Chp 1: Computer Programming Flashcards
Computer: definition
Any device that stores and processes data.
algorithm
A sequence of steps that species how to solve a problem, with or without a computer.
bug
An error in a program.
processors
(or CPUs) perform simple calculations
memory
(or RAM) that temporarily stores information.
program
the sequence of instructions that specifies how to perform a computation on computer hardware.
input
Get data from the keyboard, a file, a sensor, or some other device.
output
Display data on the screen, or send data to a file or other device.
math
Perform basic mathematical operations like addition and division.
decision
Check for certain conditions and execute the appropriate code.
repetition
Perform an action repeatedly, usually with some variation.
programming
the process of breaking down a large, complex task into smaller and smaller subtasks
statement
a line of code that performs a basic action; specifies one step of an algorithm.
print statement
displays a message to the user
method
a named sequence of statements.
class
a collection of related methods; it is conventional to start with a capital letter.
comment
A part of a program that contains information about the program but has no effect when the program runs.
high-level language
A programming language that is designed to be easy for humans to read and write.
low-level language
A programming language that is designed to be easy for a computer to run. Also called “machine language”.
portable
The ability of a program to run on more than one kind of computer.
interpreter
processes the program a little at a time, alternately reading lines and performing computations.
compiler
reads the entire program and translates it completely before the program starts running; compiled programs often run faster than interpreted programs.
Source code
A program in a high-level language, before being compiled.
object code
The output of the compiler, after translating the program.
