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Intro to Programming in C++ (CSCI 123) > Lecture 1: Introduction to Computers and Programming > Flashcards

Lecture 1: Introduction to Computers and Programming Flashcards

1
Q

A program is

A

A set of instructions that a computer follows to perform a task

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2
Q

Programs are commonly referred to as

A

Computer software

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3
Q

A programmer (or software developer) is

A

A person who designs, creates, and tests computer programs

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4
Q

The physical devices (or components) which make up a computer are commonly referred to as

A

Hardware

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5
Q

Some of the components that make up a typical computer

A

1) Central processing unit (CPU)
2) Main memory
3) Secondary storage devices
4) Input devices
5) Output devices

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6
Q

When a computer is performing tasks that a program tell it to do, we say that it is

A

Running or executing the program

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7
Q

The central processing unit (or CPU) is the part of

A

The computer that actually runs the programs

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8
Q

The computer sends coded instruction to the CPU, which perform the

A

Required operations (such as arithmetic and logic)

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9
Q

A computer’s main memory consists of a long list of

A

Memory locations

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10
Q

Each memory location holds a string of

A

0s and 1s

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11
Q

When a program is running, it is stored in

A

Main memory

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12
Q

Main memory is also called

A

Random access memory (or RAM)

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13
Q

Because the CPU can quickly access data from

A

Any random location in RAM

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14
Q

RAM is volatile (temporary) storage. When the computer is turned off, all data stored in

A

RAM is erased

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15
Q

Secondary storage holds data for long periods, even while the computer is

A

Off

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16
Q

Installed programs are always stored in

A

Secondary storage and are temporarily loaded into main memory when they are running

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17
Q

When we close Word and it is erased from

A

Main memory, it still exists in secondary memory

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18
Q

The most common type is the

A

Hard drive, although solid state drives are becoming more popular

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19
Q

Input: Data the computer collects from people and other devices. Common input devices

A

1) Keyboard
2) Mouse
3) Touchscreen
4) Scanner
5) Microphone

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20
Q

Output: Data the computer produces for people or other devices. Common output devices

A

1) Screen
2) Printer
3) Speaker

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21
Q

The program that tell a computer what to do are referred to as

A

Software

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22
Q

There are two general categories of software:

A

System software and application software

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23
Q

System software controls and manages the basic operations of a computer. The most common system software is the

A

Operating system, which controls the internal operations of a computer’s hardware and manages connected devices

24
Q

Application software is any program a computer’s user runs to

A

Perform some task

25
Q

All data stored in a computer are sequences of 0s and 1s, known as

A

Binary numbers

26
Q

A single binary digit is called a

A

Bit

27
Q

Main memory (RAM) is divided into billion of

A

Storage locations. Each location is large enough to hold a byte

28
Q

A byte is a binary number made up of

A

8 bits

29
Q

Each memory location can store a

A

Small number or a letter of the alphabet

30
Q

A bit can be thought of as a light switch that can either be

A

“On” or “Off”

31
Q

If a bit is 1 we say it is

A

On

32
Q

If a bit is 0 we say it is

A

Off

33
Q

Each storage location in main memory has a

A

Memory address, beginning with address 0

34
Q

The computer uses a memory address to access the data in its

A

Storage location

35
Q

The addresses and data are in binary, which is how

A

A computer stores data

36
Q

Although computer only use binary, simplicity

A

1 will sometimes shows memory addresses in decimal and the data they contain in decimal and letters

37
Q

In binary, all numeric values are written as series of

A

0s and 1s

38
Q

Any piece of data stored in a computer’s memory must be stored as a

A

Binary number

39
Q

To store a character in memory, we first convert it to a

A

Numeric code

40
Q

The standard coding scheme used is

A

ASCII

41
Q

A CPU can only understand instructions written in

A

Machine language

42
Q

A program written in machine language is a set of instructions made up of only

A

Binary numbers

43
Q

Each machine language instruction tells the CPU to perform a very simple task. Some examples

A

1) Read a piece of data from main memory
2) Add two numbers
3) Substract one number from another
4) Multiply two numbers
5) Move a piece of data from one memory location to another
6) Determine whether one value is equal to another

44
Q

The CPU does nothing on its

A

Own

45
Q

It follows the fetch-decode-execute cycle with the program (or programs) currently loaded in

A

Main memory

46
Q

The next instruction to be executed is

A

1) Fetched from main memory
2) Decoded by the CPU
3) Then executed

47
Q

When computer were new,

A

Assembly language was created as an alternative to machine language

48
Q

Short words called

A

Mnemonics are used in assembly language to represent the instructions a CPU can follow

49
Q

A program called an

A

Assembler takes assembly language code and translates it to machine language code

50
Q

The computer’s CPU can then run the

A

Machine language program

51
Q

Although assembly language allows us to avoid writing machine language, it still requires

A

The programmer to understand a lot about the CPU, and it also require a large number of instructions for even simple program.

52
Q

Since assembly language is similar to machine language, it is called a

A

Low-level language

53
Q

From the 1950s onward, many

A

High-level languages have been created

54
Q

A compiler is a program that translates a high-level language program to a

A

Machine language program

55
Q

The computer’s CPU can then run the

A

Machine language program

56
Q

An algorithm is a sequence of

A

Precise instructions which leads to a solution

57
Q

As we have seen, an algorithm does not have to be written in programming langugage, we can also describe it in a

A

Human language

Intro to Programming in C++ (CSCI 123) (5 decks)

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