Programming

Question 1

High level languages

Answer 1

Program language that allows code to be written
-uses instructions based on a recognisable human language – usually English.
provides abstraction.
It hides (abstracts) more complex instructions from
the programmer.
must be either compiled or interpreted into a low-level language.

Question 2

Low-Level Languages

Answer 2

uses instructions that are closer to what a computer understands.

Question 3

Assembly Language

Answer 3

a low level language
Programmers have to write instructions using acronyms to control the components of the CPU and move data around the CPU’s registers.

Question 4

assembler

Answer 4

converts assembly language into machine code.

Question 5

Machine Code

Answer 5

a low level language
the set of instructions that a computer processor actually uses.
Machine code is binary that represents both instructions and data.

Question 6

Advantages of High-Level Programming Languages

Answer 6

Easier for humans to understand.
Easier to write programs
Easier to debug programs
Programs can be written on one type of computer (e.g. Windows) but run on many different types of computer (e.g. Apple, Linux).

Question 7

Disadvantages of High-Level Programming Languages

Answer 7

Programs need to be converted into a low-level language before they can be run.
This can make a program run slower if it is interpreted.

Question 8

Advantages of Low-Level Programming Languages

Answer 8

Programs are considerably faster.

Programs use less memory space (RAM).

Question 9

Disadvantages of Low-Level Programming Languages

Answer 9

Low-level programs are very complex for a human to write.
They are also very difficult to debug.
The programs may only run on one specific computer architecture e.g. an Intel processor.

Question 10

Compilers

Answer 10

changes a computer program written in a high-level programming language into either assembly language or machine code.

Question 11

Interpreters

Answer 11

convert a high-level computer program into machine code line-by-line.

Question 12

Translators

Answer 12

Compilers, interpreters and assemblers are all types of translator.
They translate a computer program from one language to another language.

Question 13

Domain-Specific Languages

Answer 13

computer languages are written for a specific purpose within a specific area of ICT.
HTML is only used to create webpages.
SQL is only used to work with databases.

Question 14

Static Variables

Answer 14

is created when the program starts and is stored in memory until the program ends.
It cannot be deleted and re-created

Question 15

Dynamic Variables

Answer 15

is only stored in memory when it is being used by a program. It is deleted from memory when it is not being used anymore.

Question 16

Global Variables

Answer 16

are available to the entire program.

Question 17

Local Variables

Answer 17

declared inside methods (functions)

They can only be used inside the method in which they are declared.

Question 18

Constants

Answer 18

A constant is a value that never changes

Question 19

Variable Scope

Answer 19

refers to which parts of a program can see a variable, or which parts of a program have access to a variable

Question 20

Syntax error

Answer 20

An error that occurs when a command does not follow the expected syntax of the language

Question 21

Runtime/execution error

Answer 21

An error that only occurs when the program is running and is difficult to foresee before a program is compiled and run

Question 22

Logical error

Answer 22

And Error that causes a program to output an incorrect answer

Question 23

Linking error

Answer 23

An Error that occurs when a programmer calls a function within a program and the correct library has not been linked to that program

Question 24

Rounding error

Answer 24

Rounding is when a number is approximated to the nearest whole number

Question 25

Truncation error

Answer 25

Truncating is when a number is approximated to a whole number