Programming Techniques Flashcards
Sequence, iteration, branching Global and Local Variables Recursive functions Modularity, functions and procedures Features of an IDE
Define Sequence
Code that is executed line-by-line, from top to bottom
Define Branching
A certain block of code that is run if a specific condition is met, using IF
statements
What is branching similar to?
Selection
Define Iteration
A block of code that is executed a certain number of times or while a condition is
met. Iteration uses FOR, WHILE or REPEAT UNTIL loops
Define count controlled iteration
Iteration is repeated a given number of times
Define condition controlled iteration
Iteration continues until a given condition is met
Define recursion
Recursion is a programming construct in which a subroutine
calls itself during its execution
When does the recursion end?
When the stopping condition is met
What also produces the same result as recursion?
Iteration
Give an advantage of recursion
The advantage of using recursion for certain problems is that
they can be represented in fewer lines of code, which makes them less prone to errors
Give a disadvantage of recursion
Inefficient use of
memory. If the subroutine calls itself too many times, there is a danger of a stack overflow,
which is when the call stack runs out of memory. This would cause the program to crash. Another problem with recursion is that it is difficult to trace,
especially with more and more function calls
What type of recursion uses less stack space?
Tail recursion
Define scope
Refers to the section of
code in which the variable is available
Define local variable
A variable with limited scope which means that they
can only be accessed within the block of code in which they
were defined
Give an advantage of using local variables
Multiple local variables with the same name can
exist in different subroutines and will remain unaffected by
each other. Therefore variables cannot be accidentally overwritten
Define global variable
A variable that can be accessed across the whole program
Give an advantage of using global variables
Variables can be used in multiple parts of the program
Define modular programming
Modular programming is a programming technique used to split large, complex programs
into smaller, self-contained modules
Give a disadvantage of using global variables
They can be
unintentionally overwritten and edited. As global variables are not deleted until the
program terminates, they require more memory than local variables which are deleted
once the subroutine has been completed
Why is modular programming essential?
Modularity is essential to making a problem easier to
understand and approach
Give an advantage of modular programming
Each
component can be dealt with individually. This improves the reusability of components, as
once a module has been tested, it can be reused with confidence.
Define the top-down approach
The problem is continually
broken down into sub-problems, until each can be
represented as an individual, self-contained black-box which
performs a certain task.
Define a procedure
Procedures can return multiple values and are typically
given data as parameters for manipulation
Define a function
A function
must return one, single value and
commonly make use of local variables
What does IDE stand for?
Integrated Development Environment
What does stepping do?
This allows you to monitor the effect of each individual line of code by
executing a single line at a time.
What does variable watch do?
Sometimes used to pinpoint errors, this is a useful feature to observe how
the contents of a variable change in real-time through the execution of a
program
What does breakpoint do?
IDEs allow users to set a point in the program at which the program will stop.
This can either be based on a condition or set to occur at a specific line. This
can help to pinpoint where an error is occurring
What is the source code editor?
The editor aims to make the coding process easier by providing features
such as autocompletion of words, indentation, syntax highlighting and
automatic bracket completion.
What debugging tools are there?
Some IDEs also provide run-time detection of errors with a guide as to where in the code they are likely to have occurred through line numbers and
highlighting
