Outcome 1 Flashcards
Numeric Data
Data that consists of whole numbers, or decimal numbers
Floating Point
numeric data type that consists of a computers representation of real numbers
Integer
numeric data type that can only support whole numbers (represents binary digits)
Boolean
data type that represents two states - on or off - true or false
character
data type that is a symbol (that has meaning - could be a, could be a chinese character etc)
Array
data structure that contains groupings of data
Associative Array
Array where the index value can be of any data type (commonly string)
Dictonary
same as associative array
Hash Table
Array where the index value can be of any data type (commonly string)
and where the value is another array
- referred to as a bucket
Queue
data structure that is first in, first out
Stack
data structure that is first in, last out
Linked list
ordered set of elemtns in which each element is connected to the next element in the list
Record
basic collection of related elements (could be different data types)
Fields
Components of the record (etc FirstName)
Problem Statements
Statement that is a concise description of the problem
Done before you do an SRS
Doesn’t include a potential solution to the problem
Observations
Watching someone use a solution in various situations. Provides a whole picture for either evaluation or documenting the problem
Interview
A list of fixed questions - used to either evaluate a solution or document the problem
Data Dictionaries
Used to plan the storage of software elements
Can be for variables, data structures of objects
Represented in a table
Object Descriptions
Describes all relevant properties, methods and events of an object
Mockups
Sketch showing how a screen or printout will look
Needs enough detail so a different person could create the interface without asking questions
Pseudocode
Flexible, quick, language independent way of describing a calculation strategy.
After an algorithm has been sketched in pseudocode -> it could be converted in source code for any desired programming langauges
Purpose of Psuedocode
- Allows the programmer to express the logic and design of an algorithm
- Programmer can identify errors in logic before commencing development
- allows other developers to understand the program more easily
Methods of representing solution designs
- Data Dictionaries
- Object Descriptions
- Mockups
- Pseudocode
Plain Text Files
Structured file that contains characters of readable data.
Can be separated with spacing, new lines and tabs, but can only be read as character and string types
Commonly used for configuration files
Delimited Files
Type of text file where the file is separated by a programmer-selected character -> called a delimited-separated value
XML
Data type that uses a set of rules for encoding data that can be structured in a form that is both human and computer readable
-> gives data meaning
better than CSV - enables the embedding of metadata using element names and attributes
Binary Files
unreadable to humans, but readable to computers.
Examples include images and sound
Naming Convention
conventions for naming variables in source code
Naming Conventions - Purposes
- Provide consistency in the naming of variables
- Effort needed to read and understand the source code during development is lessened
Camel Case
compounding words using a capital letter for each new word
e.g. firstName
Snake Case
compounding words and phrases with an underscore
e.g. first_name
Hungarian Notation
compounding words and phrases without spaces (similar to camel) that adds a prefix that represents the data type
e.g. strFirstName
Variable
method of storing data so that it can be retrieved later in the program
Instruction
unit of code that can be executed by a compiler or an interpreted
Functions
Returns a value after performing a calculation
Function Arguments
functions can optionally include variables in their definitions which are then passed when the function is called
Function Visibility
restricts actions to functions within an application
Procedure
methods of code that runs, and does not return a value
Classes
allows a programmer to group together related functions and variables into one place, acts as template for creating objects
Methods
Functions that exist inside a class
Control Structures
Sequences
Conditional
Iteration
Sequence
instructions that executes code line by line, with no variable change
Conditional
structure that allows a programmer to write lines of code that are only run when a particular requirement is met
Iteration
repeat sections of code multiple times until a condition is met
Existence Check
checks if a value has been entered
Range Check
checks if a value is within an acceptable limits or comes from a range of acceptable values
Type Check
ensures that values entered into the fields are of the expected data type
Syntax Errors
done when you mistype code to the point where it doesnt meet the formatting requirements of the language
Runtime Errors
errors that occur when the program is running
Logic/Sematic Errors
occurs when the logic of the program fails and un unexpected output is shown
Appropriate Test Data - composition
Above the boundary
At the boundary
Below the boundary
Trace Tables
Simulates the execution of a program
Each feature is executed, step-by-step and values of the algorithm are tracked to ensure the logic of the algorithm is correct
Internal Documentation
notes and comments written by a programmer inside the code
Internal Documentation - purposes
- provides context and important information as to what the code does
- assists others to read the code
- assists with debugging and testing
- assists with maintenance
