Midterm Study Guide — Introduction to Computers and C++ Programming

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering computer hardware, software compilation, C++ syntax, operators, control flow, loops, and functions based on the Midterm Study Guide.

CPU (Central Processing Unit)

The hardware component that executes instructions; its control unit coordinates work, and its arithmetic and logic unit performs calculations and logical comparisons.

Main memory (RAM)

Temporarily holds programs and data while they are in use; it is volatile, meaning its contents disappear when power is removed.

Secondary storage

Non-volatile storage that retains data when power is turned off, with examples including solid-state drives, hard drives, and flash drives.

Input and output devices

Hardware components where input devices send data to the computer, and output devices communicate results from it.

System software

Software that manages hardware and supports other programs, such as an operating system or development tool.

Application software

Software that performs tasks directly for users, such as word processing or calculations.

Algorithm

An ordered set of well-defined steps for solving a problem.

Source code

Human-readable C++ statements written by the programmer.

Preprocessor

A translation stage tool that processes directives, such as #include, before compilation occurs.

Compiler

A tool that checks syntax and translates source code into object code.

Linker

A tool that combines object code with required library code to create an executable file.

Execution and testing

The stage in program development where the program runs with test data, and the programmer checks results and fixes errors.

IPO pattern

A common program organization structure that gathers input, processes it, and displays or stores output.

Syntax

The grammar and structural rules of a programming language.

Syntax error

An error that violates language grammar rules and prevents successful translation of the program.

Logic error

A mistake that allows a program to compile and run successfully but causes it to produce an incorrect result.

Procedural programming

A programming style that organizes work around functions that operate on data.

Object-oriented programming

A programming style that organizes data and behavior into objects.

include

A preprocessor directive that makes standard input/output declarations available, including cin and cout.

using namespace std;

A declaration that allows the program to reference standard library names like cout directly instead of writing std::cout.

int main()

Defines the mandatory entry point that every complete C++ program must have.

Stream insertion operator (<<)

An operator used with output streams like cout to send values to standard output.

Escape sequence (\n)

A character sequence within an output string that starts a new line.

endl

An output stream manipulator that starts a new line and flushes the output stream.

Keywords

Reserved words in C++ with predefined meanings, such as int, return, and using.

Identifiers

Programmer-chosen names for variables, functions, and other program elements.

Comments

Program documentation ignored by the compiler, written as // for one line or /* … */ for a block.

Variable

A named storage location in memory whose value can change during execution.

Constant

A named storage location defined with const representing a value that should not change after initialization.

Integer division

Division where both operands are integers; the fractional part is discarded before assignment, producing an integer result even if assigned to a double.

cin

The standard input stream object used with >> to extract formatted input and convert it to the variable's type, stopping when an incompatible character is encountered.

getline(cin, text)

A function that reads an entire line of text from standard input, including spaces.

cin.ignore()

A member function that skips characters waiting in the input buffer, often used to clear the newline character left behind after formatted input.

String concatenation

The joining of two strings together using the + operator exactly as written without inserting spaces.

Relational operators

Operators (==, !=,

Logical AND (&&)

A logical operator that evaluates to true only when both operands are true, commonly used to test if a value is inside a range.

Logical OR (||)

A logical operator that evaluates to true when at least one operand is true, useful for alternatives.

Logical NOT (!)

A logical operator that reverses the truth value of its operand.

Null statement

A standalone semicolon that performs no action; placing it immediately after an if condition ends the decision structure prematurely.

Iteration

A single repetition of the statement or block within a loop.

while loop

A pre-test loop that repeats while a condition is true; because the condition is checked before the body, it may run zero times.

do-while loop

A post-test loop that checks its condition after the body executes, guaranteeing the body runs at least once.

for loop

A counter-controlled repetition structure that groups initialization, testing, and updating together; checked before each iteration.

Prefix increment (++number)

An increment expression that increments the variable first, causing the expression to evaluate to the new value.

Postfix increment (number++)

An increment expression that evaluates to the current (old) value of the variable, then increments the variable.

Sentinel

A special value that signals the end of input in a sentinel-controlled loop.

Accumulator

A variable that maintains a running total across iterations, often initialized to 0 before the loop begins.

Function prototype

A declaration placed before a call that informs the compiler of the function's return type, name, and parameter types.

Function header

The first line of a function definition containing the return type, function name, and parameter list.

Function body

The block enclosed in braces containing the statements performed by the function.

Parameter

A variable in a function header that receives a value passed into the function.

Argument

A value or expression supplied in a function call to be passed to a parameter.

Function signature

The function name plus the number, order, and types of its parameters; the return type is not part of it.

Function overloading

Defining multiple functions that share the same name but have different signatures (differing in the number or types of parameters).

Local variable

A variable declared inside a function or block that can be used only there; automatic local numeric variables are not initialized automatically.

Global variable

A variable declared outside all functions that can be accessed from multiple functions; uninitialized numeric globals default to 0.

Scope

The region of a program where a declared name or variable can be used.

Lifetime

The duration of time that an object or variable exists in memory during program execution.

Shadowing

An occurrence where a local variable declaration in an inner scope hides a variable with the same name declared in an outer scope.