Definitions Flashcards
Abstraction
Process of removing or hiding unnecessary detail so that only the important points remain
Access Control
Determines which users have access to which data AND what they are allowed to do with it
Algorithm
Precise method for solving a problem
Consists of a sequence of step-by-step instructions
Analogue
Using signals or information represented by a quantity that is continuously variable
Requires accurate sending and receiving mechanisms
Application Software
Software that performs a task that would otherwise be done by hand
Arithmetic/ Logic Unit (ALU)
Part of the CPU that performs calculations and logic operations
Arithmetic Operator
Operator that performs a calculation on 2 numbers
Arithmetic Shift
Used for signed binary numbers
When performing a right shift, the bits at the left are replaced by the most significant bit
Array
An organised collection of related values that share a single identifier
Assembly Language
Low-level language written using mnemonics
Assignment Statement
SET…TO
e.g. SET correct TO False
Attribute
An item of data stored about an entity
Audit Trail
Record of activities that have taken place on a computer system
Generated automatically and will record:
- what has happened
- who or what has made a change
Authentication
Process of proving to a computer system who you are
e.g. username and password
Back-Up
Copy of files in another location so that they are still available in the original copy is damaged or lost
Bandwidth
The amount of data that can be carried on a network in a given time period
Binary
Information represented by 1s and 0s
Binary Prefix
Multiplies a unit by powers of 2
Binary Shift
An operation done on all the bits of a binary value in which they are moved by a specific number of places to either the left or right
Bit Depth
Number of bits used to encode the information from each sample
Increasing the number of bits used increases the amount of detail contained in each sample
Boolean
Something that can take only the values “True” or “False”
Brute Force
Algorithm design that does not include any techniques to improve performance but, instead, relies on sheer computing power to try all possibilities until the solution to a problem is found
Built-In Functions
Functions that are provided in most high-level programming languages to perform common tasks
Bus
group of connections between devices in a computer
Bus Width
The number of wires that make up a bus
Byte
8 bits
Cache
Memory used to make up for the difference in speed between two internal components
Faster than RAM
Very expensive
CPU
Central Processing Unit
Hardware device that carries out the processing in a computer
Character Set
Defined list of characters recognised by a computer’s hardware and software
Checksum
An error detection technique
Client-Server Network
A network that has at least one server to provide services to the client computers
Clock
An electronic device inside a CPU that is used to synchronise the actions of the other parts of the CPU
Clockspeed
Measured in Hz
Number of cycles (instructions) that can be carried out per second
Cloud Storage
Secondary storage
Accessed via a netwrok
Colour Depth
Number of bits used to encode the colour of each pixel
Compiler
A translator that converts high-level language source code into machine code
Compound Key
A key that consists of two or more fields used to identify a record uniquely
Compression
Changing the format of a data file so that the size of the file becomes smaller
Computational Thinking
Thought process involved in formulation problems and their solutions so that the solutions are represented in a form that can be effectively carried out by a computer
Computing Technology
An all-encompassing term referring to the:
- Hardware
- Software
- Infrastructure
- etc
Concantenation
Linking together two or more items of information
Concurrent
Processes that run ‘simultaneously’
Constant
Holds a value that never changes
Construst
What something is built from
e.g. letters and numbers make up the English language
Control Unit
Part of the CPU that organises the actions of the other parts of the CPU
Data Structure
Organised collection of related elements
Arrays and records are two common data structures used in programming
Data Type
Specifies what kind of data it can hold
e.g integer, real, Boolean, character, float
Database
An organised store of data
Definite Iteration
When the number of loops needed is known
Defragmentation
Moves file clusters on a disk so that they are closer to each other to speed up disk access
Denial of Service (DoS)
An attack on a network that attempts to prevent legitimate users from accessing its services
Digital
Information represented by certain fixed values
Encryption
Process of encoding a message into a form that only the intended recipient can decode/ decrypt/ read
Field
An individual element in a record
File
All of the records in a table
OR
A group of linked elements
Firewall
A utility that controls program access to the network
