Computer Programming I - Algorithms and Flowcharting

Flashcards covering the fundamentals of algorithms, flowcharting, programming concepts, Java identifiers, variables, and operators based on Week 02 lecture notes.

ALGORITHM

A procedure for solving a problem in terms of the actions to be executed and the order in which these actions are to be executed.

Program control

Specifying the order in which statements are to be executed in a computer program.

Pseudocode

An artificial and informal language similar to everyday English that helps programmers develop algorithms; it is not an actual programming language and is not executed in computers.

Flowchart

A graphical representation of an algorithm or of a portion of an algorithm, often referred to as the blueprint of the program.

TERMINAL

A basic flowchart symbol used to signify the beginning and end of a flowchart.

INITIALIZATION

A flowchart symbol that indicates the preparation of data and is used to select initial conditions.

INPUT/OUTPUT

A flowchart symbol that shows the input and output functions of the program.

PROCESS

A flowchart symbol that signifies any calculations that are to be performed.

DECISION

A flowchart symbol representing two alternative execution paths selected by testing whether or not a specified condition is fulfilled.

ON PAGE CONNECTOR

A symbol showing the entry or exit point within the same page of a flowchart.

OFF PAGE CONNECTOR

A symbol used to designate entry to or exit from one page when a flowchart requires more than one page.

FLOW LINES

Symbols that signify the process that is to be executed next.

Programming

The act or process of planning or writing a program.

Computer program

A sequence of instructions written to perform a specified task for a computer; also known as a software program or just a program.

Programming language

An artificial language designed to express computations that can be performed by a machine, particularly a computer.

Identifiers

Names supplied for variables, types, functions, and labels composed of sequence of letters, digits, and the special character _ (underscore).

Keywords

Identifiers that cannot be used as names in a program because they already have a reserved meaning in Java, such as $abstract$, $boolean$, or $static$.

Variables

Identifiers that represent a location in memory where a changeable value can be stored for use by a program.

Data type

A data storage format that can contain a specific type or range of values.

Rules for naming variables

Must consist only of letters, digits, and underscore; should not begin with a digit; keywords are not allowed; case sensitive ($Ans \neq ans$); no embedded blanks; and cannot use function names like $main$.

Variable Declaration Syntax

$\text{Data type variable terminator (;)}$ (e.g., $\text{int \_total;}$).

Operator

A symbol that tells the computer to perform specific mathematical or logical manipulations.

Arithmetic Operators

Operators used for calculations: $+$ (addition), $-$ (subtraction), $*$ (multiplication), $/$ (division), $\%$ (modulus), $--$ (decrement), and $++$ (increment).

Relational Operators

Operators that result in True/False: $>$ (greater than), $>=$ (greater than or equal), $<$ (less than), $<=$ (less than or equal), $==$ (equal), and $!=$ (not equal).

Logical Operators

Operators that result in True/False: $\&\&$ (AND), $||$ (OR), and $!$ (NOT).

OR ($||$)

A logical operator where the result is true if at least one of the conditions is true.

AND ($\&\&$)

A logical operator where the result is true only if both conditions are true.

Programming Strategy

The sequence involving Input (feeding data), Process (manipulation/calculation), and Output (processed data results).