AP Computer Science Principles Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards for AP Computer Science Principles review.

Computing Innovation

Uses a computer program to take in data, transform data, and output data.

Benefits of Collaboration

Exchange ideas, multiple perspectives, improves software, addresses misunderstandings, clarifies misconceptions, develops thinking skills, increases student responsibility, eliminates bias.

Pair Programming

Two programmers develop software side-by-side at one computer on the same algorithm.

User Interface

The inputs and outputs that allow a user to interact with a piece of software.

Camel Case

Naming convention where words are joined together, and each word is capitalized except for the first word (e.g., stopButton).

Input

Data that is sent to a computer for processing into a device.

Output

Data sent from a program to a device.

Program

A collection of instructions that a computing device executes.

Code Segment

Smaller collection of statements that are a part of a program.

Program Event

An action or occurrence that takes place within a computer program, such as a button click, mouse movement, or keyboard input, that triggers specific actions.

Event-Driven Program

A type of program that responds to events triggered by user actions, system events, or other sources.

Sequential Program

Program that happens in order.

Iterative Development Process

Programmers develop working prototypes of their programs and go back through the stages of their development method.

Incremental Development Process

Programmers break the program they are working on into smaller pieces and make sure that each piece works before adding it to the whole.

Library

A collection of functions that can be used in different programs.

Application Program Interface (API)

Describes how each function works, a complete list of parameters, and what (if anything) is returned.

Syntax Error

Occurs when the spelling and/or punctuation rules of the programming language aren't followed.

Logic Error

A mistake in a program's base logic that causes unexpected behavior.

Run-Time Error

An error that occurs when the program is running.

Overflow Error

An error that occurs when a computer tries to handle a number that’s outside of its defined range of values.

Debugging

The process of finding and fixing errors.

Data

Collection of facts.

Number base

The number of digits or digit combos that a system uses to represent values

Bit

Smallest unit of info stored or manipulated on a computer (0/1)

Byte

8 bits form this

Analog Data

Data that is measured continuously.

Sampling

Recording an analog signal at regular discrete moments and converting them or digital signals (can be stored on digital media)

Data Abstraction

Filtering out specific details to focus on the info needed to process the data.

Data Compression

Set of steps of packing data into a smaller space while allowing for the original data to be seen.

Lossless Data Compression

Data compression that allows the original data to be perfectly reconstructed from compressed data.

Lossy Data Compression

Data compression in which some amount of data is lost in order to achieve greater compression.

Metadata

Data about data.

Data Mining

The process of examining very large data sets to find useful information such as patterns.

Cleaning data

Creates a uniform of data

Bar Chart

A chart or graph that presents categorical data with rectangular bars with heights or lengths proportional to the values that they represent

Scatter plots

Uses dots to represent values for two different numeric variables

Line graphs

Use lines to represent the values

Histogram/Bar graph -

Uses bars to represent values. Usually use frequency and ranges

Variable

A placeholder in your program for a value, usually represented by letters or words.

Global Variable

Can be used anywhere in the program.

Local variable

Used only in part of the code it was created, deleted once the event is done.

Boolean

Data type that can only represent two values: true or false.

String

Represented by quotation marks.

Substring

Part of an existing string.

List

An ordered sequence of elements also known as arrays.

NOT Operator

Reverses what the condition evaluates to.

AND Operator

Combines two conditions; the operator will only evaluate to true if both conditions are met.

OR Operator

Involves two conditions; evaluates to true if one condition or the other is met.

Element

An individual value in a list.

Data abstraction

Simplifies a set of data by representing it in some general way.

Binary Search

An algorithm that starts in the middle of a sorted data set and eliminates half of the data based on what it’s looking for; repeats process.

Procedure

A group of programming instructions; also called methods or functions.

Parameters

The input variables of a procedure.

Arguments

Values passed into the procedure.

Return Statement

Specifies the value that should be returned when the function is called; terminates the program.

Procedural Abstraction

Allows you to solve a large problem based on the solution to smaller subproblems; simplifies code and improves readability.

Algorithm

A set of instructions used to accomplish a specific task or solve a problem.

Sequencing

Consists of steps that go in order

Selection

Refers to the process of making a decision based on a condition or criteria.

Iteration

Refers to the repetition of a set of instructions until a specific condition is met; also called loops.

Modulo

A Mod b: a is divided by b and MOD gives you what the remainder would be.

Simulations

The process of creating a model or representation of a real world system or phenomenon on a computer. It is an example of abstraction

Algorithmic Efficiency

Estimate of how many computational resources (power, memory, time) it uses.

Heuristic

Approximate solution for a problem that can’t be solved in a reasonable amount of time.

Halting Problem

Asks that if a computer is given a random program, can an algorithm ever be written that will answer the question, will this program ever stop running?, for all programs?

Decidable Problem

A decision problem.

Undecidable Problem

If an algorithm can’t be written that’s always capable of providing a correct yes or no answer.

Internet

A computer network consisting of interconnected networks that use standardized, open (NONPROPRIETARY) communication protocols

Computing Network

A group of computing devices that can share data with each other.

Computing System

A group of computing devices and programs working together for a common purpose:

Packets

Contain a section of the data you want to send and comes with a header that contains metadata(data about data) to tell the routers where the packet is from, where it’s going and how it should be reassembled.

Routers

Sequences of connected computing devices

Bandwidth

The rate of data transfer it allows from one device to another

Internet Protocol

Two major protocols: The TCP governs how packets are created and reassembled while the IP moves packets to their destinations

IP Addresses

Unique numerical label assigned to each device

Scalability

The capacity for the system to change in size and scale to meet new demands

Fault Tolerance

It can function properly even in the event of one part failing

IPv4

split into 4 numbers all ranging 0-255, 2 to the 32 possible values

IPv6

These are hexadecimal numbers. 2 to the 128 possible values

World Wide Web

A system of web pages, programs and files. It is governed by HTTP protocol.

Redundancy

The inclusion of extra components that can be used to mitigate failure of a system of other components fail

Parallel Computing

A program is broken into smaller sequential computing operations using multiple PROCESSORS

Sequential computing

Traditional method of executing instructions in a sequential order

Distributed computing

Multiple DEVICES are used to run a program : allows users to share information

Speedup

The measure of how much faster one solution or algorithm performs compared to another solution or algorithm when solving the same problem.

Digital Divide

Refers to the gaps between those who have access to technology and the internet and those who don’t.

Digital Literacy Programs

teach people how to use the internet.

Computing Bias

Technology exacerbate currently existing human biases perpetuating inequality

Machine learning models

Computer programs that can learn from data and make predictions or decisions without being programmed.

Crowdsourcing

The practice of getting a large amount of input or information from people on the internet.

Citizen Science

Scientific research that the general population helps to conduct. It IS A FORM OF CROWDSOURCING

Intellectual Property

The creations of the mind such as inventions, literary and artistic works, designs and images used in commerce

Public Domain

These are creative works that are free to use without permission

Two types of copyright

Economic rights: rights to financial benefits from the use of work & Moral rights: the right to claim authorship or the right to prevent harmful changes

Plagiarism

When you take the content of someone else and claim it as your own

Creative Commons

A public copyright license that creators use when they want to GIVE others the right to use their work.

Fair Use

Allows the use of copyrighted material without permission for limited purposes such as new reporting

Open sourcing

Allows for work to be freely distributed, and modified.

Targeted Marketing

Search engines can track your search history and use it to suggest websites and ads.

Personally Identifiable Information

This is the information that can be used to identify you