2023-24 AP CSP Vocabulary Review

abstraction

a general representation of something -- of some person or place or event or process. An abstraction extracts common features from specific examples in order to generalize concepts. Words, symbols, maps, and models are all examples of everyday abstractions.

algorithm

a precise sequence of instructions for processes that solve a problem

Can be written used natural or programming language, and can be executable

AND gate

a circuit with two inputs and one output

output is TRUE (or ON) only when both of its inputs are TRUE (or ON).

base

the number of distinct digits used to represent numbers in that system. Our decimal system is base-10 because it uses 10 digits, 0 through 9.

binary number system

number system in which all numbers are represented in terms of the 2 binary digits, 0 and 1.

binary sequence

a sequence of 0s and 1s.

bit

a binary digit. and the smallest unit of data in a computer

blacklist

term for a list of email addresses or IP addresses for organizations that are known to be spammers.

boolean

a true/false condition. It is named after George Boole (1815-1864) an English mathematician.

browser

a program that displays web pages and is used to navigate the WWW.

byte

A group of eight binary digits or bits.

character

any symbol that requires one byte of storage.

chip

an integrated circuit (IC) consisting of millions of tiny circuits.

compilation

The process of translating the entire source code into a single binary file (entire thing done before execution, faster than interpretation).

computer

a machine that processes information under the control of a program.

Computing Innovation

includes a program as an integral part of its function.

Can be physical, non-physical computing software, or non-physical computing concepts. For example, self-driving cars, picture editing software, e-commerce, a mobile app

constant

fixed values that don't change during the execution of a program

such as the numeral '5', is an abstraction that represents a single thing, e.g., the value 5.

control structure

programming statements that control the behavior of an algorithm.

CPU

hardware that carries out the instructions of a program.

cyberspace

the non-physical terrain created by computer systems.

data

unprocessed, distinct information that is formatted in a special way.

has many forms, like text, images, videos, etc.

data abstraction

the practice of organizing data into a more general representation.

An example would be storing the text 'hello' in a single variable rather than having numerous occurrences of 'hello' in a program.

data center

a physical facility used by enterprises to house computer, server and networking systems and components for the company's IT (information technology) needs.

data network

a telecommunications (communication over long distances) network that allows computers to exchange data.

decimal number system

a base-10 system that we use every day, consisting of the symbols 0 through 9.

disk drive

a physical storage device that can read from and write to storage disks, enabling data storage

Event Handler

A block of code that reacts to an event like a button click.

Event-driven Programming

the program is activated by events such as button clicks.

flip flop

a circuit that can ONLY store 1 bit of data (either 1 or 0, ON or OFF). Makes up digital circuits that store data. It is the fundamental unit of storage.

flowchart

a visual (i.e. graphical) notation for expressing algorithms.

general purpose computer

can run many different programs (e.g. a smartphone).

hardware

electronic and mechanical components that carry out the instructions of software

hexadecimal number system

a base-16 system, consisting of the 16 symbols 0 through 9 and A through F.

high level language

a programming language that is human-readable (App Inventor) and provides the programmer with easy-to-understand abstractions.

MORE ABSTRACT THAN LOW LEVEL LANGUAGES

Horizontal Arrangement

A component used to display a group of components laid out from left to right.

HTTP

the protocol that controls the behavior of the WWW.
allows for the transfer of data, which allows for communication on the WWW
loads webpages using hypertext links

IDE

Integrated Development Environment

an app that provides comprehensive tools for programming such as UI design, code editing, and a way to interpret and run the program.

IETF

Internet Engineering Task Force

develops and oversees open standards such as HTTP (www) and SMTP (mail).

Makes the internet do what it's supposed to do

If/Else

Selection or conditional algorithm that allows a program to choose between different actions.

Input

data sent to a computer for processing by a program and can be tactile, audible, visual, or text

integrated circuit

(a chip) is an electronic circuit formed on a small piece of semiconducting material, that integrates (brings together) billions of tiny transistors and logic gates into a more compact package.

Wider range of functions than a digital circuit

intellectual property

refers to any property that is created using original thought.

Traditional intellectual property is protected by patents, copyrights, and trademarks.

Internet

the global public network of independent and autonomous networks that are governed by the Internet Protocol Suite (TCP/IP)

interpretation

The process of translating source code into machine language one line at a time and immediately executing instructions (done in real-time time, slower than compilation).

iteration

another term for 'repetition'

logic gate

a building block of a digital AND integrated circuit. Examples would be AND, OR, and NOT gates that perform basic digital operations.

Integrated circuits have a wider range of functions and integrate complex functionality into a smaller package.

Digital circuits primarily process digital signals using 0s and 1s

machine language

a programming language that is directly readable by the computer's CPU.

Moore's Law

number of transistors per square inch on integrated circuits will double every year since the integrated circuit was invented.

motherboard

houses the computer's main electronic components.

network

a group of two or more computer systems linked together.

NOT gate

a circuit with one input and one output
its output is TRUE (or ON) when its input is FALSE (or OFF) and vice versa.

octal number system

a base-8 system, consisting of the symbols 0 through 7.

open standard

a standard (such as TCP, HTTP) that is not owned or controlled by a private entity. It stands in contrast to 'proprietary' materials', which are owned or controlled by a private entity. Open Standards fuel the growth of the Internet!

standard: specifications or guidelines for an application

OR gate

a circuit with two inputs and one output
its output is TRUE (or ON) when either or both of its inputs are TRUE (or ON).

Output

data sent back from the program to the device and can be tactile, audible, visual, or text.

positional number system

such as our decimal system, the value of a digit in a number depends on its place value.

For example, in the decimal number 545, the leftmost '5' represents 500 because it occurs in the hundreds place, but the rightmost '5' represents 5 because it occurs in the ones place.

procedural abstraction

in computer science is the practice of organizing algorithms in named procedures that can then be repeatedly called by name.

An example would be the 'sqrt(x)', square root of x, which encapsulates the algorithm for calculating the square root of x.

processor

a microprocessor of a CPU or the CPU itself

program

a sequence of programming language that is executable and completes one or more tasks

Can use algorithms and may not be as precise

protocol

a system of rules that govern the behavior of some system.

pseudocode

a notation for expressing algorithms
in terms of abstraction - English<pseudocode<programming language

RAM

stores the computer's programs and data temporarily while power is on.

repetition

a control structure that repeats an algorithm (remember control structures control the behavior of an algorithm) for a specified number of times or until a true/false condition is met.

selection

a control structure that uses a true or false condition to determine which of two parts of an algorithm is used.

sequence

a control structure where each step of an algorithm is executed in the order in which the statements are given.

social network

a digital platform that enables people and organizations to communicate and interact with each other online.

Represents relationships and flows between people, groups, organizations, animals, computers, or other information/knowledge processing entities.

software

consists of the programs that control the computer.

special purpose computer

has a fixed program (e.g. a simple calculator, a digital watch, a car's anti-lock braking system).

TCP/IP

the suite of protocols that determine the behavior of the Internet.

Tim Berners-Lee

invented the World Wide Web (WWW).

transistor

a semiconductor device used to amplify or switch electronic signals/power. Transistors are one of the fundamental building blocks of logic gates, which make up circuits.

UI Components

Parts of the user interface such as Buttons, Labels, etc.

User Events

Actions by the user such as button clicks.

User Interface

The part of computer application through which a user interacts with a program.

variable

can be used to represent any number and is therefore more general and more abstract than a constant, such as the symbol 'X'.

a form of data abstraction

a constant can only represent 1 item, while a variable can represent infinite

whitelist

is a generic name for a list of email address or IP addresses that are considered to be spam free.

World Wide Web

an Internet application of interlinked web pages based on the HTTP protocol.

ADT

defines a general data type by their behavior rather than their implementation

analog

refers to data with values that change continuously, or smoothly, over time like sound and music files

API

for a program or web service defines how other programs can communicate with it and use it.

ASCII

short for American Standard Code for Information Interchange

each character is represented by a 7-bit (originally) or 8-bit binary sequence. For example, the ASCII sequence 01000001 represents the letter 'A'.

assignment

sets a variable to a value or a mathematical expression.

bitmap

a type of memory organization or format used to store digital images.

cloud computing

relies on sharing resources online on the Internet rather than having data and processing it on a personal computer.

comment

a non-executable block of text that can be added to a program to provide clarification and documentation of the code.

computer bug

An informal term for error in computer hardware or software -- the term was coined by Grace Hopper.

concatenation

Putting two strings together to make a new string.

cryptography

means secret writing. It is the science of protecting information by transforming it into an unreadable format.

data type

The type of data stored in a variable, for example number, string, boolean, or list.

database

one way to store persistent data. Examples include TinyDB and Firebase.

debugging

The process of removing errors from computer hardware or software.

digital

any system based on discontinuous data or events. Computers are digital machines because they can distinguish between just two values, 0 and 1.

digital signal processing

refers to manipulating digital information.

download

to copy data (usually an entire file) from an online source to a personal computer.

even parity

the number of 1s in the sequence add up to an even number.

expression

involves values, variables, and operators
for example (a+b)/2

GPS

allows people to pinpoint their geolocation (geographic location) on Earth using satellites.

index

the number or position of an element in the list.

list

stores multiple items under one variable name and uses an index to number and access them.

lossless compression

an algorithm is one in which no data are lost; the original data can be completely recovered.