Definitions Flashcards
Actor
Individuals who interact with a system in a use case diagram or a sequence diagram.
Alpha Testing
Tests performed by the programming team during the implementation phase.
Beta Testing
Tests performed by a group of clients or users prior to accepting the software.
Circular Queue
A queue which uses a system where only the start and end pointers move, allowing the array to behave as if its spaces were arranged in a circle.
Class
A class in object oriented programming is code which defines the data of an object of that type can use (its instance variables) and what it can do (its methods) .
Class Diagram
A table containing the name of a class together with its instance variables and its methods.
Concurrency Control
In concurrent computing, ensuring that threads operate in the correct sequence and priority.
Data Integrity
When data transfer between components hardware or software components occurs without errors.
Deadlock
where two threads are competing for the same resource resulting in neither completing is operation.
Driver
A piece of code designed to test a function or procedure in an incomplete program.
Elision
Natural language segment text within psuedocode describing a process in the algorithm which needs to be expanded.
Encapsulation
a characteristic of objects in object-oriented programming which means that objects are closed systems which cannot be altered from outside.
Extreme Programming
A type of agile software development involving frequent communication with the client, frequent releases and the expectation of several changes in requirements
Inference Engine
The logic used by declarative programming language to match a query with the facts and rules in its knowledge base.
Inheritance
Used in object oriented programming, the sharing of characteristics between a class of objects and a newly created sub-class. This allows code re-use by extending an existing class.
Instance Variables
In object oriented programming the instance variables if an object are the data items which that object uses .
Instantiation
The creation of a new object from a class.
Knowledge Base
The facts and rules which constitute a program which uses the declarative programming paradigm
LIFO
Last in first out queue structure
Linked List
A linked list is a list whose data items have a link to the next data item in the list, allowing it to expand and contract dynamically.
Methods
In object oriented programming this refers to the behaviour of an object and how it can manipulate instance variables. Methods are defined inside the class which was used to create the object.
Modularity
In object oriented programming this refers to the behaviour of an object and how it can manipulate instance variables. Methods are defined inside the class which was used to create the object.
Nested Loop
A computational construct consisting of a fixed loop within another fixed loop.
Object
in object oriented programming an object created from a class. An object inherits both methods and instance variables from the class which created it.
Overflow
The error when an attempt is made to push an item of data onto a stack or queue which is full.
Pop
to retrieve an item from a stack or queue.
Procedural Programming
a programming paradigm where a series of commands are executed in sequence.
Properties
In object oriented programming the properties of an object are the instance variables or data items which that object uses.
Prototype
A working model designed for the evaluation which may not have all the features of the final program.
Push
To place an item of data in a stack or queue.
Queue
An array of data items where items placed on a queue are added to the end and retrieved at the front. A queue operates on a FIFO principle.
Race Condition
Where two threads simultaneously operate on the same data, but different timings result in unpredictable results.
Record
A record is a data structure which can contain data items of different types.
Recursion
A common declarative programming technique where code repeatedly calls itself until a simple base fact is identified.
Resource Starvation
Where one thread in a concurrent program accesses a resource locking lower priority threads as a result.
Semantics
The semantics of a block of psuedocode or program code is its meaning or logic. Computer code is semantically correct if it does what the programmer intended.
Skeumorphism
When an interface mimics the hardware which an application is replacing.
Stack
An array of data items which can only be accessed from the top A stack operates on a LIFO principle.
Stack Pointer
The variable storing the position of the empty space at the top of a stack.
Stub
A short section of code which stands in for a missing sub-program when testing a partially completed program.
Syntax
The syntax of a block of psuedocode or program code is the set of grammatical rules which it follows. Computer code is syntactically correct if it follows all the rules of the language.
Thread
A sequence of instructions running concurrently with another sequence.
Top-down Analysis
Breaking a problem down into smaller sub-problems in order to make it easier to build a solution.
Underflow
The error when an attempt is made to retrieve an item of data from an empty stack or queue.
Waterfall Model
The traditional software development model which assumes an iterative linear progression through the analysis, design, implementation, testing, documentation, evaluation and maintenance stages.
Acceptance Criteria
The agreed sign-off criteria for an item in the product backlog. When the item meets the criteria then it it delivered and marked as complete in the product backlog.
Activity
An item from the project plan that is carried out using an amount of effort.
Agile
An approach to software development that is flexible and focuses on working software over documentation and complete sets of requirements.
Analytics
Is information resulting from the systematic analysis of data or statistics.
Base Line Plan
Is the agreed final plan before moving into the development phase. The progress of the project is measured against the base line plan.
Benchmark Usability Tests
The user works with an automated system that asks them to perform tasks, measuring the performance and asks for subjective comments.
Client-server Model
The client-server model of computing is a distributed application structure that portions tasks or workloads between the providers of a resource or service, called servers, and service requesters, called clients.
Code injection
The exploitation of a computer bug that is caused by processing invalid data. Injection is used by an attacker to introduce(or “inject”) code into a vulnerable computer program and change the course of execution.
Constraints
The variables that limit the activities of the project: scope, time, cost and quality.
Cookies
An HTTP cookie is a small piece of data sent from a website and stored in a user’s web browser while the user is browsing that website.
Critical Path
The sequence if activities determining the minimum time needed to complete a project.
Cyber Resilience
is defined as the ability of systems and organisations to. Withstand cyber events, measured by the combination of mean time to failure and mean time to recovery.
Cyber Security
Is the body of technologies, processes and practices designed to protect networks, computers, programs and data from attack, damage or unauthorized access.
Data Centre
Is a large group of networked computer servers typically used by organisations for the remote storage, processing, or distribution of large amounts of data
Data Dictionary
Is a set of information describing the contents, format, and structure if a database and the relationship between its elements
Data Modelling
Is a process used to understand the data involved in business processes.
Cyber Crime
Are criminal activities carried out by means of computers or the internet.
Float
The amount of time that an activity can be delayed without causing the delay to subsequent activities or the project overall.
Functional Requirements
Define specific behaviour or functions within a system or product.
Gantt Chart
A chart in which a series of horizontal lines shows the amount of work done or production completed in certain periods of time in relation to the amount planned for those periods.
GET Method
A means of passing data to a script via the URL.
High-fidelity prototypes
From a user testing point of view, a high-fidelity prototype is close enough to a final product to be able to examine usability questions in detail and make strong conclusions about how behaviour will relate to use of the final product.
Integration testing
Is the phase in software testing in which individual software modules are combined and tested as a group. it occurs after unit testing and before validation testing.
Intellectual Property Protection
The protections that are available for intellectual property: patents, design rights and trademarks.
Intelligent Agent
An Intelligent Agent (IA) is an autonomous entity which observes through sensors and acts upon an environment using actuators(i.e. it is an agent) and directs its activity towards achieving goals.
Iterative Programming
Is a design methodology based on a cyclic process of prototyping, testing, analysing, and refining a product or process.
Low-Fidelity Prototypes
An early prototype that is sketchy and incomplete, that has some characteristics of the target product but is otherwise simple, usually in order to quickly produce the prototype and test board concepts.
Prototyping Session Report
A formal report from a session with users working with prototypes of any time.
Regular Expression
A sequence of symbols and characters which define a string or pattern to be searched for within a longer piece of text.
Requirements Specification
Is a description of a software system to be developed, typically it will include full details of the product to be developed.
Right to be Forgotten
The European Union passed its so-called “Right to be Forgotten” law, which compels search engines like google to remove search listing about people if they get the appropriate court orders to provide information to service prod.
Scope
The detail of what a project is to achieve. Changes to the scope of the project have a direct impact on the time and cost of the project.
Script
Program code which can be executed.
Scrum
Is an iterative and incremental agile software development framework for managing product development.
Unit Testing
Is a software development process in which the smallest testable parts of an application, called units, are individual and independently scrutinised for proper operation
Use Cases
Is and approach used in system analysis to identify, clarify, and organise system requirements. Use cases are made up of sets of possible sequences of interactions between systems and users in a particular environment and related to a particular goal.
User Experience
The overall experience of a person using a product such as a website or computer application, Especially in terms of how easy or pleasing it is to use, and sometimes define the possibilities of how the user(s) can achieve them on the site.
Validation Testing
Is an independent procedure that is used for checking that a product, service, or system meets requirements and specifications and that is fulfils its intended purpose.
Waterfall Model
Is a sequential design process, used in software development processes, in which progress is seen as a flowing steadily downwards (like a waterfall) through the phases of conception, initiation, analysis, design, construction, testing, production/implementation and maintenance
Web Profiling
Business can profile web users based on the sites they travel to, how long they stay on each page, and what they do on these sites. This information can then be used to target the users with advertising.
WEEE
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Work Breakdown Structure
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XSS
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