Midterm 2

Question 1

value

Answer 1

A value is a data item that is manipulated by the computer.

Question 2

variable

Answer 2

A variable is the name that the programmer uses to refer to a location in memory.

Question 3

location

Answer 3

A location has an address in memory and stores a value.

Question 4

variables can also be called _____

Answer 4

identifiers.

An identifier is a name that must begin with a letter and cannot contain spaces.

Question 5

reserved word

Answer 5

A reserved word is a string that has special meaning in the language. (e.g. var, if, else)

Question 6

variable types

Answer 6

numbers – both integers and float/doubles
strings – sequences of characters
Boolean – true or false

Question 7

algorithm

Answer 7

An algorithm is a precise, systematic method for producing a specified result.

Question 8

Fetch/Execute Cycle

Answer 8

Instruction Fetch (IF) - retrieve instruction from memory
 Instruction Decode (ID) - lookup meaning of instruction
 Data Fetch (DF) - fetch data for instruction
 Instruction Execution (IE) - execute instruction 
 Result Return (RR) - return result to register

Question 9

Grouping instructions

Answer 9

allows programmers to use algorithms to solve other problems without re-creating them. It also allows programmers to focus on one task at a time (divide-and- conquer) and build up solutions to larger problems.

Question 10

5 Basic Steps of Software Development

Answer 10

1) Specification
2) Design
3) Implementation
4) Testing, Execution, and Debugging
5) Maintenance

Question 11

Problem decomposition

Answer 11

breaking down a large problem into subproblems which are easier to solve. Dividing problems into subproblems is called “divide and conquer”.

Question 12

def. method

Answer 12

a sequence of program statements that have a specific task that they perform. (void)

Question 13

def. function

Answer 13

a procedure that returns a value after it is executed. (return)