Paper 2 advanced information flashcards

Question 1

2.1.1

What is abstraction?

Answer 1

the representation of essential features without including unnecessary details

Question 2

2.1.1

What is the need for abstraction?

Answer 2

Makes a problem easier so solve through the removal of unnecessary parts

Question 3

2.1.2

What is caching?

Answer 3

Caching is the temporary storage of data and instructions

Question 4

2.1.2

What are the advantages of caching?

Answer 4

allows for faster processing if cached, can cache consistently used

Question 5

2.1.2

What are the disadvantages of caching?

Answer 5

slower performance if not cached

Question 6

2.1.2

What are the advantages of reusable program components

Answer 6

they can be carried over into other programs
saves time
can be added to a library and imported

Question 7

2.2.1

What is recursion?

Answer 7

Recursion is a method of solving a computational problem where the solution depends on solutions to smaller instances of the same problem

Question 8

2.2.1

How can recursion be used

Answer 8

Recursion is used mainly for problems that can be broken down easily, such as searching through a file system

(something that has sections or branches)

Question 9

2.2.1

How can recursion be compared to an iterative approach?

Answer 9

Recursion is when a function calls itself within its code, thus repeatedly executing the instructions present inside it

Iteration is when a loop repeatedly executes the set of instructions like “for” loops and “while” loops.

Question 10

2.2.1

What is a global variable?

Answer 10

A global variable can be used across the entire program

Question 11

2.2.1

What is a local variable

Answer 11

A local variable is one that can only be used within the function it is defined in

Question 12

2.2.1

What does modularity imply?

Answer 12

Splitting a larger program into smaller, more manageable parts

Question 13

2.2.1

What are functions?

Answer 13

a small section of code within a larger piece of code which has a specific task within it

Functions produce information

Question 14

2.2.1

What are procedures?

Answer 14

a small section of code within a larger piece of code which has a specific task within it

Procedures perform a task

Question 15

2.2.1

What is parameter passing by value?

Answer 15

When a parameter is pass-by-value, the caller and the callee method operate on two different variables which are copies of each other

Question 16

2.2.1

What is parameter passing by reference?

Answer 16

to pass the reference of an argument in the calling function to the corresponding formal parameter of the called function so that a copy of the address of the actual parameter is made in memory, i.e. the caller and the callee use the same variable for the parameter.

Question 17

2.2.1

What are the uses of an IDE to develop?

Answer 17

Allows you to:
Edit 
enter
compile/interpret 
run your programs

Developers use IDEs as the utilities don’t need to be manually configured or applied

Question 18

2.2.1

What are the uses of an IDE to debug a program

Answer 18

An IDE allows you to:
view memory
see variables
run the program to breakpoints
execute next line of code 
change the value of variables

Question 19

2.2.1

What is the use of object oriented techniques?

Answer 19

in object oriented techniques, the focus is on capturing the structure and behavior of information systems into smaller modules

Question 20

2.2.2

What is performance modelling?

Answer 20

performance modelling is a process of evaluating if a system or program works as expected before it is released

Using this information, making it more effective

Question 21

2.2.2

What is visualization?

Answer 21

visualization is making an image/ portrayal of a problem that allows it to be approached easier and see where it can be broken up

Question 22

2.3.1

What is depth first traversal?

Answer 22

go as far as you can down a single path before backtracking

Question 23

2.3.1

What is breadth first traversal?

Answer 23

go to each neighbour in order

( if one is already a neighbour of one of the previous