Computational thinking, problem-solving and programming

Define concurrent processing

Processes/tasks that are carried out at the same time

Identify components of a conditional statement

if;

then;

else;

Evaluate why a sub-program is considered a part of abstraction

A sub-program is a named section of code that performs a specific task without knowing the details hidden within the sub-program

Evaluate the use of designing and developing different parts of software products concurrently

different stages run simultaneously and this decreases product development time which leads to improved productivity however it requires more resources

Outline one way in which users can be informed of software updates

A message can be sent to the user with a link to the update

Notifications can be sent to the computer about automatic updates

It queries a URL, the program developer has built in to check whether the current version matches the latest version, if not then notifications are sent to the user

Outline what is meant by a sorting algorithm

A sorting algorithm is a method for reorganising a number of items into a specific order.

Sorting algorithms performs specific operations on the input list in order to deliver an ordered list as output

Outline one difference between a bubble sort algorithm and a selection sort algorithm

Bubble Sort:

• swaps adjacent items

• Is faster if already if the list is sorted

Selection Sort:

• finds the next smallest item

• will need to complete the procedure for the entire list every time

Explain why abstraction is required in the design of algorithms

Abstraction is the process of taking away or removing characteristics from something in order to reduce it to a set of essential characteristics.

In object-oriented programming, abstraction is one of three central principles.

Through the process of abstraction, a programmer hides all but the relevant data about an object in order to reduce complexity and increase efficiency.

The resulting object itself can be referred to as an abstraction, meaning a named entity made up of selected attributes and behavior specific to a particular usage of the originating entity.

Abstraction is related to both encapsulation and data hiding;

Compilers translate source code into object code. Identify two other operations performed by a compile

• pre-processing

• lexical analysis

• parsing

• syntax analysis

• linking

• optimisation

Identify two essential features of a computer language. 

• Fixed vocabulary

• Unambiguous meaning

• Consistent grammar

• Consistent syntax

• Provides ability of input and output handling

Provide one fundamental operation of a computer

• retrieve

• compare

• store

• add

Identify three characteristics of a collection.

Collection is a container of discrete values;
Usually of the same type
collection objects can be of different types
Collections have a set of methods that define operations performed on the elements/objects of that collection;
Such as adding/removing elements to/from collection, comparing elements of collection, searching, etc.;
Which reduces programming effort (because implementations of data structures and algorithms are provided);
Which increases performance of the program (because efficient implementations are provided);