Programming Basics Key Terms

Add details

To include parameters to a provided procedure or function in Alice.

Argument

Another word for a parameter in programming.

Assign

To store a value in a variable.

Concatenation

The assembling of variables or non-declared values together for use; a plus sign, $+$, connects the information.

Code

A programming language or written instructions used to create a program.

Constant

A variable that is not allowed to change values.

Edit

To create or change code statements in programming.

Decimal number

A number which includes the decimal point with optional fractional parts of a whole number (e.g., $1.25$, $4.0$).

Default value

The initial value of a variable.

Function

A method that returns a value when called to assist the program to reach its overall goal.

Integer

Positive or negative numbers that are not decimals or part of a fraction (e.g., $-5$, $0$, $18$).

Math operations

Using mathematics with symbols like $+$, $-$, $*$, $/$, $\%$, $<$, $\le$, $>$, and $\ge$.

Method

A set of code steps that is called to solve a particular problem.

Modulus

The remainder of a division problem using the $\%$ symbol or mod operation (e.g., $5 / 2$ has a remainder of $1$, so $5 \% 2 = 1$).

Non-declared value

Information that is not contained in a unique variable name.

Operator

A character symbol like a plus sign in math ($+$), or a word or specially defined symbol in a programming language, that tells a computer to do something with variables.

Parameter

A value passed to a method to be used within the method code steps.

Program

A set of instructions telling a computer the operations to perform to reach the overall goal.

Procedure

A method that does not return a value but performs steps to assist the program to reach its overall goal.

Random

A value that is unknown until chosen.

Scene

The background of an Alice program.

Statement

A single computer instruction.

String

In programming languages, any literal variable enclosed in double quotes, usually words or sets of words.

textString

A string variable in Alice 3.

Variable

A programming word name made up of letters, numbers, and/or allowable symbols which stores data for a program in computer memory.

Whole number

In programming languages, any number that does not contain a decimal or fractional part of a number (e.g., $0$, $5$, $23$). In math, this is the declaration for an integer in the Alice programming language.