AP CSP Review

Abstraction

Reducing complexity by focusing on the main idea and suppressing unnecessary details.

Algorithm

A finite set of instructions that accomplish a specific task.

Binary

A base-2 numeral system that uses only two digits: 0 and 1.

Bit

The smallest unit of data in computing, representing a single binary value (0 or 1).

Boolean

A data type that has two possible values: true or false.

Byte

A group of 8 bits.

Cloud Computing

Using remote servers on the Internet to store, manage, and process data.

Compilation

The process of translating source code into machine code.

Compression

The process of reducing the size of data.

Data Type

A classification of data which tells the compiler or interpreter how the programmer intends to use the data.

Debugging

Finding and fixing problems in an algorithm or program.

Decomposition

Breaking a problem into smaller, manageable parts.

Digital

Data that is represented using discrete (binary) values.

Digital Divide

The gap between those who have access to technology and those who do not.

Encryption

Transforming information to make it secure from unauthorized users.

Event

An action or occurrence recognized by software that may be handled by the program.

Function

A named section of a program that performs a specific task.

Hardware

The physical components of a computer system.

High-Level Language

A programming language with strong abstraction from the details of the computer.

Input

Data that is entered into a computer system.

Integer

A whole number data type.

Iteration

The repetition of a process or set of instructions.

Library

A collection of pre-written code that can be used to optimize tasks.

Loop

A control structure that repeats a block of code.

Low-Level Language

A programming language that provides little or no abstraction from a computer's instruction set.

Metadata

Data that describes other data, such as including when or where the data was taken.

Modeling

Creating a representation of a system or process.

Network

A group of two or more computer systems linked together.

Output

Data that has been processed into a useful format.

Overflow Error

An error that occurs when a calculation exceeds the allocated number of bits.

Parameter

A variable used to pass information between functions.

Phishing

A fraudulent attempt to obtain sensitive information.

Pixel

The smallest unit of a digital image or display.

Procedure

Another name for a function or subroutine.

Protocol

A set of rules governing the exchange of data.

Pseudocode

A method of planning which uses plain English to describe the steps of an algorithm.

Redundancy

the inclusion of extra components so that a system can continue to work even if individual components fail, for example by having more than one path between any two connected devices in a network.

Router

A device that forwards data packets between computer networks.

Runtime

The period when a program is running.

Server

A computer that provides data to other computers.

Simulation

Imitating the behavior of a process or system.

Software

The programs and other operating information used by a computer.

String

A data type used in programming, used to represent text.

Syntax

The rules that define the combinations of symbols that are considered to be correctly structured programs.

Testing

Executing a program with the intention of finding errors.

Traversal

Accessing each element in a list one at a time.

User Interface

The space where interactions between humans and machines occur.

Variable

A named storage location for a value.

Boolean Expression

An expression that evaluates to either true or false.

Certificate Authority

An entity that issues digital certificates.

Crowdsourcing

Obtaining input or data from a large number of people via the internet.

Data Abstraction

Representing data in a simplified form.

Data Mining

Analyzing large datasets to discover patterns.

Event-Driven Programming

Program flow determined by events such as user actions.

Lossless Compression

A data compression algorithm that allows the original data to be perfectly reconstructed.

Lossy Compression

A data compression method that removes less important information.

Open Source

Software with source code that anyone can inspect, modify, and enhance.

Packet

A small segment of data sent over a network.

Parallel Computing

The simultaneous execution of computations.

Program

A collection of instructions that performs a specific task when executed by a computer.

Sequential Computing

Processing one instruction at a time.

Source Code

Human-readable instructions written by a programmer.

Syntax Error

An error in the syntax of a program.

Trusted Certificate

A digital certificate that is trusted because it was issued by a known certificate authority.

Whitelist

A list of approved or safe elements.

Blacklist

A list of disapproved or harmful elements.

Latency

Time delay in transmitting data.

IP Address

A unique string of numbers identifying each device on a network.

REPEAT 4 TIMES

MOVE_FORWARD()

TURN_LEFT()

Draws a square by moving and turning 4 times.

IF score > 90

DISPLAY("A")

Displays 'A' if the score is greater than 90.

total = 0

FOR EACH num IN list

total = total + num

Adds up all numbers in a list.

WHILE NOT atGoal()

MOVE_FORWARD()

Keeps moving forward until the goal is reached.

DEFINE square(n)

RETURN n * n

Defines a procedure to return the square of a number.

x = RANDOM(1, 10)

Sets x to a random number between 1 and 10.

IF isRaining

BRING_UMBRELLA()

Checks if it's raining, then brings an umbrella. If it is not raining nothing happens.

name = INPUT()

Prompts the user to input a name. Stores it as a string in the variable "name"

IF password = "admin"

ACCESS_GRANTED()

Grants access if the password matches.

counter = 0

REPEAT 10 TIMES

counter = counter + 1

DISPLAY(counter)

Counts from 1 to 10.

list = [1, 2, 3]

APPEND(list, 4)

Adds 4 to the end of the list.

FOR i FROM 1 TO 5

DISPLAY(i)

Displays numbers from 1 to 5.

IF age >= 18

DISPLAY("Adult")

ELSE

DISPLAY("Minor")

Checks if age is 18 or older. Displays "Adult" if they are, displays "Minor" if not.

DEFINE greet(name)

DISPLAY("Hello")

DISPLAY(name)

greet("John")

Hello John

REMOVE(list, 0)

Removes the first item from a list.

list[-1] = 42

Changes the last item in the list to 42.

FOR EACH item IN list

DISPLAY(list)

Displays the full list the same number of times as the length of the list.

FOR EACH item IN list

DISPLAY(item)

Displays every item in a list.

IF x > 10

x = x - 1

Decreases x by 1 if it's greater than 10.

REPEAT UNTIL NOT CAN_MOVE(forward)

{

mystery()

}

Runs the mystery function over and over while the robot can move forward.

NOT isEmpty(list)

Returns True if the list has elements.

x = x + 1

Increases x by 1.

DISPLAY(LENGTH(list))

Displays how many items are in the list.

DEFINE double(x)

RETURN x * 2

Returns twice the input value.

100 MOD 6

Calculates the remainder when 100 is divided by 6. This problem's result is 4.

PSEUDOCODE:

temp = list[1]

Stores the first item in the list in a temporary variable.

Selection

A generic term for a type of programming statement (usually an if-statement) that uses a Boolean condition to determine, or select, whether or not to run a certain block of statements.

Call to a function

This is the piece of code that you add to a program to indicate that the program should run the code inside a function at a certain time.

Argument

a value provided to a function when the function is called. This value is assigned to the corresponding parameter in the function.

Types of Input

mouse, keyboard, camera, touchscreen, voice command

Types of Output

text, graphics, audio, video, printing

List

A data type that can store a collection that can assign new values to individual elements, or add or remove elements because it is Mutable.

A list manages complexity by not needing individual variables to assign each value.