Python Basic Viva Related Q&A for Senior Backend Developer

1. Python Fundamentals

• What are Python’s key features, and why is it popular?

• Explain the difference between deepcopy and shallowcopy.

• How does Python handle memory management?

• What is the difference between a list, tuple, and set?

• Explain mutable vs immutable objects with examples.

2. Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)

• What are the four pillars of OOP in Python?

• How does method overriding work? Provide an example.

• Explain the use of super() in Python.

• What is the difference between a classmethod and a staticmethod?

• How do you implement encapsulation in Python?

3. Python Libraries and Modules

• How do you create and import a Python module?

• What is the purpose of the os and sys modules?

• How do you handle package dependencies in Python?

• Name a few popular Python libraries you’ve used and their purposes.

4. Python Data Structures

• How is a dictionary different from a list?

• How would you implement a queue and a stack in Python?

• Explain the concept of a generator and how it is used.

• What is a comprehension in Python? Provide examples for list, set, and dictionary
comprehensions.

5. Exception Handling

• What is the difference between try...except and finally?

 • How can you create a custom exception in Python?

• Explain the use of the raise keyword.

6. File Handling

• How do you read and write files in Python?

• What is the difference between binary and text files?

• Explain the use of the with statement in file handling.

7. Advanced Python Concepts

• Explain Python’s Global Interpreter Lock (GIL).

• What are decorators, and how are they used?

• What is the purpose of the @property decorator?

• Explain the difference between multithreading and multiprocessing in Python.

• What is a context manager? Provide an example.

8. Python Frameworks

• How does Django differ from Flask?

• Explain the purpose of middleware in Django.

• What is WSGI, and why is it important?

9. APIs and Web Development

• How do you create RESTful APIs in Python?

• Explain how you handle authentication and authorization in APIs.

• What are HTTP status codes, and when are they used?

10. Database and ORM

• How do you connect to a database in Python?

• What is an ORM, and why is it used?

• Explain the difference between SQL and NoSQL databases.

11. Testing and Debugging

 • What tools have you used for testing in Python?

• How do you debug Python applications?

• Explain the purpose of unittest and pytest.

12. Deployment and DevOps

• What is Docker, and how do you use it for Python applications?

• How do you manage dependencies in a Python project?

• Explain how you deploy a Python application to a production server.

13. Coding Challenges

• Reverse a string without using built-in functions.

• Write a function to check if a string is a palindrome.

• How would you sort a dictionary by its values?

• Write code to implement a singleton class in Python.

Tips for Preparation:

• Brush up on core Python concepts and commonly used libraries.

• Be prepared to explain your past projects and the role you played.

• Practice solving Python coding problems on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank.

• Familiarize yourself with the tech stack used by the company.

1. Python Fundamentals

Q: What are Python’s key features, and why is it popular?

• A: Python is popular because it’s easy to learn, has a simple syntax, and supports multiple
programming pattern (OOP, functional, procedural). dynamically typed, platform-
independent, and having extensive libraries.

Q: Explain the difference between deepcopy and shallowcopy.

• A: A shallow copy copies the object but not the nested objects (references are shared). A
deep copy copies the object along with all its nested objects. Example: copy.copy() for
shallow, copy.deepcopy() for deep.

Q: How does Python handle memory management?

• A: Python uses automatic memory management through reference counting and a garbage
collector to reclaim unused memory.
Q: What is the difference between a list, tuple, and set?

• A: A list is mutable and ordered. A tuple is immutable and ordered. A set is unordered,
mutable, and stores unique elements.

Q: Explain mutable vs immutable objects with examples.

• A: Mutable objects (like lists) can be changed after creation:

Example: lst = [1, 2]; lst[0] = 3.
Immutable objects (like tuples) cannot:
Example: tup = (1, 2); tup[0] = 3 (will throw an error).

Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)

Q: What is oops?

Oops that uses classes and objects to create reusable code that models real-world concepts

Q: What are the four pillars of OOP in Python?

Abstraction: Hiding implementation details, showing only essential features.

Encapsulation: Restricting direct access to data by bundling it with methods.

Inheritance: Reusing and extending functionality of parent classes in child classes.

Polymorphism: Allowing objects to behave differently based on their class.

Q: How does method overriding work? Provide an example.

• A: A child class redefines a method from the parent class.

class Parent:

def greet(self):

print("Hello from Parent")

class Child(Parent):

def greet(self):

print("Hello from Child")

obj = Child()

obj.greet() # Output: Hello from Child

Q: Explain the use of super() in Python.

• A: super() calls a method from the parent class in a child class.

Example: super().__init__() initializes the parent class constructor.

Q: What is the difference between a classmethod and a staticmethod?

 • A: A classmethod uses @classmethod and can access the class via cls. A staticmethod uses
@staticmethod and does not access the class or instance.

Q: How do you implement encapsulation in Python?

• A: Use private variables (_var or __var) and define getter and setter methods.

3. Python Libraries and Modules

Q: How do you create and import a Python module?

• A: Save a Python file as module_name.py and use import module_name to import it.

Q: What is the purpose of the os and sys modules?

• A: os handles file and directory operations. sys deals with system-specific parameters and
functions.

Q: How do you handle package dependencies in Python?

• A: Use a requirements.txt file and manage dependencies with tools like pip or virtualenv.

Q: Name a few popular Python libraries you’ve used and their purposes.

• A: NumPy (numerical computations), Pandas (data analysis), Django (web development), and
Requests (HTTP requests).

4. Python Data Structures

Q: How is a dictionary different from a list?

• A: A dictionary is key-value based and unordered, while a list is index-based and ordered.

Q: How would you implement a queue and a stack in Python?

• A:

o Queue: Use collections.deque.

o Stack: Use a list with append() and pop().

Q: Explain the concept of a generator and how it is used.

• A: Generators use yield to produce values lazily, saving memory.

Example:

def gen():

yield 1

yield 2

**
1. Python Fundamentals

Q: What are Python’s key features, and why is it popular?

• A: Python is easy to learn, interpreted, dynamically typed, and has vast libraries. It’s popular
due to simplicity and versatility.

Q: Explain the difference between deepcopy and shallowcopy.

• A: Shallow copy copies references; deepcopy copies the entire object, including nested
ones.

Q: How does Python handle memory management?

• A: Python uses reference counting and garbage collection for memory management.

Q: What is the difference between a list, tuple, and set?

• A: List is ordered and mutable, tuple is ordered and immutable, set is unordered and stores
unique elements.

Q: Explain mutable vs immutable objects with examples.

• A: Mutable (list) can be changed, immutable (tuple) cannot be changed after creation.

2. Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)

Q: What are the four pillars of OOP in Python?

• A: Encapsulation, Inheritance, Polymorphism, Abstraction.

Q: How does method overriding work? Provide an example.

• A: Child class redefines parent class method.

Example:

class Child(Parent):

def greet(self):

print("Hello from Child")

Q: Explain the use of super() in Python.

• A: super() calls the parent class’s method from a child class.

Q: What is the difference between a classmethod and a staticmethod?

• A: classmethod takes cls, staticmethod doesn’t take self or cls.

Q: How do you implement encapsulation in Python?

• A: Use private variables and getter/setter methods.

3. Python Libraries and Modules

Q: How do you create and import a Python module?

• A: Create a .py file and use import module_name.

Q: What is the purpose of the os and sys modules?

• A: os handles file operations, sys handles system-specific functions.

Q: How do you handle package dependencies in Python?

• A: Use requirements.txt and pip.

Q: Name a few popular Python libraries you’ve used and their purposes.

• A: NumPy (math), Pandas (data), Django (web), Requests (HTTP).

4. Python Data Structures

Q: How is a dictionary different from a list?

• A: Dictionary is key-value, unordered. List is indexed, ordered.

Q: How would you implement a queue and a stack in Python?

• A: Use collections.deque for Queue, list with append()/pop() for Stack.

Q: Explain the concept of a generator and how it is used.

• A: Generators use yield to lazily return values, saving memory.

Q: What is a comprehension in Python? Provide examples.

• A: A concise way to create lists/sets/dictionaries.

Example:

[x for x in range(5)] # List comprehension

5. Exception Handling

Q: What is the difference between try...except and finally?

• A: try...except handles exceptions, finally executes code regardless of exceptions.

Q: How can you create a custom exception in Python?

• A: Define a new class inheriting from Exception.

Q: Explain the use of the raise keyword.

• A: raise is used to trigger an exception manually.

6. File Handling

Q: How do you read and write files in Python?

 • A: Use open() with modes 'r' for reading and 'w' for writing.

Q: What is the difference between binary and text files?

• A: Binary files store raw data, text files store human-readable text.

Q: Explain the use of the with statement in file handling.

• A: with ensures proper closing of files after use.

7. Advanced Python Concepts

Q: Explain Python’s Global Interpreter Lock (GIL).

• A: GIL restricts execution to one thread at a time in CPython, limiting multi-core

performance.

Q: What are decorators, and how are they used?

• A: Decorators modify or extend functions.

Example:

@decorator

def func():

pass

Q: What is the purpose of the @property decorator?

• A: It allows getter and setter methods to be used as attributes.

Q: Explain the difference between multithreading and multiprocessing in Python.

• A: Multithreading shares memory space, multiprocessing uses separate memory for each
process.

Q: What is a context manager? Provide an example.

• A: A context manager handles setup and teardown (e.g., file handling).

Example:

with open('file.txt', 'r') as f:

data = f.read()

8. Python Frameworks

Q: How does Django differ from Flask?

• A: Django is full-stack, includes many built-in features. Flask is minimal and more flexible.

Q: Explain the purpose of middleware in Django.

• A: Middleware processes requests globally before reaching views.

Q: What is WSGI, and why is it important?

• A: WSGI is a specification for web servers and Python web apps to communicate.

9. APIs and Web Development

Q: How do you create RESTful APIs in Python?

• A: Use frameworks like Flask or Django REST Framework to build APIs.

Q: Explain how you handle authentication and authorization in APIs.

• A: Use JWT, OAuth, or session-based tokens for authentication and authorization.

Q: What are HTTP status codes, and when are they used?

• A: HTTP status codes indicate the outcome of a request, e.g., 200 OK, 404 Not Found.

10. Database and ORM

Q: How do you connect to a database in Python?

• A: Use libraries like sqlite3, SQLAlchemy, or psycopg2.

Q: What is an ORM, and why is it used?

• A: ORM (Object-Relational Mapper) allows interaction with databases using Python objects.

Q: Explain the difference between SQL and NoSQL databases.

• A: SQL is relational, NoSQL is non-relational, flexible, and schema-less.

11. Testing and Debugging

Q: What tools have you used for testing in Python?

• A: unittest, pytest.

Q: How do you debug Python applications?

• A: Use pdb, print statements, or IDE debuggers.

Q: Explain the purpose of unittest and pytest.

• A: Both are testing frameworks. unittest is built-in, pytest offers advanced features and
flexibility.

12. Deployment and DevOps

Q: What is Docker, and how do you use it for Python applications?

• A: Docker creates containerized environments for running Python apps consistently across
platforms.
Q: How do you manage dependencies in a Python project?

• A: Use virtualenv and pip, with dependencies listed in requirements.txt.

Q: Explain how you deploy a Python application to a production server.

• A: Use tools like Docker, CI/CD pipelines, or platforms like AWS or Heroku.

13. Coding Challenges

Q: Reverse a string without using built-in functions.

• A:

python

Copy code

def reverse_string(s):

return s[::-1]

Q: Write a function to check if a string is a palindrome.

• A:

python

Copy code

def is_palindrome(s):

return s == s[::-1]

Q: How would you sort a dictionary by its values?

• A:

python

Copy code

sorted_dict = sorted(my_dict.items(), key=lambda x: x[1])

Q: Write code to implement a singleton class in Python.

• A:

python

Copy code

class Singleton:

_instance = None

def __new__(cls):

if not cls._instance:
 cls._instance = super().__new__(cls)

return cls._instance