1.4.2 Data Structures

Question 1

What is an array?

Answer 1

An ordered, finite set of elements of a single type.

Question 2

What type of array is a linear array?

Answer 2

A one dimensional array.

Question 3

How do you visualise a two dimensional array?

Answer 3

You can visualise it as a spreadsheet/table.

Question 4

How do you visualise a three dimensional array?

Answer 4

A three dimensional array can be visualised as a multi-page spreadsheet.

Question 5

What is a record also known as?

Answer 5

A row in a file.

Question 6

What is a record made up of?

Answer 6

A record is made up of files.

Question 7

How can you identify a field from a record using programming?

Answer 7

recordName.fieldName

Question 8

What is the definition of a list?

Answer 8

A data structure consisting of a number of items, where the items can occur more than once.

Question 9

Where are the main differences between arrays and lists?

Answer 9

• Lists can store data non-continuously whereas arrays store data in order,
• Lists can store data of more than one data type.

Question 10

What is a tuple?

Answer 10

An immutable, ordered set of values of any type.

Question 11

What is the difference between a tuple and an array?

Answer 11

Tuple are initialised using regular brackets instead of square brackets.

Question 12

What is a stack?

Answer 12

A last in first out data structure, where items can only be removed from and added to the top of the list.

Question 13

Give an example of where stacks may be used.

Answer 13

• Back button in a web page,

- Undo buttons.

Question 14

What is a queue?

Answer 14

A first in first out data structure, where items are added to the end of the queue and remove from the front of the queue.

Question 15

Stacks:

What does the operation isEmpty() do?

Answer 15

Checks to see if the stack is empty.

Question 16

Stacks:

What does the operation push(value) do?

Answer 16

Adds a new value to the top of the stack.

Question 17

Stacks:

What does the operation peek() do?

Answer 17

Returns the top value of the stack without removing it.

Question 18

Stacks:

What does the operation pop() do?

Answer 18

Returns and removes the value at the top of the stack.

Question 19

Stacks:

What does the operation size() do?

Answer 19

It returns the size of the stack.

Question 20

Stacks:

What does the operation isFull() do?

Answer 20

Checks to see if the stack is full.

Question 21

Queues:

What does the operation enQueue(value) do?

Answer 21

Adds the value to the end of the queue.

Question 22

Queues:

What does the operation deQueue() do?

Answer 22

Removes the item from the end of the queue.

Question 23

Queues:

What does the operation isEmpty() do?

Answer 23

It checks to see if the queue is empty.

Question 24

Queues:

What does the operation isFull() do?

Answer 24

Checks to see if the queue is full.