Chapter 1 Flashcards
What is a sentinel value?
A dummy value that the user will never need, used to end a program.
What does ‘eof’ stand for?
End of file.
What is the purpose of a sentinel value in programming?
Acts as a marker at the end of a file.
What does maintenance involve in programming?
Making changes after the program is put into production.
What is conversion in the context of programming?
The entire set of actions an organization must take to switch over to using a new program or set of programs.
What is a logical error?
Results when a syntactically correct statement is used, but it is the wrong one for the current context.
What is debugging?
The process of finding and correcting program errors.
What is pseudocode?
An English-like representation of the logical steps it takes to solve a problem.
What does a flowchart represent?
A pictorial representation of the logical steps it takes to solve a problem.
What are the major models or paradigms in programming?
- Procedural programming
- Object-oriented programming
What is the role of a compiler or interpreter?
Changes high-level programming language into low-level machine language.
What is a syntax error?
Misuse of a language’s grammar rules.
What is the function of computer hardware?
Equipment associated with a computer.
What is application software?
Software such as word processing, spreadsheets, payroll, and inventory.
What does the central processing unit (CPU) do?
Performs calculations and comparisons.
What is a variable in programming?
A named memory location whose value can vary.
What is an algorithm?
The sequence of steps or rules you follow to solve a problem.
What does the program development cycle include?
- Understand the problem
- Plan the logic
- Code the program
- Use software to translate the program
- Test the program
- Put the program into production
- Maintain the program
True or False: Logical errors are easier to locate than syntax errors.
False.
What is the purpose of a text editor in programming?
Used to create simple text files.
What is a graphical user interface (GUI)?
Allows users to interact with a program in a graphical environment.
Fill in the blank: A _______ is a repetition of a series of steps in programming.
[loop]
What does the output symbol in a flowchart represent?
Output statements.
What is the definition of input in the context of computer systems?
Data items such as text, numbers, images, and sound.
