Comp Sci P Unit 1 Vocab review

Innovating

Creating new or improved ideas, methods, or products to solve a problem or meet a need.

Iteration

One repetition of a process; in programming, a single pass through a loop or a single cycle of refining a program.

Iterative development process

A method of building software through repeated cycles of designing, building, testing, and improving, so each version is better than the last.

Debug

To find, diagnose, and fix errors in a program.

Algorithm

A finite, step-by-step set of instructions for solving a problem or completing a task.

Sequencing

Placing instructions in a specific order so they execute one after another.

Selection

A control structure that chooses which instructions to run based on whether a condition is true or false.

Code statement

A single instruction in a program that tells the computer to perform an action.

Imperative statement

A command that tells the computer to perform an action.

Descriptive qualifier

A word or phrase that adds detail to an instruction, such as how far, how fast, or which item.

Natural language

A language humans use to communicate, which can be flexible, nuanced, and ambiguous.

Artificial language

A language designed for a specific purpose, with strict rules and precise meaning, such as a programming language.

Ambiguity

The quality of an instruction or statement having more than one possible interpretation.

Visual programming language

A language in which programs are built by arranging graphical blocks or symbols rather than typing text.

High-level language

A programming language that is closer to human language and independent of specific hardware.

Low-level language

A programming language closer to the computer's hardware, such as assembly or machine code.

Compilation

The process of translating source code into machine code that a computer can execute.

Source code

Human-readable instructions written by a programmer in a programming language.

Machine code

Binary instructions that a computer's processor can execute directly.

Binary

A base-2 number system that uses only $0$ and $1$.

Bit

The smallest unit of data in a computer, consisting of a single digit that is either $0$ or $1$.

Abstraction

Hiding complex details and showing only essential features to make systems easier to understand and use.

Sprite

A character or object in a visual project that can be programmed to move, look, and act.

Motion blocks

Graphical code components that control movement and position.

Looks blocks

Graphical code components that change appearance, such as costume, size, or speech bubbles.

Sensing blocks

Graphical code components that detect environmental information, such as mouse position, key presses, or touching a color.

Operator blocks

Graphical code components that perform math, comparisons, logic, and text operations.

Reporter blocks

Rounded graphical code components that hold or return a value to be used inside other blocks.

Event

An action or occurrence, such as a click or key press, that triggers code to execute.

Broadcast

A message sent across a program that triggers any code set to respond to that signal.

Input

Data or signals sent into a computer or program from an external device.

Process

The set of actions a computer performs on input to produce output.

Storage

Where data and programs are kept, either temporarily in memory or long-term on a disk.

State

The condition of a program, including the current values of all its data, at a given moment.

Attributes

Characteristics or properties of an object, such as size, color, or direction.

Position

The location of an object, often specified using $x$ and $y$ coordinates.

Placeholders

Spots in a statement or template that hold space for a value to be filled in later.

Integer

A whole number without a fractional part (e.g., $-3$, $0$, $42$).

Floating point number

A number that contains a decimal point (e.g., $3.14$).

Character

A single letter, digit, symbol, or space.

String

A sequence of characters treated as text.

Boolean

A data type that can hold only one of two possible values: true or false.

Array

An ordered collection of items stored under a single name, where each item is accessed by its index position.

Variable

A named storage location in memory holding a value that can change during execution.

Declaring variables

The process of defining a named storage location and its data type so memory is reserved before use.