CISP300 Ch1 Definitions
The chapter one definitions for Programming Logic and Design Fourth Edition. A book used in the CISP300 algorithem design class at American River College
Terms
undefined, object
copy deck
- High-Level programming Languages
- Programming languages that are English-like.
- Identifier
- A variable name.
- Variables
- Memory locations, whose contents can vary or differ over time.
- Save
- Should be done on some nonvolatile medium.
- Dummy Value
- A preselected value that stops the execution of a program. Such a value is sometimes called a sentinel value because it represents an entry point, like a sentinel who guards a fortress.
- Logical errors
- These occur when incorrect instructions are performed, or when instructions are performed in the wrong order.
- Decision
- Testing a value
- Output Symbols
- Represented as parallelograms in flowcharts.
- Decision Symbol
- You represent a decision in a flowchart by draing this, which is shaped like a diamond.
- Processing Symbols
- Represented as rectangles in flowcharts.
- Central Processing Unit or CPU
- The piece of haedware that processes data.
- Internal Storage
- Memory, main menory, primary memory or random access memory (RAM)
- Assignment Statement
- This stores the result of any calculation performed on it's right side to the named location on the left side.
- Numeric Constant
- A specific numeric value.
- Volatile
- When memory contents are lost every time the computer loses power.
- Mnemonic
- A memory device; variable identifiers act as mnemonics for hard-to-remember memory addresses.
- Character, Text or String Variables
- These hold character values. If a working program contains the statement lastName = "Lincoln", than lastName is this.
- Machine Language
- A computers on/off circuitry language; the low-level language made up of 1s and 0s that the computer understands.
- Conversion
- The entire set of actions an organization must take to switch over to using a new program or set of programs.
- Characters
- Letters, numbers, and special symbols such as "A", "7" , and "$".
- Semantic Error
- This occurs when a correct word is used in an incorrect context
- Binary Decision
- A yes-or-no decision is called this, because there are two possible outcomes.
- Declaration
- A statement that names a variable and tells the computer which type of data to expect.
- Coding
- Writing the statements in a programming language.
- Data
- All the text, numbers and other information that are processed by a computer
- Connector
- A flowchart symbol used when limited page size forces you to continue the flowchart wlsewhere on the same page or on the following page
- Flowchart
- A pictorial representation of the logical steps it takes to solve a problem.
- Procedural Programming
- A type of programming that focuses on the procedures that programmers create.
- Numeric Variables
- These hold numeric Values
- Floating-Point
- These are fractional, numeric variables that contain a decimal point.
- Algorithm
- The sequence of steps necessary to solve any problem.
- Field
- A single data item, such as lastName, streedAdress, or AnnualSalary.
- Externa Storage
- Persistant (relatively permanent) storage outside the main memory of the machine, on a device such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape.
- Infinite Loop
- A repeating flow of logic without an ending.
- Output
- information is sent to a printer, monitor, or some other output device so people can view, interpret, and work with the results.
- Files
- Groups of records that go together for some logical reason.
- Software
- The programs that tell the computer what to do.
- Logic
- Developed when you give instuctions to the computer in a spacific sequence, without leaving any instructions out or adding extraneous instructions.
- Camel Casing
- A format for naming variables in chich multiple-word variable names are run together, and each new word within the variable name begins with an uppercase letter.
- Database
- A group of files, often called tables, that together serve the inforation needs of an organization.
- Syntax
- The gramatical rules of a language.
- Running or Executing
- This occurs when the compuyter actually uses the written and compiled program.
- Data Hierarchy
- A representation of the relationship of databases, files, records, fields, and characters.
- EOF
- Many programming languages use this term to talk about an end-of-data file marker.
- Assignment Operator
- The equal sign is called this.
- Syntax Error
- An error in language or grammer.
- Integer
- These are whole-number, numeric variables.
- Queries
- Questions that pull related data items together from a database ina format that enhances efficient management decision making.
- Data Type
- This describes the kind of values the variable can hold and the type of operations that can be performed with it.
- Flowlines
- The connection of steps in a flowchart.
- Desk-Checking
- the process of walking through a program solution on paper.
- Processing
- Processing data items may involve organizing them, checing them for accuracy, or performing mathematical operations on them.
- Input Symbols
- An indicatioon of input operations that are representedas parallelograms in flowcharts.
- Pseudocode
- An English-like representation of the logical steps it takes to solve a problem.
- Strong Constant or Character Constant
- These are enclosed in quotation marks.
- Hardware
- The equipment of a computer system
- Input
- Keyboards and Mice; through these divices, data items enter the computer system. Data can also enter a system from storage devices such as magnetic discs and CDs
- Declaring Variables
- The process of naming program variables and assigning a type to them.
- Programming Languages
- Used for the process of writing languages.
- Object-Oriented Programming
- A type of programming that focuses on objects, or "things," and describes their features, or attributes, and their behaviors.
- Records
- Groups of fileds that go together for some logica reason.