Autumn Term 2 Mr Reid Flashcards
what is iterative testing?
testing the code as it’s created, altering as required
what are the three types of error?
logic,runtime,syntax
what do logic errors do?
programs operate incorrectly-not crash- so unintended results
what are runtime errors?
an error that causes the program to crash even if there’s nothing wrong with the code, only detected when the program is run, eg run out of memory, infinite recursion
what is casting?
change a var’s data type
what is initialising?
giving a var a value when you create it
what is assignment?
changing a var’s value
what is a transcription/transposition error?
errors in transferring data onto computer
how can data entry errors occur?
transcription/transposition
source doc errors
what is verification (not passwords)
checking data to make sure its been transferred correctly
list some verification methods
double entry like password entry
proofreading
what can incorrect data lead to?
loss of income, reputation; legal ramifications; incorrect processing
why is it important to check data?
so data is as accurate as possible
are strings primitive data types
yes
can verification detect source doc errors?
no
can validaiton detect source doc errors?
yes
how is validation different to verification?
process to make data is sensible and valid, can be done by computer on input. used to check data against rules. can find source doc errors
list 5 types of validation
length check: is the data the expected length?
range check: is the data a sensible amount?
lookup check: does the data exist somewhere else? eg. a title like mr, ms, prof, etc.
format check: eg is it dd/mm/yy
presence check: is it there?
list characteristics of a low level language (5)
machine code+assembly language
tricky to program as programmer must do the logic reasoning
v. fast
produces small, efficient programs
often used in integrated systems
list high level language characteristics
easier to understand/write
can make big, sophisticated programs more easily.
englishish words.
platform dependant
what are characteristics of assembly code?
low-level,uses mnemonics,has an opcode and operand,has a 1-1 relationship with binary
what do assemblers do?
translate assembly code into machine code, platform dependant