CodeHS APCSP (JavaScript) Unit 1

Bug

A problem in your code.

Debugging

Fixing a problem in your code.

Cybercrime

Identity theft, stealing money, stealing private information, controlling private computers.

Moore's Law

An observation that the processing speed of computers is doubling every two years. This is exponential growth.

Computer Science

The study of computational thinking, the thinking humans need to in order to describe a step-by-step process to a computer.

Karel

A dog who listens to your commands.

Karel Documentation

Documentation for all Karel Commands and Syntax.

Define a Function

Teaching the computer a new command and explaining what it should do when receiving that command.

Call a Function

Giving the command to run the code for a specific function.

Function body

The part of a function that contains the commands.

lowerCamelCase

A naming convention where the first letter is lower case, and each subsequent start of a word is upper case.

Function

A way to teach Karel a new word.

Read Like a Story

Programs that have good decomposition and make the code easy to follow.

Start Function

The function called when you click run.

Decomposition

Breaking your program into smaller parts.

Top Down Design

A method for breaking a program down into smaller parts.

Comment

A message in your code that explains what is going on.

Precondition

Assumptions about what must be true before a function is called.

Postcondition

What should be true after a function is called.

Abstraction

Managing complexity by focusing on relevant concepts.

Procedural Abstraction

Using methods and programs that are not fully understood.

SuperKarel

Similar to Karel but already knows how to turnRight() and turnAround().

Application Programming Interfaces

Simplify complex programming tasks by providing sets of clearly defined methods of communication.

Documentation

Written instructions detailing functions, methods, and variables available and how to use them.

For Loop

Repeats code a fixed number of times.

Condition

Code inside an if statement or while-loop.

If Statement

Asks a question to the program and runs code if the answer is true.

If Else Statement

Control structure that runs different sections of code based on a test.

While Loop

Repeats code as long as a condition is true.

Control Structure

Changes the flow of the code.

Pseudocode

A brief explanation of code in plain English.

Algorithm

A set of steps or rules to follow to solve a particular problem.

Sequencing

Step by step execution of instructions in the order they are given.

Iteration

Repetition of instructions a specified number of times or until a condition is met.

Selection

Using a condition to determine which part of an algorithm is executed.

Indentation

Visual structure of how your code is laid out using tabs to organize code into a hierarchy.

Parameter

A variable passed in from outside the function.

Ultra Karel

Similar to Super Karel but can paint the grid world.