Programming

🎀 PROGRAMMING 511 EXAM CUE CARDS 🎀

🃏 Cue Card 1: File Handling

Front:

📁 What are the 4 file modes?

Back:

✅ r = Read file

✅ w = Write (creates/overwrites)

✅ a = Append (adds to file)

✅ open() = Opens file

Example:

Python

file = open("data.txt", "r")

content = file.read()

file.close()

💡 Always remember to close files!

🃏 Cue Card 2: If Statements

Front:

🤔 When do we use an if statement?

Back:

Used when a condition must be checked.

Python

age = 18

if age >= 18:

print("Adult")

Relational Operators:

Operator

Meaning

==

Equal to

!=

Not equal to

>

Greater than

<

Less than

>=

Greater than or equal

<=

Less than or equal

🃏 Cue Card 3: Logical Operators

Front:

🧠 What are logical operators?

Back:

Used to combine conditions.

Python

and

or

not

Examples:

Python

if age >= 18 and age <= 60:

✔ Both conditions must be true.

Python

if mark >= 50 or bonus == True:

✔ At least one condition must be true.

🃏 Cue Card 4: Nested Decisions

Front:

🌳 What is a nested if?

Back:

An if inside another if.

Python

if salary >= 30000:

if years >= 2:

print("Approved")

💡 Used when multiple conditions must be checked.

🃏 Cue Card 5: Functions

Front:

⚙ What are the 3 function parts?

Back:

1⃣ Function Definition

Python

def greet():

2⃣ Parameters

Python

def greet(name):

3⃣ Function Call

Python

greet("Natasha")

4⃣ Return Value

Python

def add(a,b):

return a+b

🃏 Cue Card 6: While Loops

Front:

🔄 What is a while loop?

Back:

Repeats while condition is True.

Python

count = 1

while count <= 5:

print(count)

count += 1

💡 Be careful of infinite loops!

🃏 Cue Card 7: Sentinel Values

Front:

🚪 What is a sentinel value?

Back:

A special value that stops a loop.

Python

name = ""

while name != "quit":

name = input("Enter name:")

Here: ✅ Sentinel Value = "quit"

🃏 Cue Card 8: Nested Loops

Front:

🔁 What is a nested loop?

Back:

A loop inside another loop.

Python

for row in range(3):

for col in range(3):

print("*", end="")

Output:

***

***

***

⭐ Commonly used for pattern questions.

🃏 Cue Card 9: Input Validation

Front:

✔ What is input validation?

Back:

Ensures correct user input.

Python

age = input("Age: ").strip()

while not age.isdigit():

age = input("Enter valid age: ")

Important Functions:

✅ int()

✅ float()

✅ lower()

✅ strip()

🃏 Cue Card 10: Debugging

Front:

🐞 What errors can appear?

Back:

Syntax Error

Code written incorrectly.

Python

if age > 18

Missing :

Logic Error

Program runs but answer is wrong.

Python

total = price - vat

Should have been:

Python

total = price + vat

🃏 Cue Card 11: Business Calculations

Front:

💰 What business calculations may appear?

Back:

VAT

Python

vat = amount * 0.15

Discount

Python

discount = price * 0.10

Penalty

Python

penalty = balance * 0.05

Always:

Input

Process

Output

🃏 Cue Card 12: IPO Principle

Front:

📊 What is IPO?

Back:

I → Input

User enters data

Python

name = input()

P → Processing

Calculations

Python

total = price * qty

O → Output

Python

print(total)

💡 Every program follows IPO.

🃏 Cue Card 13: Reading Requirements

Front:

📖 How do I answer programming questions?

Back:

Ask yourself:

✅ What inputs are needed?

✅ What calculations are needed?

✅ What decisions are needed?

✅ What output is required?

Then write:

INPUT ➜ PROCESS ➜ OUTPUT

🃏 Cue Card 14: Complete Program Checklist

Front:

⭐ Before submitting, check:

Back:

☑ Inputs collected correctly

☑ Variables named properly

☑ Functions used

☑ Decisions used correctly

☑ Loops end correctly

☑ Output displays correctly

☑ File opened and closed

☑ No syntax errors

☑ Tested with different values