APCSP EXAM VOCAB STUDY TOOL

.bmp

(bitmap image file or bitmap) is a raster graphics image file format used to store digital images.

.gif

(acronym for Graphics Interchange Format) a bitmap image format which uses the LZW lossless data compression technique to reduce the file size without degrading the visual quality. Supports 8 bits per pixel for each image and animations.

.jpg or .jpeg

(acronym for Joint Photographic Experts Group), a commonly used lossy compression format for digital images, particularly for those images produced by digital photography. The format supports adjustable degrees of compression.

.mp3

an audio coding format for digital audio which uses a form of lossy data compression which works by reducing (or approximating)

.png

(Portable Network Graphics) a raster graphics file format that supports lossless data compression.

.txt

a computer format that is structured as a sequence of lines of electronic text.

.wav

(Waveform Audio File Format) an audio coding format standard for storing an audio bitstream of uncompressed audio data.

.zip

an archive file format that supports lossless data compression; may contain one or more files or directories.

Abstraction

A simplified and general representation of a complex object or process. Help manage the complexity of a program by reducing lines of code and improving readability.

Adware

A form of spyware. Collects information about the user or user activities in order to display advertisements in a web browser.

Algorithm

A set of precise instructions for solving a problem.

Application

A complete and self-contained program that helps the user accomplish a specific task.

Arithmetic overflow (Stack Overflow)

An attempt to represent an integer that exceeds the maximum allowable value.

Artificial Intelligence

A branch of computer science with the focus on how to endow computers with capabilities of human intelligence. Can be seen as an attempt to model aspects of human thought on computers

ASCII

An acronym for the American Standard Code for Information Interchange; ASCII is an international standard for representing textual information in the majority of computers.

Asymmetric encryption

used in public key encryption, it is scheme in which the key to encrypt data is different from the key to decrypt.

Bandwidth

Maximum transmission capacity of the device expressed typically in metric multiples of bits per second. Measures how much data you can send in a given amount of time.

Benchmarking

Running a program on many data sets to be sure its performance falls within required limits; timing the same algorithm on two different machines.

Big Data

a broad term for datasets so large or complex that traditional data processing applications are inadequate.

Binary

A way of representing information using only two options.

Binary Number System

A base-2 positional numbering system, using 1's and 0's.

Binary question

A question where there are only two possible answers

Bit

A contraction of "Binary Digits". A bit is the single unit of information in a computer, typically represented as 0 or 1.

Bit Rate

The number of bits that are conveyed or processed per unit of time. EX: 8bits/per second.

Boolean expression

An expression that can evaluate only to true or false.

Boolean logic

A branch of mathematics which operates on the values true and false.

Bug

An error, flaw, mistake, failure, or fault in a computer program that prevents it from working as intended, or produces an incorrect result.

Byte

Technical term for 8 bits of data

Character

Any symbol that requires one byte of storage

Cipher

the generic term for a technique (or algorithm) that performs encryption

Client

A computer that requests data stored on a server.

Cloud Computing

Shared computing services provided on demand by computers accessed over the Internet. Benefits: collaboration and ease of access; Drawbacks: security concerns.

Compatible

Refers to the ability of one device or program to work with another device or program.

Compression ratio

Measures how much a compression scheme has reduced the storage requirements of the data.

Computational Artifact

an object created by a human being that involves the use of computation in some way, for example a mobile app or a web page.

Computational Science

The field of study concerned with constructing mathematical models and numerical solution techniques and using computers to analyze and solve scientific and engineering problems.

Computer Science

An academic field that studies the theoretical foundations of information and computation and their implementation and application in computer systems.

Concatentate

to link together or join. Typically used when joining together text Strings in programming (e.g. "Hello, "+name)

Conditional

Statements that run under only certain conditions

Control Structures

A block of programming that determines which part of the program is executed next. There are three types of structures: sequence, selection, and repetition.

Copyright

A set of exclusive rights regulating the use of a particular expression of an idea or information, including but not limited to art designs, computer software, books, documents etc.

Creative Commons

One of several public copyright licenses that enable the free distribution of an otherwise copyrighted work. A CC license is used when an author wants to give people the right to share, use, and build upon a work that they have created.

Crowdsourcing

Inviting broad communities of people - customers, employees, independent scientists and researchers, and even the public at large - into the new product innovation process. Gives access to diverse opinions and resources.

Cryptography

the art of protecting information by transforming it into an unreadable format, called cipher text

Cyber Security

Measures taken to protect a computer or computer system against unauthorized access or attack.

Cyberbullying

Humiliating, taunting, threatening or invading someone's privacy using the Internet, Web, or other type of electronic technology.

Data Compression

The process of reducing the number of bits required to represent a sound or image.

Data Type

(ex: Number, Boolean, or String) a value's property that dictates how the computer will interpret it. For example 7+5 is interpreted differently from "7"+"5"

DDoS

pertaining to or being an incident in which a network of computers floods an online resource with high levels of unwanted traffic so that it is inaccessible to legitimate service requests

Decimal

Traditional number system using digits 0-9.

Decryption

a process that reverses encryption, taking a secret message and reproducing the original plain text

Digital Certificate

an electronic document used to prove ownership of a public key.

Digital Divide

the gulf between those who have ready access to computers and the Internet, and those who do not.

Divide-and-conquer

A program design strategy in which tasks are broken down into subtasks, which are broken down into sub-subtasks, and so on, until each piece is small enough to code comfortably. These pieces work together to accomplish the total job.

Domain Name

The part of the URL that identifies a particular web page.

Domain named system (DNS)

The internet's system for converting alphabetic names into numeric IP addresses.

Efficiency/Run Time

A measure of the number of steps per input size needed to complete an algorithm.

Encryption

a process of encoding messages to keep them secret, so only "authorized" parties can read it.

Event Driven Programming

a programming approach whereby the program's behavior is controlled by writing code that responds to various events that occur, such as Button clicks.

Expression

Any valid unit of code that resolves to a value.

External documentation

Any materials assembled to clarify the program's design and implementation.

External library

A well-written, efficient, and thoroughly tested code module that is separately compiled and then drawn on by any program that wishes to use its capabilities.

Fault-Tolerant

The ability to continue functioning even in the presence of the failure of one or more components.

Feasibility study

A step in the software development life cycle that evaluates a proposed project and compares the costs and benefits of various solutions.

Fiberoptics

Method of transmitting data that utilizes light

File extensions

the endings of file names that indicate to the computer the format for how the underlying bits are organized.

For Loop

A particular kind of looping construct provided in many languages. Typically, a for loop defines a counting variable that is checked and incremented on each iteration in order to loop a specific number of times.

Function

A piece of code that you can easily call over and over again.

Gate

An electronic device that operates on a collection of binary inputs to produce a binary output. Also called a logic gate.

Gigabyte (GB or Gig)

One billion bytes.

Global Variable

A variable whose scope is "global" to the program, it can be used and updated by any part of the code. Its global scope is typically derived from the variable being declared (created) outside of any function, object, or method.

Grayware

Refers to a malicious software or code that is considered to fall in the "grey area" between normal software and a virus. A term for which all other malicious or annoying software such as adware, spyware, trackware, and other malicious code and malicious shareware fall under.

Hacker

A person who uses technology to gain unauthorized access to data.

Hacktivism

Hacking that is intended as political activism.

Hardware

The physical components that make up a computer (mouse, monitor, hardrive, etc).

Hardware design

The process of designing the low level components of a computer, including arithmetic and control circuits

Heuristic

A problem-solving approach (algorithm) to find a satisfactory solution where finding an optimal or exact solution is impractical or impossible.

Hexadecimal Number System

A number system consisting of 16 distinct symbols — 0-9 and A-F — which can occur in each place value.

High-Level Programming Language

A programming language that is closer to human language and further from machine language. Contains high levels of abstraction. Examples: JavaScript, Java, FORTRAN

Host Computer

A centralized server that delivers specific services to other networked computers.

HTTPS

The secure protocol used by the world wide web. It describes how messages are formatted and interchanged, and how web servers respond to commands.

Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)

The protocol used by the world wide web. It describes how messages are formatted and interchanged, and how web servers respond to commands.

If Statement

The common programming structure that implements "conditional statements".

Infinite loop

The repetitive execution of a block of operations that will never end. This is a fatal error when it occurs in an algorithm.

Innovation

A novel or improved idea, device, product, etc. or the development thereof

Input

An operation that causes data values from the outside world to be brought into the algorithm.

Integrated development environment (IDE)

A collection of programs that support software development, such as debuggers, editors, toolkits, and libraries, that lets programmers perform several tasks within the shell of a single application.

Intellectual Property

refers to any property that is created using original thought. Traditional intellectual property include patents, copyrights, and trademarks.

Internal documentation

Documentation that is part of the program code itself.

Internet

A tangible physical system that is made to move information

Internet Censorship

The control or suppression of what can be accessed, published, or viewed on the Internet. It may be carried out by governments or by private organizations at the behest of government, regulators, or on their own initiative.

Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)

A group of volunteers, private citizens, government officials, etc. who promote internet standards

IP Address

A unique string of numbers separated by periods assigned to any item that is connected to the internet.

Iteration

A process that repeats a series of steps over and over until the desired outcome is obtained.

Iterative Innovation

Incremental or small improvement to an item

Kilobyte (KB)

1024 bytes (or about one thousand bytes)

Latency

The amount of time it takes for a bit to travel from sender to receiver. Measured in time units

Local Variable

A variable with local scope is one that can only be seen, used and updated by code within the same scope. Typically this means the variable was declared (created) inside a function; includes function parameter variables.

Logic error

An error in the logic that an algorithm used to solve a problem.

Loop

The action of doing something over and over again.