accessing RAM is significantly quicker than retrieving data from disk storage, optical media, or the internet.


Q5. What might cause a single application to slow down an entire system? (Check all that apply)

Answer:

  • A memory leak
  • The application relies on a slow network connection
  • Handling files that have grown too large
    Explanation:
    A memory leak consumes increasing amounts of RAM, potentially leaving insufficient resources for other processes. A slow network connection or handling large files can cause processing delays that impact system performance. Hardware faults typically affect the entire system rather than a single application.

Practice Quiz: Slow Code

Q1. Which of the following is NOT considered an expensive operation?

  • Parsing a file
  • Downloading data over the network
  • Going through a list
  • Using a dictionary

Q2. Which of the following may be the most expensive to carry out in most automation tasks in a script?

  • Loops
  • Lists
  • Vector
  • Hash

Q3. Which of the following statements represents the most sound advice when writing scripts?

  • Aim for every speed advantage you can get in your code
  • Use expensive operations often
  • Start by writing clear code, then speed it up only if necessary
  • Use loops as often as possible

Q4. In Python, what is a data structure that stores multiple pieces of data, in order, which can be changed later?

  • A hash
  • Dictionaries
  • Lists
  • Tuples

Q5. What command, keyword, module, or tool can be used to measure the amount of time it takes for an operation or program to execute? (Check all that apply)

  • time
  • kcachegrind
  • cProfile
  • break

Practice Quiz: Understanding Slowness

Q1. Which of the following will an application spend the longest time retrieving data from?

  • CPU L2 cache
  • RAM
  • Disk
  • The network

Q2. Which tool can you use to verify reports of ‘slowness’ for web pages served by a web server you manage?

  • The top tool
  • The ab tool
  • The nice tool
  • The pidof tool

Q3. If our computer running Microsoft Windows is running slow, what performance monitoring tools can we use to analyze our system resource usage to identify the bottleneck? (Check all that apply)

  • Performance Monitor
  • Resource Monitor
  • Activity Monitor
  • top

Q4. Which of the following programs is likely to run faster and more efficiently, with the least slowdown?

  • A program with a cache stored on a hard drive
  • A program small enough to fit in RAM
  • A program that reads files from an optical disc
  • A program that retrieves most of its data from the Internet

Q5. What might cause a single application to slow down an entire system? (Check all that apply)

  • A memory leak
  • The application relies on a slow network connection
  • Handling files that have grown too large
  • Hardware faults

Practice Quiz: When Slowness Problems Get Complex

Q1. Which of the following can cache database queries in memory for faster processing of automated tasks?

  • Threading
  • Varnish
  • Memcached
  • SQLite

Q2. What module specifies parts of a code to run in separate asynchronous events?

  • Threading
  • Futures
  • Asyncio
  • Concurrent

Q3. Which of the following allows our program to run multiple instructions in parallel?

  • Threading
  • Swap space
  • Memory addressing
  • Dual SSD

Q4. What is the name of the field of study in computer science that concerns itself with writing programs and operations that run in parallel efficiently?

  • Memory management
  • Concurrency
  • Threading
  • Performance analysis

Q5. What would we call a program that often leaves our CPU with little to do as it waits on data from a local disk and the Internet?

  • Memory-bound
  • CPU-bound
  • User-bound
  • I/O bound

Module 02: Challenge: Performance Tuning in Python Scripts Quiz Answers

Q1. What is the primary reason the backup script is taking over 20 hours to complete its operation?

Answer: The script is I/O-bound.

Explanation: An I/O-bound script is limited by the speed at which data is read from or written to storage devices. This can lead to long execution times if the operations involve a large amount of data or slow storage devices.


Q2. Which of the following best describes rsync (remote sync)?

Answer: rsync is a utility for efficiently transferring and synchronizing files between a computer and an external hard drive and across networked computers by comparing the modification time and size of files.

Explanation: rsync optimizes file transfers by only transferring changed portions of files, making it ideal for backups and synchronization tasks.


Q3. In the Qwiklab, what did you use the psutil.disk_io_counters() function to do?

Answer: To retrieve disk I/O statistics

Explanation: The psutil.disk_io_counters() function provides detailed statistics about disk read and write operations, which is useful for monitoring and troubleshooting disk-related performance issues.


Q4. True or false: In this example, the efficiency of the script was improved by compressing the files before transferring.

Answer: True

Explanation: Compressing files reduces their size, which decreases the amount of data transferred, thus improving the efficiency of the backup process, especially for large datasets.


Q5. Which of the following performance metrics did you explore to identify system limitations? Select all that apply.

Answer:

  • Monitoring network bandwidth
  • Checking CPU usage
    Explanation:
    Monitoring network bandwidth and CPU usage are common metrics for diagnosing system bottlenecks. GPU performance and power consumption are less relevant for I/O or backup tasks.

Q6. True or false: To check how much your program utilizes CPU using psutil.cpu_percent(), you first need to install pip3, a Python package installer.

Answer: True

Explanation: psutil is not a built-in library and must be installed using a Python package installer like pip3 before its functions can be used in a program.


Q7. In the multisync.py script, what is the role of the map method of the Pool object?

Answer: To distribute the tasks evenly across available CPUs

Explanation: The map method of the Pool object in Python’s multiprocessing module distributes tasks across multiple CPUs, enabling parallel processing to improve performance for CPU-bound tasks.


Q8. Which of the following options for the rsync command provides a verbose output?

Answer: -v

Explanation: The -v flag in rsync enables verbose output, showing details about the files being transferred and providing insights into the operation’s progress.


Q9. If you want to synchronize files from the directory /home/user/docs to /backup/docs with verbose output, which of the following rsync commands would you use?

Answer: rsync -v /home/user/docs /backup/docs

Explanation: The command specifies the source (/home/user/docs), the destination (/backup/docs), and the -v flag for verbose output.


Q10. The multiprocessing module in Python is used to prevent bottlenecks in which of the following?

Answer: CPU-bound tasks

Explanation: The multiprocessing module is designed to parallelize tasks across multiple CPU cores, which is particularly effective for CPU-bound tasks that require heavy computation.

Module 03: Practice Quiz: Why Programs Crash Quiz Answers

Q1. When using Event Viewer on a Windows system, what is the best way to quickly access specific types of logs?

Answer: Create a custom view

Explanation: Creating a custom view allows you to filter and access specific logs in Event Viewer quickly, based on criteria such as event type, source, or time range.


Q2. An employee runs an application on a shared office computer, and it crashes. This does not happen to other users on the same computer. After reviewing the application logs, you find that the employee didn’t have access to the application. What log error helped you reach this conclusion?

Answer: “Permission denied”

Explanation: The error message “Permission denied” indicates that the user does not have the necessary permissions to access or execute the application.


Q3. What tool can we use to check the health of our RAM?

Answer: memtest86

Explanation: memtest86 is a widely used diagnostic tool that tests the health and functionality of a system’s RAM by running a series of memory tests.


Q4. You’ve just finished helping a user work around an issue in an application. What important but easy-to-forget step should we remember to do next?

Answer: Report the bug to the developers

Explanation: Reporting the bug ensures that developers are aware of the issue, allowing them to fix it in future updates and improve the application’s overall functionality.


Q5. A user is experiencing strange behavior from their computer. It is running slow and lagging, and having momentary freeze-ups that it does not usually have. The problem seems to be system-wide and not restricted to a particular application. What is the first thing to ask the user as to whether they have tried it?

Answer: Identified the bottleneck with a resource monitor

Explanation: Using a resource monitor helps identify whether the issue is due to high CPU, memory, disk usage, or another system bottleneck, allowing for targeted troubleshooting.

Practice Quiz: Code that Crashes

Q1. Which of the following will let code run until a certain line of code is executed?

  • Breakpoints
  • Watchpoints
  • Backtrace
  • Pointers

Q2. Which of the following is NOT likely to cause a segmentation fault?

  • Wild pointers
  • Reading past the end of an array
  • Stack overflow
  • RAM replacement

Q3. A common error worth keeping in mind happens often when iterating through arrays or other collections, and is often fixed by changing the less than or equal sign in our for loop to be a strictly less than sign. What is this common error known as?

  • Segmentation fault
  • backtrace
  • The No such file or directory error
  • Off-by-one error

Q4. A very common method of debugging is to add print statements to our code that display information, such as contents of variables, custom error statements, or return values of functions. What is this type of debugging called?

  • Backtracking
  • Log review
  • Printf debugging
  • Assertion debugging

Q5. When a process crashes, the operating system may generate a file containing information about the state of the process in memory to help the developer debug the program later. What are these files called?

  • Log files
  • Core files
  • Metadata file
  • Cache file

Practice Quiz: Handling Bigger Incidents

Q1. Which of the following would be effective in resolving a large issue if it happens again in the future?

  • Incident controller
  • Postmortem
  • Rollbacks
  • Load balancers

Q2. During peak hours, users have reported issues connecting to a website. The website is hosted by two load balancing servers in the cloud and are connected to an external SQL database. Logs on both servers show an increase in CPU and RAM usage. What may be the most effective way to resolve this issue with a complex set of servers?

  • Use threading in the program
  • Cache data in memory
  • Automate deployment of additional servers
  • Optimize the database

Q3. It has become increasingly common to use cloud services and virtualization. Which kind of fix, in particular, does virtual cloud deployment speed up and simplify?

  • Deployment of new servers
  • Application code fixes
  • Log reviewing
  • Postmortems

Q4. What should we include in our postmortem? (Check all that apply)

  • Root cause of the issue
  • How we diagnosed the problem
  • How we fixed the problem
  • Who caused the problem

Q5. In general, what is the goal of a postmortem? (Check all that apply)

  • To identify who is at fault
  • To allow prevention in the future
  • To allow speedy remediation of similar issues in the future
  • To analyze all system bugs

Module 03: Fixing errors in Python scripts Graded Quiz Answers

Q1. How can you use pip3 to address the ImportError issue in your Python script, particularly when a module like matplotlib is missing?

Answer: Install the missing module using pip3.

Explanation: The ImportError occurs when a required module is missing. Using pip3 install matplotlib installs the module and resolves the issue.


Q2. In the given scenario where a Python script located in the /usr/bin directory produces an ImportError due to a missing module (i.e., matplotlib), which of the following actions should you take to address the issue?

Answer: Install the missing module using pip3.

Explanation: The missing module can be installed using pip3 to ensure the script can access it, resolving the ImportError.


Q3. How is the matplotlib Python library beneficial to programmers?

Answer: It offers a wide range of data visualization tools and features.

Explanation: Matplotlib provides capabilities to create various types of visualizations, such as line plots, bar charts, and scatter plots, which aid in data analysis.


Q4. How did you resolve the MissingColumnError?

Answer: You added the missing column name to the data.csv file.

Explanation: A MissingColumnError typically indicates that a required column is not present in the data. Adding the missing column resolves the error.


Q5. In the lab, you ran the infrastructure script and received a NoFileError message about the file named data.csv. What caused this error?

Answer: The infrastructure program called a file that can’t be found.

Explanation: A NoFileError suggests that the specified file is missing. Ensuring the file is available in the correct location resolves the issue.


Q6. In anticipation of encountering future errors or unexpected behavior in your Python scripts, which proactive debugging techniques and best practices would you incorporate into your development process?

Answer:

  • Establishing a systematic approach to isolate and fix errors as they arise.
  • Regularly reviewing error messages and stack traces from previous runs.
  • Implementing comprehensive unit testing to catch errors early.
  • Using version control systems to track code changes and facilitate error identification.
    Explanation:
    These best practices enable developers to anticipate, identify, and fix errors efficiently, reducing downtime and improving code reliability.

Q7. What indication did you get in the lab when you successfully completed debugging the infrastructure script?

Answer: The infrastructure script displays a message stating the program ran successfully.

Explanation: A success message provides confirmation that the script executed without errors after debugging.


Q8. What is the third step in the process of debugging, following the identification of a bug’s cause?

Answer: Writing new code to fix the bug.

Explanation: Once the bug’s cause is identified, the next logical step is to write and implement code to address and resolve the issue.


Q9. In the context of code debugging and error resolution, what is the significance of conducting comprehensive testing after fixing the code, and how does it contribute to the overall quality of the script and project success?

Answer: Comprehensive testing verifies that the code functions as expected after fixes, enhancing script reliability and project success.

Explanation: Testing ensures that recent changes do not introduce new errors and that the code meets functional requirements, contributing to project success.


Q10. Why is it essential for developers to isolate specific issues or errors in software when troubleshooting?

Answer:

  • Effective isolation enables targeted problem-solving and prevents broader system disruptions.
    Explanation:
    Isolating issues helps developers focus on solving specific problems efficiently without affecting unrelated parts of the system.

Module 04: Practice Quiz: Making Our Future Lives Easier

Q1. Which proactive practice can you implement to make troubleshooting issues in a program easier when they happen again, or face other similar issues?

  • Create and update documentation
  • Use a test environment.
  • Automate rollbacks.
  • Set up Unit tests.

Q2. Which of the following is a good example of mixing and matching resources on a single server so that the running services make the best possible use of all resources?

  • Run two applications that are CPU intensive between two servers.
  • Run a CPU intensive application on one server, and an I/O intensive application on another server.
  • Run a RAM intensive application and a CPU intensive application on a server.
  • Run two applications that are RAM and I/O intensive on a server.

Q3. One strategy for debugging involves explaining the problem to yourself out loud. What is this technique known as?

  • Monitoring
  • Rubber Ducking
  • Testing
  • Ticketing

Q4. When deploying software, what is a canary?

  • A test for how components of a program interact with each other
  • A test of a program’s components
  • A test deployment to a subset of production hosts
  • A small section of code

Q5. It is advisable to collect monitoring information into a central location. Given the importance of the server handling the centralized collecting, when assessing risks from outages, this server could be described as what?

  • A failure domain
  • A problem domain
  • CPU intensive
  • I/O intensive

Module 04: Practice Quiz: Managing Computer Resources

Q1. How can you profile an entire Python application?

  • Use an @profile label
  • Use the guppy module
  • Use Memory Profiler
  • Use a decorator

Q2. Your application is having difficulty sending and receiving large packets of data, which are also delaying other processes when connected to remote computers. Which of the following will be most effective on improving network traffic for the application?

  • Running the iftop program
  • Increase storage capacity
  • Increase memory capacity
  • Use traffic shaping

Q3. What is the term referring to the amount of time it takes for a request to reach its destination, usually measured in milliseconds (ms)?

  • Bandwidth
  • Latency
  • Number of connections
  • Traffic shaping

Q4. If your computer is slowing down, what Linux program might we use to determine if we have a memory leak and what process might be causing it?

  • top
  • gparted
  • iftop
  • cron

Q5. Some programs open a temporary file, and immediately _ the file before the process finishes, then the file continues to grow, which can cause slowdown.

  • open
  • close
  • delete
  • write to

Module 04: Practice Quiz: Managing Our Tim

Q1. Using the Eisenhower Decision Matrix, which of the following is an example of an event or task that is both Important, and Urgent?

  • Office gossip
  • Replying to emails
  • Internet connection is down
  • Follow-up to a recently resolved issue

Q2. You’re working on a web server issue that’s preventing all users from accessing the site. You then receive a call from user to reset their user account password. Which appropriate action should you take when prioritizing your tasks?

  • Reset the user’s password
  • Create a script to automate password resets
  • Ask the user to open a support ticket.
  • Ignore the user, and troubleshoot web server.

Q3. What is it called when we make more work for ourselves later by taking shortcuts now?

  • Technical debt
  • Ticket tracking
  • Eisenhower Decision Matrix
  • Automation

Q4. What is the first step of prioritizing our time properly?

  • Work on urgent tasks first
  • Assess the importance of each issue
  • Make a list of all tasks
  • Estimate the time each task will take

Q5. If an issue isn’t solved within the time estimate that you provided, what should you do? (Select all that apply)

  • Explain why
  • Drop everything and perform that task immediately
  • Give an updated time estimate
  • Put the task at the end of the list

Module 04 challenge: Debug and Solve Software Problems Quiz Answers

Q1. In the start_date_report.py script, what corrections are needed to fix the TypeError encountered during execution?

Answer:

  • Cast year input to integer
  • Cast month input to integer
  • Cast day input to integer
    Explanation:
    The TypeError likely occurs because the year, month, or day values are being processed as strings instead of integers. Casting these inputs to integers resolves the issue.

Q2. What was the specific cause of the TypeError in the start_date_report.py script?

Answer: Incorrect data type for date components (year, month, day)

Explanation: The TypeError arises when operations requiring integer inputs (e.g., creating a date object) are provided with string inputs instead.


Q3. What steps did you take to reproduce the TypeError message in the start_date_report.py script?

Answer:

  • Observe the script's behavior when provided with out-of-range or non-numeric input scenarios.
  • Run the script and enter varying year, month, and day values to trigger the error.
  • Use a debugging tool to trace the script's execution and monitor variable states at error occurrence.

Explanation: These steps help to simulate and analyze the error conditions, allowing for a better understanding of the cause and the debugging process.


Q4. In the context of the lab, which of the following is a key indicator that a script has been successfully optimized?

Answer: Reduced execution time to a few seconds for report generation

Explanation: A key measure of optimization success is improved performance, such as a significant reduction in execution time.


Q5. Complete this sentence. To fix the error found in the lab, you need to cast the data type of the year, month, and day values to _____.

Answer: integers

Explanation: Date components like year, month, and day must be integers for proper processing in functions like date creation.


Q6. In the context of optimizing the start_date_report.py script, what is the primary role of the get_same_or_newer() function?

Answer: The function filters and processes employee data based on start dates.

Explanation: The function extracts employee records with start dates matching or exceeding a specified date, improving the script’s functionality.


Q7. Why does the lab suggest creating a dictionary with start dates as keys in the preprocessing step of the start_date_report.py script?

Answer: To improve performance by allowing quick access to employee records based on specific start dates, reducing the need to scan the entire file repeatedly

Explanation: Using a dictionary for preprocessing enables efficient lookups, significantly enhancing performance for repeated queries.


Q8. Based on your experience in the lab, which approach is most beneficial for identifying and resolving bugs in a complex script?

Answer: Sequentially address each bug, starting with the most critical or easiest to fix.

Explanation: Addressing bugs systematically ensures that critical issues are resolved early, reducing their impact on subsequent debugging efforts.


Q9. In start_date_report.py, what is the primary benefit of sorting the data by start_date before processing it?

Answer: It enhances performance by allowing quicker access to relevant records for each date.

Explanation: Sorting ensures efficient processing, as accessing relevant records becomes faster when data is already ordered by date.


Q10. What is the primary outcome of preprocessing the file in the start_date_report.py script using the get_same_or_newer() function?

Answer: The function enhances script efficiency by optimizing system resource usage, though the output remains the same.

Explanation: Preprocessing optimizes data handling, reducing runtime and improving overall script performance without altering the output.

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All Quiz Answers of Google IT Automation with Python Professional Certificate

Course 1: Crash Course on Python Coursera Quiz Answers

Course 2: Using Python to interact with the Operating System

Course 3: Introduction to Git and GitHub

Course 4: Troubleshooting and Debugging Techniques

Course 5: Configuration Management and the Cloud

Course 6: Automating Real-World Tasks with Python

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