APCSP.CodeHS with JS.Unit 1-Intro to Programming v2

Moore's Law

number of transistors double every 18 months

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

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

algorithm

a finite set of instructions that accomplish a specific task.

sequencing

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

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)

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.

abstraction

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

artificial 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 (block) 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.

bit

binary digit - a 0 or 1.

this is a portmanteau of “binary” and “digit”

source code

programs written in high-level languages.

machine code

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

procedure

a named collection of steps in an algorithm (or group of programming instructions) that can be reused anytime it is needed A __________ may have parameters and return values

modularity

the subdivision of a computer program into separate subprograms

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 (or 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.

placeholder

a variable for a particular value or attribute.

Comment

A message in your code that explains what is going on.

Precondition

Assumptions we make about what must be true before the function is called.

Postcondition

What should be true after the function is called

Procedural abstraction

the ability to use methods and programs that we do not fully understand, or are unable to write.

Application Programming Interfaces

_______s and libraries simplify complex programming tasks by providing sets of clearly defined methods of communication among various computing components.

Documentation

Written instructions detailing the functions, methods, and variables available and how to use them.

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

for loop

A "__________" lets us repeat code a fixed number of times.

increment

to increase a value by a fixed number

operators

symbols that imply a comparison in conditional selection statements

If Statement

An __________________ lets you ask a question to the program and only run code if the answer is true

If Else Statement

Control structure that lets us run either one section of code or another depending on a test.

While Loop

Lets us repeat code as long as something is true.

Bug

A _____ is a problem in your code.

Pseudocode

___________ is a brief explanation of code in plain English. "False code"

Iteration

Repetition of instructions a specified number of times, or until a condition is met.

Indentation

the visual structure of how your code is laid out. It uses tabs to organize code into a hierarchy.

Parameter

A variable passed in from outside the function

Computing

Any activity that uses a computer. This can be to manage data, for communication or entertainment.

Computer

An electronic device used for storing and processing data

Multi-line comments

/* comment here

*/

Single-line comments

// comment

How humans are able to "speak" to computers

Write code which gets broken down into binary

Abstraction

The process of reducing complexity by hiding unnecessary details

lowerCamelCase

Naming convention that uses a capital letter at the beginning of each word (except the first) and no spaces.