Introduction to Computers and Programming

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms related to computers and programming, aiding in understanding essential concepts for the exam.

Program

A set of instructions that a computer follows to perform a task.

Hardware

The physical devices that a computer is made of.

CPU

The part of a computer that runs programs, also known as the processor.

Main Memory

The computer's work area where programs and data are stored while the program is running.

Secondary Storage

A type of memory that can hold data for long periods, even without power.

RAM

Random-access memory, a volatile type of main memory used for temporary storage.

ROM

Read-only memory, a nonvolatile type of memory that stores important system programs.

Input Device

Any device that collects data from people or other devices and sends it to the computer.

Output Device

Any device that produces data for people or other devices.

ASCII

American Standard Code for Information Interchange; a character encoding standard that represents text in computers.

Unicode

An extensive character encoding scheme that represents characters from many of the world's languages.

Fetch-Decode-Execute Cycle

The process the CPU uses to execute instructions from a program.

Compiler

A program that translates a high-level language program into a separate machine language program.

Interpreter

A program that translates and executes instructions in a high-level language program.

System Software

Programs that control or enhance the operation of a computer.

Application Software

Programs that make a computer useful for everyday tasks.

Bit

A tiny switch that can be set to either on (1) or off (0) in binary data.

Byte

A unit of data storage that typically contains 8 bits.

Digital Data

Data that is stored in binary format and is used by digital devices.

High-Level Language

A programming language that allows developers to write programs in a more abstract and human-readable form.