Topic 2 - Programming

Question 1

What is readability?

Answer 1

How easily program code can be understood.

Question 2

What are three ways of enhancing readability?

Answer 2

1. Comments
2. Descriptive Variable Names
3. Indentation

Question 3

What is an error?

Answer 3

An occurrence of an unexpected result.

Question 4

What are three types of errors?

Answer 4

1. Logic (when results are different than expected)
2. Syntax (structure and rules of program code)
3. Runtime (Occurs during or after program execution)

Question 5

What is a Test Plan?

Answer 5

A document outlining the stages of the testing process.

Question 6

In a test plan, what are three categories that test data is usually put into?

Answer 6

1. NORMAL (typical inputs)
2. BOUNDARY (not so typical inputs)
3. ERRONEOUS (inputs that just don’t work)

Question 7

What is a Trace Table?

Answer 7

A method used to test for Logic Errors

Question 8

What is an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) ?

Answer 8

An application that provides a selection of tools for programmers whilst coding.

Question 9

What is debugging?

Answer 9

The process of finding and removing errors.

Question 10

What is a Watcher?

Answer 10

A tool that ‘watches’ anything specified by the programmer.

Question 11

What is a Breakpoint?

Answer 11

A tool that allows a programmer to halt the programmer’s execution at specified points.

Question 12

What is ‘Stepping’ ?

Answer 12

The process of executing the program line by line.

Question 13

What are four factors that make up a good program?

Answer 13

1. Correctness
2. Efficiency
3. Robustness
4. Understandability

Question 14

What two purposes does Declaration serve?

Answer 14

1. To reserve memory space

2. To ensure the compiler interprets and uses instructions correctly

Question 15

What is a Command?

Answer 15

Instructs the computer to do something specific.

Question 16

What is a Conditional?

Answer 16

A statement that evaluate to True or False (Boolean)

Question 17

What are the three types of Control Constructs?

Answer 17

1. Sequence
2. Selection
3. Repetition

Question 18

How does a Sequence Construct work?

Answer 18

Each line follows the previous line (all lines are executed)

Question 19

How does a Selection Construct work?

Answer 19

Decisions are made that choose the program’s execution

Question 20

How does a Repetition Construct work?

Answer 20

Code is repeated (looped) until specified conditions are met.

Question 21

What are the 5 Data Types?

Answer 21

1. Integers (Whole numbers)
2. Float (decimal point / fractional point)
3. Boolean (one of two values)
4. Character (letter, number, symbol)
5. String (sequence of characters)

Question 22

What is a variable?

Answer 22

A location in the memory containing data values.

Question 23

What are Constants?

Answer 23

Identifiers associated with values that remain fixed during the program’s execution.

Question 24

Why are variables used?

Answer 24

Allows you to store a value that can be used later on.

Question 25

What are three advantages of using Constants?

Answer 25

1. Improves readability 2. Ability to update 3. Compiler Optimisation

Question 26

What is a Data Structure?

Answer 26

The conceptual arrangement of data.

Question 27

What is an Array?

Answer 27

A data structure which stores data under a single identifier name by index position.

Question 28

What are the two types of arrays?

Answer 28

One-dimensional arrays and two-dimensional arrays.

Question 29

How does a 1D array store data?

Answer 29

In one horizontal direction

Question 30

How does a 2D array store data?

Answer 30

Horizontally and vertically

Question 31

What are the 3 ways of manipulating strings?

Answer 31

1. Position 2. Concatenation 3. String Conversion Operations

Question 32

In terms of hardware, what do I/O devices do?

Answer 32

They transfer data to and from a computer.

Question 33

In terms of software, what is an input and an output?

Answer 33

Inputs introduce data to a program. | Outputs transfer data to something outside of the program.

Question 34

What is a file?

Answer 34

A collection of data with a name, usually stored on a computer.

Question 35

What is validation?

Answer 35

Ensuring the data the user inputs is sensible and usable,

Question 36

What are the 4 types of validation?

Answer 36

1. PRESENCE CHECK: Checks data that has actually been inputted. 2. DATA TYPE CHECK: Checks whether the data type entered is correct. 3. RANGE CHECK: Checks that the data inputted is within a set range 4. LENGTH CHECK: Checks the length.

Question 37

What is a User Interface?

Answer 37

The space where interaction between humans and machines occur.

Question 38

What are the two types of User Interfaces?

Answer 38

1. Textual User Interface (TUI) - interaction through lines of text. 2. Graphical User Interface (GUI) - interaction through graphical icons.

Question 39

What are Cartesian Coordinates?

Answer 39

Positioning of something on a screen. (2D / 3D)

Question 40

What are Arithmetic Operators?

Answer 40

They take numerical values as the operands, and produce a single numerical value.

Question 41

What are the 5 types of Arithmetic Operators?

Answer 41

Addition, Subtraction, Division, Multiplication, Modulus

Question 42

What are Relational Operators?

Answer 42

These operations compare two operands to determine their relationship, and evaluate to a Boolean value.

Question 43

What are the 6 types of Relational Operators?

Answer 43

Equal to, Not equal to, Less than, Greater than, Less than or equal to, Greater than or equal to

Question 44

What are Boolean Operators?

Answer 44

Used to manipulate True/False values in Boolean algebra

Question 45

What are the three types of Boolean Operators?

Answer 45

NOT, AND, OR

Question 46

What is a Subprogram?

Answer 46

A block of code that performs a specific task.

Question 47

What are parameters?

Answer 47

Variables within a function.

Question 48

What are arguments?

Answer 48

The data that is passed on into subprograms.

Question 49

What are the two types of subprograms?

Answer 49

Functions (returns a value) and Procedures (may/may not return a value)

Question 50

What are libraries?

Answer 50

Collections of additional subprograms that often tackle more complex and specific tasks.

Question 51

What are pre-existing subprograms?

Answer 51

Subprograms that have been coded by someone else and are often pre-compiled

Question 52

Why are pre-existing subprograms useful? (4 benefits)

Answer 52

1. Perform generalisation (decreases complexity) 2. Ability to reuse code 3. Decomposes a problem 4. Saves time

Question 53

What are the two types of variables?

Answer 53

Global Variables and Local Variables

Question 54

What are Global Variables?

Answer 54

Variables declared outside of a subprogram and can be accessed anywhere from a program.

Question 55

What are Local Variables?

Answer 55

Variables declared within a subprogram and can only be accessed there.