Key Terminology

Question 1

syntax error

Answer 1

A mistake in typed code that violates the rules of the programming language. Typically, code with syntax errors will not run.

Question 2

logic error

Answer 2

A mistake in an algorithm or program that causes it to behave unexpectedly or return the incorrect value.

Question 3

run-time error

Answer 3

A mistake in a program that happens only when the program is actually run, such as a program attempting to access memory that does not exist.

Question 4

overflow error

Answer 4

Error that results when the number of bits is not enough to represent the number (like a car’s odometer “rolling over”).

Question 5

sequencing

Answer 5

The sequential execution of steps in an algorithm or code in a program (like steps in a recipe).

Question 6

selection

Answer 6

A Boolean condition to determine which of two paths are taken in an algorithm or program

Question 7

iteration

Answer 7

The repetition of steps in an algorithm or program for a certain amount of times or until a certain condition is met (for/while loops)

Question 8

linear search

Answer 8

An algorithm that iterates through each item in a list until it finds the target value.

Question 9

binary search

Answer 9

An algorithm that searches a sorted list for a value by repeatedly splitting the list in half.

Question 10

modularity

Answer 10

The separation of a program into independent modules that are each responsible for one aspect of the program’s functionality.

Question 11

traversal

Answer 11

The iteration over the items in a list. A full traversal iterates over every item, while a partial traversal iterates over a subset of the items.

Question 12

encryption

Answer 12

The process of scrambling data to prevent unauthorized access.

Question 13

override

Answer 13

Overriding an inherited method means providing a public method in a subclass with the same method signature (method name, parameter type list and return type) as a public method in the superclass. The method in the subclass will be called instead of the method in the superclass.

Question 14

Inheritance

Answer 14

Inheritance makes it possible to create a new child class that inherits the attributes and methods of the original (parent) class. The term ‘parent class’ is also referred to as superclass or base class, while ‘child classes’ can also be referred to as subclasses or derived classes

Question 15

Polymorphism

Answer 15

It refers to the ability of a method to exhibit different behaviours depending on the object on which the method is invoked.