Preliminary Software Engineering
Unit 1 - Programming Fundamentals
Unit 1 - Programming Fundamentals
  • 1 - Programming Fundamentals
    • Programming Fundamentals Content
  • 2 - Python
    • Expected Python Knowledge
    • GitHub
    • Learning Python
    • Data Structures and File Management
      • Data Structures
        • Lists
        • Arrays
          • Single and Multi-Dimensional Arrays
        • Lists vs Arrays
          • Activities
        • Tuples
        • Sets
        • Dictionaries
          • Activities
      • File Handling
        • Loops, Lists, Dictionaries
        • Activities
  • 3 - Theory Content
    • Theory Content Explained
      • NESA Directional Verbs
      • Responding to Directional Verbs
  • 4 - Software Development and Management
    • Approaches to Software Development
      • Waterfall Model
      • Agile Model
      • Summary: Waterfall vs Agile
      • Activities
    • Software Development Steps
      • Sample Exam Question
      • Requirements Definition
        • Understanding the Need
        • Key Questions to Ask
        • Examples
        • Activities
        • Sample Exam Question
      • Determining Specifications
        • Functional Specifications
        • Non-Functional Specifications
        • Activities
      • Design
        • Top-Down Design Approach
        • Bottom-Up Design Approach
      • Development
        • Optimising Code
      • Integration
        • Example: Payment Program
        • Activity
        • Application Programming Interface (API)
          • Example: OpenWeather API
          • Example: WeatherAPI
          • Activity: Prepare Spells
      • Testing and Debugging
        • Test Data
          • Activities
        • Testing the System
          • Activities
        • Debugging
          • Types of Errors
            • Activities
          • Python Debugger
            • Activities
          • VS Code Debugger
            • Activities
      • Installation
        • Activities
        • Sample Exam Question
      • Maintenance
  • Charts and Algorithms
    • Example: IPO Charts and Pseudocode
      • Activities
    • Algorithms, Flowcharts, Pseudocode
      • Pseudocode Activities
      • Flowchart Activities
      • Sample Exam Questions
    • Structure Charts
      • Activities
      • Sample Exam Questions
    • Data Flow Diagrams
      • Activities
    • Data Dictionaries
      • Activities
    • Decision Trees
      • Activities
      • Sample Exam Questions
    • Gantt Chart
    • Class Diagrams
      • Sample Exam Question
    • Storyboards
      • Sample Exam Question
  • Testing and Debugging
    • Test Data
      • Activities
    • Testing the System
      • Activities
    • Debugging
      • Types of Errors
        • Activities
      • Python Debugger
        • Activities
      • VS Code Debugger
        • Activities
  • Computational Thinking
    • Decomposition
    • Abstraction
    • Activities
  • Version Control
    • Git
    • GitHub
    • Activities
  • Number Systems
    • Binary Systems
    • Hexadecimal Numbers
    • Using Two's Complement
    • Activities
  • 5 - Assessment Task 1
    • Data Science Project
      • Before we Start
        • Setting up GitHub Repository
        • Setting Up Markdown Documentation
      • Examples of API Usage
        • Starter Code: NASA Scenario
        • Starter Code: Spell Book
        • Starter: Pokédex Explorer
        • Starter Code: Weather App
        • Example: OpenWeather API
        • Example: WeatherAPI
        • Example: Prepare Spells
    • Task Guide
      • Requirements Definition
      • Determining Specifications
        • Use Cases
      • Design
        • Gantt Chart
        • Structure Chart
        • Algorithms
        • Data Dictionary
      • Development
        • Comments vs DocStrings
        • UI - main.py
        • Create Python Module
          • Example: NASA Module
          • Example: WeatherFetch Module
          • Example: SpellBook Module
      • Integration
        • Example: Pokedex
      • Testing and Debugging
        • Commit Changes
      • Installation
      • Maintenance
    • Submitting Your Task
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  1. 5 - Assessment Task 1
  2. Task Guide
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  4. Create Python Module

Example: NASA Module

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Last updated 3 months ago

This is some starter code which you could use if you want to use the NASA API. You will need to sign up at to get your API Key.

API Key

Some APIs do not keep their API public and you will need to go on their website and sign up to receive a unique API key.

Make sure you replace "DEMO_KEY" with a real key from the NASA API in the API_KEY variable.

nasa.py
import requests

# Base URL for NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) API
API_URL = "https://api.nasa.gov/planetary/apod"
API_KEY = "YOUR_KEY"  # Replace with your NASA API key

def fetch_apod(date=None):
    """Fetch NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD)."""
    params = {"api_key": API_KEY}
    if date:
        params["date"] = date  # Format: YYYY-MM-DD
    
    response = requests.get(API_URL, params=params)
    
    if response.status_code == 200:
        data = response.json()
        return {
            "title": data.get("title", "Unknown"),
            "date": data.get("date", "Unknown"),
            "explanation": data.get("explanation", "No description available."),
            "image_url": data.get("url", "No image available")
        }
    else:
        print("Error fetching data from NASA API.")
        return None

def display_apod(apod_data):
    """Display APOD details."""
    if apod_data:
        print(f"Title: {apod_data['title']}")
        print(f"Date: {apod_data['date']}")
        print(f"Description: {apod_data['explanation'][:200]}...")
        print(f"Image URL: {apod_data['image_url']}")
    else:
        print("No data to display.")

Testing the Above

"""Functions to interact with the NASA APOD API."""
date = input("Enter a date (YYYY-MM-DD) or press Enter for today's APOD: ")
apod_data = fetch_apod(date if date else None)
display_apod(apod_data)

https://api.nasa.gov/