ICT chapter 4

Question 1

What is software?

Answer 1

a series of instructions written in a programming language that performs a function

Question 2

What are two types of system software?

Answer 2

operating system (OS) and utility programs

Question 3

What are 4 examples of generic names of application software?

Answer 3

Word Processor

Spreadsheet

Database

Web Browser

Question 4

What is firmware?

Answer 4

instructions that are stored in the ROM and are loaded when the computer starts

Question 5

What is the bootstrap?

Answer 5

the first commands loaded when a computer starts it checks hardware and loads the firmware

Question 6

what is the interface?

Answer 6

the method in which the user communicates with the computer

Question 7

What are the three different types of interface?

Answer 7

Graphical user interface

Command line interface

natural language interface

Question 8

What is the Graphical User interface?

Answer 8

a type of operating system that includes windows, icons, menus and pointers

Question 9

What is the command line interface?

Answer 9

a type of operating system where the user types commands

Question 10

What is the natural language interface?

Answer 10

a type of operating system that allows the user to type or speak commands

Question 11

What is system software?

Answer 11

a type of software that manages the hardware and software of the computer

Question 12

What is the operating system?

Answer 12

a program that manages the computer, allows the computer to communicate with the user and allows software to be run

Question 13

What are utility programs?

Answer 13

system software that performs housekeeping activities

Question 14

What is application software?

Answer 14

a software which allows the user to perform a useful task

Question 15

What does the application software run on?

Answer 15

It runs on the operating system

Question 16

What does the operating system run on?

Answer 16

it runs on the firmware

Question 17

What is the firmware loaded by?

Answer 17

The bootstrap

Question 18

What is an interrupt?

Answer 18

a signal sent to a processor to tell it that its attention is needed

Question 19

What actions would cause interrupts to appear in the software?

Answer 19

Division by 0

two processes attempting to access the same memory location

output required

Question 20

What actions would cause interrupts to appear in the Hardware?

Answer 20

data input on a keyboard

error from hardware e.g. printer run out of paper

new hard drive device connected

Question 21

What is the interrupt handler?

Answer 21

a program that organizes interrupts into a order based on priorities

Question 22

What is the Interrupt service routine?

Answer 22

a program that receives an interrupt and performs a required action

Question 23

What are the 6 differences between High-level and Low-level language?

Answer 23

High level is easier for users to understand, read and write while low level is difficult to understand

High level is also easier to debug code while low level is harder

High level is portable and machine dependent while low level is not portable and also machine dependent

High level must be converted into low level language before it can be run , for low level such as machine code it does not need to be converted but even if it needs to be like assembly language its still faster than high level

One high level statement can represent many low level instructions

High level cant manipulate hardware while low level can

Question 24

What is machine code?

Answer 24

binary code

Question 25

What is assembly language?

Answer 25

code written in mnemonics that can directly manipulate the hardware

Question 26

What is a translator?

Answer 26

a type of software that converts code written in one programming language to another. usually high level to low level language.

Question 27

What are the three main types of translators?

Answer 27

assembler
interpreter
compiler

Question 28

What are the main differences between a interpreter and a compiler?

Answer 28

Interpreter translate one line at a time the executes it while compiler translates all the code into machine code before executing

Interpreter reports a syntax error as soon as it is found while the compiler reports all the errors at the same time

Interpreter doesn’t produce an executable file while compiler does

You can test parts of the program without needing to translate all of it

Question 29

When is compiler mainly used?

Answer 29

When the program has been finished and is ready for testing

Question 30

What is The integrated development environment

Answer 30

a piece of software that allows the user to write, test and run program code

Question 31

What is Auto-completion?

Answer 31

feature of a editor which gives the user options when they start typing a command

Question 32

What is Auto-correction?

Answer 32

feature of a editor which identifies spelling errors and changes them

Question 33

What is Prettyprint?

Answer 33

a feature of a editor that changes the couler of text

Question 34

What is an editor?

Answer 34

it is a feature of the IDE that allows the user to enter and amend program code

Question 35

What is the run-time environment?

Answer 35

it is a feature of the IDE that allows a program to be run and lets the user interact with is