F452 Key Terms

Front 1

Statement

Back 1

A single line of executable code.

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Subroutine

Back 2

A selection of code within a larger body of code. It’s usually called from within the main body of code.

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Procedure

Back 3

A subroutine that returns either no values or many.

Front 4

Function

Back 4

A subroutine that returns a single value.

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Recursive function

Back 5

A function that calls itself.

Front 6

Parameter

Back 6

A variable that holds either a value or an address and is passed on to a subroutine where it’s given an identifier.

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Sequence

Back 7

The execution of instructions one after the other.

Front 8

Selection

Back 8

The execution of an instruction or a set of instructions depending upon some condition.

Front 9

Loop/iteration

Back 9

The repeated execution of an instruction or a set of instructions until some condition is true.

Front 10

Integer

Back 10

A whole number than can either be positive, negative or zero, stored using 1, 2 or 4 bits.

Front 11

Float

Back 11

Represented in either 4 or 8 bytes and is structured in a way so it allows decimals.

Front 12

Boolean

Back 12

Returns either true or false.

Front 13

Char

Back 13

One byte long and holds the ASCII value of a character.

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String

Back 14

A one dimensional array that requires as many bytes of space as there are characters in the string.

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Array

Back 15

A set of data of the same type grouped together using the same identifier.

Front 16

Select Case

Back 16

The value of a variable is used to decide which of a number of statement blocks is executed. There can be a default option.

Front 17

Concatenate

Back 17

Add (strings) together.

Front 18

Global variable

Back 18

Exists in a scope of the entire code. Any function in the program can use/modify this function.

Front 19

Local Variable

Back 19

Only exists in the scope of a subroutine

Front 20

Variable

Back 20

The identifier or name associated with a particular memory location which is used to store data.

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Identifier

Back 21

A sequence of characters used to identify or refer to a program or an element, such as a variable or a set of data, within it.

Front 22

Alpha testing

Back 22

Carried out by the programmer who is playing the role of the user, done during early development to find bugs within the program.

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Beta testing

Back 23

When the program is almost ready, and is tested by a small group from outside the development team.

Front 24

Acceptance testing

Back 24

A test conducted to determine if requirements of a specification are met.

Front 25

Validation

Back 25

Checking that data is reasonable, complete and complies with rules, for example: presence check, length check, format check, range check and existence check.

Front 26

Verification

Back 26

Checking data is consistent. Usually done by checking that the data is accurate and by entering a data item twice, for example when entering an email address.

Front 27

Overheads

Back 27

Any combination of excess or indirect computation time, memory, bandwidth, or other resources that are required to attain a particular goal.

Front 28

Run-time error

Back 28

Errors detected when the program runs and often causes the program to halt or crash. These are typically arithmetic errors where a number overflows or an attempt is made to divide by zero.

Front 29

Syntax error

Back 29

Occur when the program doesn’t follow the rules of a programming language. Incorrectly nested control structures and incorrectly spelt reserve words are examples of this type of error. They’re usually picked up by the compiler.

Front 30

Logic error

Back 30

Occur when the design of an algorithm is flawed, such as an inappropriate comparison statement. For example, if the programmer wrote ‘if (A>B)’ when ‘if (A>=B)’ should have been written.

Front 31

Recursion

Back 31

A function that calls itself until a condition is met.

Front 32

Prototype

Back 32

A preliminary working model of a system to show its essential features. Feedback from the customer will result in new, improved prototypes and, eventually, as more and more complex prototypes made, a final solution.

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Indexed sequential file

Back 33

A file in which records are stored according to some key field and where one or more indices have been added to make searching more efficient.

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Character set

Back 34

A defined list of characters recognised by the computer hardware and software. Each character is represented by a number.

Front 35

Serial file

Back 35

A file in which records are stored in the order they were entered.

Front 36

Sequential files

Back 36

Files in which records are stored according to some key field.

Front 37

Random files

Back 37

Files in which records have been placed in the file according to a mathematical hash algorithm.

Front 38

A constant

Back 38

A data item with a fixed value.

Front 39

Reserved word/keyword

Back 39

Any word in the vocabulary of a programming language which can only have the meaning which is defined in the language.