APCSP.CodeHS with JS.Vocab Units 1-5 (20)

algorithm

a process or set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problems solving operations

sequencing

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

flowchart

a simple diagram with symbols showing the "flow" of a process

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

selection

algorithmic structure that uses "if...then" to tell computer how to select a step or to tell the sequence that 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.

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.

nesting

where different logic structures sequence, selection and loops are combined or nested in one another.

iteration

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

loop

the repetition of some code

indefinite 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

Moore's Law

developed by Gordon Moore, who accurately predicted that the number of transistors that could fit on a chip would roughly double every one to two years. This law has helped innovators predict and develop technology efficiently for the past 50 years.

logic gate

a hardware abstraction that is modeled by a Boolean function