AP CSP Final

sprite

An object in Scratch that performs functions through scripting.

stage

The background of a project in Scratch which can have scripts, backdrops, sound, etc.

costume

The appearance of a sprite.

motion blocks

Medium-blue colored blocks used to control a sprite's movement in Scratch.

reporter blocks

A block in Scratch with round edges that contains a value (numbers, sentences, etc.) and can be used inside other blocks.

looks blocks

Purple-colored blocks of code in Scratch that are used to control a sprite's appearance.

sensing blocks

Light-blue colored Boolean blocks that are used to detect different factors of a project such as touching.

operator blocks

Light-green colored blocks of code used to handle strings and math equations in Scratch.

hexagon blocks are called....

booleans

circle blocks are called....

operators

event

blocks of code that trigger corresponding behavior

broadcast

When blocks of code are executed at a given time by communicating (or broadcasting) a message.

code statement

A part of a program code that expresses an action to be carried out.

input

User interaction with a program via clicking, mouse movement, or keyboard entry.

storage

what the computer "stores" or needs to remember to execute a program.

state

a description of what the computer is doing or the values of variables at any given moment.

attributes

a description of what the computer is doing or the values of variables at any given moment.

process

The program code and current activity that is being executed in a computer program.

position

the x and y coordinates on the stage in Scratch

Sensing Blocks

Light-blue colored Boolean blocks that are used to detect different factors of a project such as touching.

Placeholder

A variable for a particular value or attribute.

Variable

A variable is an abstraction inside a program that can hold value

Integer

a whole number; a number that is not a fraction. (used in programs)

Character

A single letter, digit, or special symbol that can be a type of variable

String

A series of characters at any length. Can be a type of variable.

Boolean Value

A variable to represent true and false

array

List of other variables.

floating point numbers

A number that may have digits after the decimal place. Can be a type of variable.

Declaring variables

creating variables in a programming language

innovating

The process of imagining something that does not yet exist, but that has potential value, and making it real through the application of design, implementation, and production.

Iteration

repeatedly applying a process with the goal of coming closer and closer to a solution

Iterative Development Process

the process by which computer programs are designed, developed and tested in repeated cycles

Debug

to identify and remove errors from a computer program

Iterative Development Process (life cycle of a program)

Idea > algorithm > write code > execute code > debug > maintain

Algorithm

a process or set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving operations, especially by a computer.

Sequencing

executes statements one at a time - in order, one after another.

Iteration

repeating actions until a certain condition is met

Selection

uses "if...then" to tell a computer how to select a step or to tell the sequence that it should be executed.

imperative statement

a command statement with a verb phrase that indicates an operation to perform (example: move forward, put in)

descriptive qualifier

A specific adverb or adjective that further qualifies or limits the meaning of a word (example: left shoe)

natural language

a complex, but structured language, both written and spoken, that has evolved naturally in humans through use, repetition, and adaptation.

binary

machine code that is a direct, low-level translation from the high-level source code, and is a pattern of 0s and 1s.

abstraction

the process of removing or suppressing details to create a manageable level of complexity.

artifical language

A limited size language, usually developed by a small group for specific purposes. Usually much simpler and structured.

ambiguity

uncertainty or being open to more than one interpretation.

visual programming language

A programming language that lets users drag and drop icons into organized blocks of code to create programs rather than typing text.

high-level language

a programming language that is easier for humans to read, write, and parse. Guaranteed to be unambiguous.

low-level language

a programming language that has little or no abstraction and communicates closely to the hardware using machine language. Less natural for humans.

compilation

the process of source code being translated into machine code.

source code

A program in a high-level language before being compiled.

machine code

machine-level instructions that are uniquely read by computer processors using patterns of 1s and 0s.

bit

A binary digit, a 0 or a 1.

control flow

the direction the computer program moves from instruction to instruction over time. Can also be controlled by if statements and other binary conditions.

Operator block

Light-green colored blocks of code used to handle strings and math equations in Scratch.

if block

a set of instructions within an if block that is executed only if the condition in the if statement is met.

Branching

instruction in a computer program that can cause a computer to begin executing a different sequence of instructions.

conditionals

only executes if a certain designated condition is true.

boolean values

binary values (usually denoted true and false), intended to represent the truth values of logic and Boolean algebra.

switching

turning on or off (binary)

nesting

where different logic structures sequence

three types of loops

for loop while loop repeat-until loop

Iteration

one complete step of a loop, repeated until a certain condition is met

loop

the repetition of some code

infinite loop

when it is unknown how many times a loop will iterate, usually we are waiting for an event to occur such as "repeat until.."

definite loop

executes a predetermined set of times for a loop to be repeated

procedure

a named conditions of steps in an algorithm or group of programming instructions that can be reused anytime it is needed. A procedure may have parameters and return values.

Parameter

a special type of variable used within a procedure

Modularity

The subdivision of a computer program into separate subprograms

heuristics

a method for deriving an approximate solution - Rules of Thumb but not guaranteed an accurately correct answer

unsolvable problem

a problem that cannot be solved using any algorithm

Halting Problem

there cannot be a program that will determine which computer programs will halt (or exit) and which programs will go on forever (infinite loop)

undecidable problem

Where no algorithm can be made that always leads to a correct yes or no answer.

Scalability

how well do algorithms perform at increasingly larger scales.

Big O Notation

a mathematical concept used by computer scientists to determine how well algorithms scale - performances classified into different categories.

sequential search

a linear search method of finding a targeted value within a list, looking one at a time until a match is found.

Binary Search

a method of searching by dividing the search interval in half each time.

logarithmic behavior

doubling the size of a problem only requires one extra unit of work.

brute forcing

trial and error method used to decode encrypted data such as passwords.

logic gate

a hardware abstraction that is modeled by a Boolean function

Sequencing

An algorithmic structure where all instructions are performed in order and executed one at a time

Flowchart

A flowchart is a simple diagram with symbols showing the "flow" of a process

Flow pattern

pattern that can emerge when data is transformed using computational logic structures (sequencing, selection, iteration).

sequential execution

program instructions that are executed one at a time, in order.

code segment

refers to a collection of program statements that are part of a program.

program

A collection of program statements that performs a specific task when run by a computer. A program is often referred to as software.

Sequencing

logic structure where instructions are executed in order, one after another, one at a time. Often called linear.

Parameter

a variable that defines a procedure or sets the conditions of an operation

Procedure

a named collection of steps in an algorithm that can be reused anytime it is needed without restating the detailed procedures (abstraction)

Comments

an annotation in the code of a computer program

Remix

to modify and share a version of an uploaded existing project

Psuedocode

an informal method of writing algorithmic instructions that do not necessarily follow grammatical rules and syntax of a particular language. "False" code.

Selection

uses "if...then" to tell a computer how to select a step or to tell the sequence that it should be executed.

if statement

type of selection statement that only executes when a certain criteria is met.

if-else statement

a more thorough version of an if statement that stipulates what is to happen when a certain criteria is not met.

Operators

symbols that imply a comparison in conditional selection statements.

String

a linear sequence of characters, words, or other data

dichotomous

in which something can only be one thing or another (yes or no)

Binary Code

code represented with the two symbols of 1 and 0

state space

the space of potential possibilities

exponential growth

the rate of growth that rapidly increases in proportion to the growing total number or size.