Chapter 10 - Software Programming Flashcards
Active Server Pages (ASP)
Programming language used to build websites with interactive capabilities
- adapts HTML page to the user’s selections
AJAX
A collection of technologies that allow the creation of web applications that can update information on a page without requiring the user to refresh or leave the page
Application Programming Interface (API)
A set of software routines that allows one software system to work with another
Algorithm
A set of specific, sequential steps that describe exactly what the computer program must do to complete the required work
Architecture neutral
A feature of Java whereby code needs to be compiled only once after which the code can be run on many different CPUs
Assembly language
A computer language that allows programmers to write programs using a set of short, English-like commands that speak directly to the CPU and that give the programmer direct control of hardware resources
Base class
In object-oriented analysis, the original class
Beta version
A version of the software that is still under development
- many are available for a limited trial period and are used to help the developers correct any errors before they launch the software on the market
Binary decision
A type of decision point in an algorithm that can be answered in one of only two ways: yes or no (true or false)
C
A programming language originally developed for system programmers
C++
A programming language that takes C to an object-oriented level
C#
A Microsoft programming language developed to compete with Java
Class
A category of input identified in object-oriented analysis
- defined by information and actions
Code editing
The step of programming in which a programmer types the code to be executed
Coding
Translating an algorithm into a programming language
Comment
A note left by a programmer in the program code to explain the purpose of a section of code, to indicate the date the program was written, or to include other important information about the code so that programmers can more easily understand and update it
Compilation
The process by which code is converted into machine language - the language the CPU can understand
Compiler
A program that understands both the syntax of the programming language and the exact structure of the CPU and its machine language
Control structure
General term used for a keyword in a programming language that allows the programmer to direct the flow of the program based on a decision
Data
Numbers, words, pictures or sounds that represent facts, figures or ideas
- raw input that users have at the start of a job
Data-flow diagram
A file that contains stored data
Data type
Diagrams that trace all data in an information system from the point at which data enters he system to its final resting place (storage or output)
Debugger
A tool in an integrated development environment that helps programmers analyze a program as it runs
Debugging
The process of running a program over and over to find and repair errors and to make sure the program behaves in the way it should
Decision point
A place where a program must choose from a list of actions based on the value of a certain input
Derived class
In object-oriented analysis, the modified class
Documentation
Description of the technical details of the software, how the code works and how the user interacts with the program and all the necessary user documentation that will be distributed to the program’s users
Dynamic decision making
The ability of a web page to decide how to display itself based on the choices the reader makes
Editor
A special tool in an integrated development environment that helps programmers as they enter code
Error handling
The part of a problem statement where programmers describe what the program should do if the input data is invalid or just gibberish
Executable program
The binary sequence that instructs the CPU to run the programmer’s code
extensible Markup Language (XML)
A markup language that enables designers to define their own data-based tags, making it much easier for a website to transfer the key information on its page to another site
- defines what data is being described rather than how it is to be displayed
Fifth-generation language (5GL)
A computer language in which a problem is presented as a series of facts or constraints instead of as a specific algorithm and the system of facts can then be queried
- considered most “natural” of languages
First-generation language (1GL)
The machine language of a CPU
- sequence of bits that CPU understands
Flowchart
Visual diagram of a process, including the decisions that need to be made along the way
For
In Visual Basic, programmers use this keyword to implement a loop
- after For, an input or output item is given a starting value, and then the statements in the body of the loop are executed
Fourth-generation language (4GL)
A computer language type that includes database query languages and report generators
General availability
The point in the release cycle where after release to manufacturers, software is available for purchase by the public
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)
A series of tags that define how elements on a website should be displayed in a browser
If else
In C++, a binary decision in the code where the program can follow one of two paths
- if decision is made one way, program follows one path
- if made the other way, the program follows another path
Information
Data that has been organized or presented in a meaningful fashion
- result or output that users require at the end of a job
Information system
A system that includes data, people, procedures, hardware, and software that help in planning and decision making
- software based solution used to gather and analyze information
Inheritance
In object-oriented analysis, the ability of a new class to automatically pick up all the data and methods of an existing class and then extend and customize those to fit its specific needs
Initial value
A beginning point
Integrated development environment (IDE)
A developmental tool that helps programmers write and test their programs
- one IDE can be configured to support many different languages
Interpreter
For a programming language, translates the source code into an intermediate form, line by line and then each line is executed as it is translated
Java
An object-oriented programming language that has a large set of existing classes
Java applet
A small Java-based program
JavaScript
An IP addressing scheme that makes IP addresses longer, thereby providing more available addresses
JavaServer Pages (JSP)
Programming language used to build websites with interactive capabilities
- adapts the HTML page to the user’s selections
Javascript Object Notation (JSON)
A syntax for exchanging information between computers
Keyword
A specific word that has a predefined meaning in a particular programming language
Logical error
An error in a program that produces unintended or undesired output, where the syntax error is correct by some other human error has occurred
Loop
A type of decision point in an algorithm
- a question is asked and if the answer is yes, a set of actions is performed
- once the set of actions has finished the question is asked again creating a loop
- if the answer is no the algorithm breaks free of the loop and moves on to the first step that follows the loop
Machine language
The sequence of bits the CPU understands
Method
The process of how a program converts inputs into the correct outputs
Next
In Visual Basic, this keyword implements a loop - when this command is run, program return to the For statement and increments the value of the input or output item by 1 and then runs a test cycle
Object
An example of a class in object-oriented analysis
Objective C
The programming language most often used to program applications to run under OS X
Object-oriented analysis
A type of analysis in which programmers first identify all the categories of inputs that are part of the problem the program is meant to solve
Operator
A coding symbol that represents a fundamental action of the programming language
PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor)
Programming language used to build websites with interactive capabilities; adapts the HTMl page to the user’s selections
Portability
The capability to move a completed solution easily from one type of computer to another
Problem statement
The starting point of a programming work ; a clear description of what tasks the computer program must accomplish and how the program will execute those tasks and respond to unusual situations
Processing
Manipulating or organizing data into information
Program development life cycle (PDLC)
The process of performing a programming project, which consists of five stages: describing the problem, making a plan, coding, debugging, and testing and documentation
Program specification
A clear statement of the goals and objectives of the project
Programming
The process of translating a task into a series of commands a computer will use to perform that task
Programming language
A kind of code for the set of instructions the CPU knows how to perform
Prototype
A small model of a program built at the beginning of a large project
Pseudocode
A text-based approach to documenting an algorithm
Rapid application development (RAD)
An alternative program-development method; instead of developing detailed system documents before they produce the system, developers first create a prototype then generate system documents as they use and remodel the product
Release to manufacturers (RTM)
The point in the release cycle where after beta testing a manufacturer makes changes to the software and releases it to other manufacturers for installation on new machines
Reusability
In object-oriented analysis, the ability to reuse existing classes from one project for another project
Runtime error
An error in a program that occurs when a programmer accidentally writes code that divides by zero
- a mathematical error
Scope creep
An ever-changing set of requests from clients for additional features as they wait longer and longer to see a working prototype
Scripting language
A simple programming language that is limited to performing a set of specialized tasks
Second-generation language (2GL)
A computer language that allows programmers to write programs using a set of short, English-like commands that speak directly to the CPU and that give the programmer direct control of hardware resources (aka assembly language)
Service pack
A software update
Source code
The instruction programmers write in a higher-level language
Statement
A sentence in a code
Structured Query Language (SQL)
A database programming language used to construct queries to extract data from relational databases
- an example of a 4GL
Swift
A new programming language introduced by Apple for developing for iOS and OS X
Syntax
An agreed-on set of rules defining how a language must be structured
Syntax error
A violation of the strict set of rules that define the programming language
System development life cycle (SDLC)
A process used to develop information systems, consists of six steps: problem and opportunity identification, analysis, design, development, testing and installation and maintenance and evaluation
Test condition
A check to see whether the loop in an algorithm is completed
Testing plan
The part of a problem statement that lists specific input numbers the programmers would typically expect the user to enter
- plan then lists the precise output values that a perfect program would return for those input values
Third-generation (3GL)
A computer language that uses symbols and commands to help programmers tell the computer what to do
- easier for humans to read and remember
- examples include BASIC, FORTRAN, COBOL, C/C++ and JAVA
Top-down design
A systematic approach in which a problem is broken into a series of high-level tasks
Variable
Each input and output item the program manipulates
Variable declaration
Tells the operating system that the program needs to allocate storage space in RAM
VBScript
A subset of Visual Basic, used to introduce dynamic decision making into web pages
Visual Basic (VB)
A programming language used to build a wide range of Windows applications
Visual programming languages
Programming language that uses graphical blocks to represent control elements and variables
Web service
Part of the Microsoft .NET Framework, programs that a website uses to make information available to other websites
