Computer Programming and Architecture Fundamentals

A set of vocabulary flashcards defining fundamental computer architecture terms, compilation steps, CPU registers, instruction execution cycles, OS structures, and elementary C language constructs.

Text Editor

An application used by programmers to write and edit text files containing program instructions.

File

A logical storage unit characterized by a name, a path, and content composed of character sequences.

Source Code

The program instructions written by a programmer in a high-level programming language and saved into a file.

Compilation

The operation that translates source code written in a high-level language into executable machine language code.

Executable Code

The machine language translation of a program produced by a compiler that can be executed directly by the processor.

Hardware

The physical structure of a computer system, consisting of electronic, electrical, magnetic, mechanical, and optical components.

Software

The set of programs that instruct and enable the physical hardware to perform useful computational tasks.

EDVAC

The Electronic Discrete Variables Automatic Computer, recognized as the first digital computer designed according to Von Neumann architecture to be software-programmable.

RAM (Random Access Memory)

Volatile main memory that stores temporary data and programs, providing direct and non-sequential access to the processor.

Memory Cell

A fixed-sized location in memory (such as 32 or 64 bits) that represents a memory word and possesses a unique address.

Bus

A modular system component designed for transferring data, memory addresses, and control signals between hardware components.

CPU (Central Processing Unit)

The hardware component responsible for executing instructions, processing data, and coordinating all other computer parts.

ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit)

The functional part of the CPU dedicated to executing elementary arithmetic, relational, and logical operations.

Control Unit (CU)

The subunit of the CPU that coordinates component interaction and manages the instruction execution cycle.

Program Counter (PC)

An internal CPU register that stores the memory address of the next instruction to be executed.

Memory Address Register (MAR)

An internal CPU register connected to the address bus that holds the specific memory address being accessed.

Memory Data Register (MDR)

An internal CPU register connected to the data bus that holds data or instructions read from or written to memory.

Instruction Register (IR)

An internal CPU register that holds the current instruction being decoded and executed.

Fetch Phase

The initial step of the CPU instruction cycle where the next instruction is read from main memory into the IR and the PC is incremented.

Decode Phase

The second step of the CPU instruction cycle where the Control Unit determines the instruction type, operand count, and fetches required operands from memory.

Execute Phase

The final step of the CPU instruction cycle where the Control Unit coordinates necessary hardware components to perform the instruction.

Clock

A timing signal used as a metronome to synchronize internal CPU operations, defined by its frequency in signals per second.

Mass Storage

Non-volatile secondary memory that offers high capacity, low cost, and permanent data retention, operating at slower speeds than main memory.

I/O Interfaces

Hardware components that connect input/output peripherals to the computer, translating internal system signals into formats peripheral devices understand.

Program

A static set of stored instructions that resides on memory and can be installed or uninstalled from a computer.

Process

A dynamic instance of a program currently undergoing execution, which is created when started and terminated when finished.

Multiprogramming

A technique allowing a single processor to rapidly switch between multiple active processes, providing virtual concurrent execution.

Kernel (Nucleo)

The core layer of an operating system responsible for managing processors and scheduling process execution.

Syntax

The set of grammatical rules dictating the correct structure and formation of statements in a programming language.

Semantics

The specific meaning or behavioral interpretation of well-formed statements in a programming language.

Variable

A named memory region allocated to store, access, or modify data values of a specific data type during execution.

Variable Initialization

The first assignment of a value to a declared variable in a program.

printf

A standard C input/output library function used to print formatted text and variable values to the user screen.

scanf

A standard C input/output library function used to read values entered by the user and store them at specific variable memory addresses.