AP Computer Science Principles Ultimate Guide

Collaboration

A process where students work together, often in teams, to create and develop software.

Computing Innovation

A computer program designed to input data, transform data, and produce output.

Syntax Error

A mistake that occurs when the rules of the programming language are not followed.

Runtime Error

An error that occurs during the execution of a program, causing it to halt.

Logic Error

A mistake in the algorithm that leads to incorrect or unexpected behavior of the program.

Overflow Error

An error that occurs when a computation results in a number outside the defined range.

Debugging

The process of finding and fixing errors in a program.

Bit

The smallest unit of information in computing, represented as either a zero or one.

Data Compression

A technique used to reduce the size of data for storage or transmission.

Lossless Compression

A method of compression that allows the original data to be perfectly reconstructed from the compressed data.

Lossy Compression

A method of compression that sacrifices some data fidelity to achieve smaller sizes.

Algorithm

A set of steps to complete a task in computing.

Data Abstraction

The concept of hiding the details of how data is stored and accessed.

Variable

A placeholder for a value that a program needs to use.

Boolean Value

A data type that can only hold true or false.

Procedures

Sections of code that execute specific tasks when called.

Random Number Generator

A program or function used to produce random numbers.

Cloud Computing

A service that allows users to store files on remote servers accessed via the Internet.

Digital Divide

The gap between those who have easy access to the Internet and those who do not.

Bias in Computing Innovations

Prejudice that may affect algorithms and data, often unintentionally inserted by developers.

Cybersecurity

The practice of protecting systems and data from cyber attacks.

Encryption

The process of converting information into a coded format to prevent unauthorized access.