[DiveIn] Deciphering Python: How to use Abstract Syntax Trees (AST) to understand code

Let’s get a little “meta” about programming.

How does the Python program (better know as the interpreter) “know” how to run your code? If you’re new to programming, it may seem like magic. In fact, it still seems like magic to me after being a professional for more than a decade.

The Python interpreter is not magic (sorry to disappoint you). It follows a predictable set of steps to translate your code into instructions that a machine can run.