computer science programming paper

Question 1

what is a register

Answer 1

a temporary memory location located inside the CPU which is used for a single purpose

Question 2

compare the efficiency of using a binary tree to a linked list when searching

Answer 2

the binary tree is more efficient as it removes half of the values at a time where a a linked list has to go through every single value

Question 3

Compare the efficiency of a binary search tree to a hash table when searching for data.

Answer 3

binary tree is less efficient than a hash table, a hash table can find data immediately without having to look at other values

Question 4

what is an object

Answer 4

an instantiated class

Question 5

recursion

Answer 5

this a programming construct where the subroutine calls it self during execution

Question 6

heuristics

Answer 6

a non-optimal way of solving a problem this finds an approximate solution TO A PROBLEM WHICH IS TIME CONSUMING

Question 7

performance testing

Answer 7

eliminates the need for true performance testing by providing mathematical methods to test on a variety of load son different operating systems

Question 8

what is the MAIN difference between functions and procedures

Answer 8

a function RETURNS a value

Question 9

what is the difference between branching and iteration

Answer 9

branching decides which code is run and only runs the code once

Question 10

how to remove form a tree

Answer 10

find the node
replace the content of node with null
add to empty list

Question 11

similarities between trees and graphs

Answer 11

both made of nodes
both are connected by links

Question 12

differences between tree and graphs

Answer 12

trees are one directional
trees will not be weighted(edges)

Question 13

differences between recursion and iteration

Answer 13

recursion uses more memory iteration uses less
recursion can run out of memory while iteration cannot run out of memory

Question 14

what are preconditions

Answer 14

requirements which must be met before a program can be executed

Question 15

what is caching

Answer 15

storing instruction which have been used as they may be used again

Question 16

what are the limitations of caching

Answer 16

larger cache takes longer to search so cache size limits how much data can be stored

Question 17

reusable components (advantages)

Answer 17

subroutines- arguments can be changed to obtain a different output
saves money time and resources

Question 18

what is thinking procedurally

Answer 18

writing a program a lot simpler by breaking down each component of the problem into smaller parts(subroutines)

Question 19

what is the ultimate aim of thinking procedurally

Answer 19

breaking down a problem until each subproblem can be represented by a single task

Question 20

what is concurrent thinking

Answer 20

the process of completing related tasks at the same time

Question 21

what is concurrent processing used by

Answer 21

multicore processors

Question 22

what are the benefits of concurrent processing

Answer 22

number of tasks completed in a given time is increased
less time wasted waiting for an input or user interaction

Question 23

what are the drawbacks of concurrent processing

Answer 23

switching between tasks reduces programming throughput
when a large sample is dealt with it will take longer to complete as it cannot be completed at once
there are some scenarios where this type of thinking will not be suited as some problems cannot be broken down into concurrent tasks

Question 24

what are the three features of IDE

Answer 24

stepping - this allows to monitor the effect of each individual line of code
debugging - provides run-time detection of errors which can show where in the code it occurred
breakpoint- this allows programmers to choose points where the program stops, this can help pinpoint logical errors

Question 25

what is the difference between passing by reference and by value

Answer 25

by reference it will change the actual contents in the array
by value would create a copy but not change the original

Question 26

how can abstraction help with a programming project

Answer 26

reduces the complexity of the design
reduces the complexity of programming
removes irrelevant information

Question 27

how does a private attribute improve the integrity of the data

Answer 27

they can only be accessed by their methods
cannot be accessed accidentally