Chapter 1: An Overview of Computers and Programming

maintenance

consists of all the improvements and corrections made to a program after it is in production

Application Software

Comprises all the programs you apply to a task.

System Software

Comprises the programs that you use to manage your computer.

Software

Computer programs are also known as _____ A. hardware B. software C. Data D. Information

Documentation

Consists of all the supporting paperwork for a program.

Software

Consists of the programs that tell the computer what to do.

Program development cycle

Consists of the steps that occur during a program's lifetime.

d

In flowcharts, the decision symbol is a _____ a. parallelogram b. rectangle c. lozenge d. diamond

Logical error

Occurs when incorrect instructions are performed, or when instructions are performed in the wrong order.

Users

People who employ and benefit from computer programs.

Information

Processed Data

Binary language

Represented using a series of 0s and 1s.

Programs

Sets of instructions for a computer.

Scripting languages (also called scripting programming languages or script languages)

Such as Python, Lua, Perl, and PHP are used to write programs that are typed differently from a keyboard. This is stored as text rather than as binary executable files.

Programming languages

Such as Visual Basic, C#, C++, Java, or COBOL, are used to write programs.

High-level programming language

Supports English-like syntax

Random access memory (RAM)

Temporary, internal computer storage.

Syntax

The ______ of a language is its grammar rules.

Programming

The act of developing and writing programs.

Coding the Program

The act of writing programming language instructions.

Hardware

The collection of physical devices that comprise a computer system.

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The hardware component that processes data.

b

The major computer operations include _____ A. hardware and software B. input, processing, and output C. sequence and looping D. spreadsheets, word processing, and data communications

c

The most important task of a compiler or interpreter is to _____ A. create the rules for a programming language B. translate English statements into a language such as Java C. translate programming language statements into machine language D. execute machine language programs to perform useful tasks

c

The parallelogram is the flowchart symbol representing _____ a. input b. output c. both a and b d. none of the above

Desk-checking

The process of walking through a program solution on paper.

Algorithm

The sequence of steps necessary to solve any problem.

Program Code

The set of instructions a programmer writes in a programming language.

a

The two most commonly used tools for planning a program's logic are _____ a. flowcharts and pseudocode b. ASCII and EBCDIC c. Java and Visual Basic d. word processors and spreadsheets

Storage Devices

Types of hardware equipment, such as disks, that hold information for later retrieval.

d

Visual Basic, C++, and Java are all examples of computer _____ A. operating systems B. hardware C. machine languages D. programming languages

b

When you use an IDE instead of a simple text editor to develop a program, _____ a. the logic is more complicated b. some syntax is different c. you do not need to plan the logic d. users are more confused

b

When you write a program that will run in a GUI environment as opposed to a command-line environment, _____ a. the logic is more complicated b. the logic is simpler c. you do not need to plan the logic d. users are more confused

d

Which of the following in pairs of steps in the programming process is in the correct order? a. code the program, plan the logic b. test the program, translate it into machine language c. put the program into production, understand the problem d. code the program, translate it into machine language

c

Which of the following is an example of a syntax error? a. producing output before accepting input b. subtracting when you meant to add c. misspelling programming language word d. all of the above

d

Which of the following is temporary, internal storage? a. CPU b. hard disk c. keyboard d. memory

b

Writing a program in a language such as C++ or Java is known as _____ the program a. translating b. coding c. interpreting d. compiling

Command line

a location on your computer screen at which you type text entries to communicate with the computer's operating system.

Flowchart

a pictoral representation of the logical steps it takes to solve a problem.

Dummy value

a preselected value that stops the execution of a program

Sentinel value

a preselected value that stops the execution of a program

Text editor

a program that you use to create simple text files; it is similar to a word processor, but without as many features

Object-oriented programming

a programming model that focuses on objects, or "things," and describes their features (also called attributes) and behaviors.

Procedural programming

a programming model that focuses on the procedures that programmers create

Microsoft Visual Studio IDE

a software package that contains useful tools for creating programs in Visual Basic, C++, and C#

Integrated development environment (IDE)

a software package that provides an editor, compiler, and other programming tools.

Pseudocode

an English-like representation of the logical steps it takes to solve a problem

Loop

a repetition of a series of steps

Graphical user interface (GUI)

allows users to interact with a program in a graphical environment

Source code

The statements a programmer writes in a programming language.

Computer memory

The temporary, internal storage within a computer.

b.

The term eof represents _____ a. a standard input device b. a generic sentinel value c. a condition in which no more memory is available for storage d. the logical flow in a program

d

In a flowchart, a rectangle represents _____ a. input b. a sentinel c. a question d. processing

Run/Execute

To ___ or _______ a program is to carry out its instructions.

Object code

Translated machine language.

Flowlines

connect the steps in a flowchart.

Input symbol

indicates an input operation and is represented by a parallelogram in flowcharts.

output symbol

indicates an output operation and is represented by a parallelogram in flowcharts.

terminal symbol

indicates the beginning or and of a flowchart segment and is represented by a lozenge

Low-level machine language

made up of 1s and 0s and does not use easily interpreted variable names.

Infinite loop

occurs when repeating logic cannot end

input/output symbol (I/O symbol)

represented by a parallelogram in flowcharts

Decision symbol

shaped like a diamond and used to represent decisions in flowcharts

Making a decision

the act of testing a value

Conversion

the entire set of actions an organization must take to switch over to using a new program or set of programs.

Debugging

the process of finding and correcting program errors

Compiler/Interpreter

translates a high-level language into machine language and indicates if you have used a programming language incorrectly.

Computer System

A combination of all the components required to process and store data using a computer.

Machine language

A computer's on/off circuitry language.

Variable

A named memory location whose value can vary.

IPO chart

A program development tool that delineates input, processing, and output tasks.

Syntax Error

An error in language or grammar.

Volatile

Describes storage whose contents are lost when power is lost.

Nonvolatile

Describes storage whose contents are retained when power is lost.

Input

Describes the entry of data items into computer memory using hardware devices such as keyboards and mice.

Output

Describes the operation of retrieving information from memory and sending it to a device, such as a monitor or printer, so people can view, interpret, and work with the results.

eof

End of file

TOE chart

A program development tool that lists tasks, objects, and events.

d

A programmer's most important task before planning the logic of a program is to _____ a. decide which programming language to use b. code the problem c. train the users of the program d. understand the problem

a

A programming language's rules are its _____ A. syntax B. logic C. format D. options

Data Items

All the text, numbers, and other information processed by a computer.

c

An English-like programming language such as Java or Visual Basic is a _____ programming language a. machine-level b. low-level c. high-level d. binary-level

a

As compared to procedural programming, with object-oriented programming, _____ a. the programmer's focus differs b. you cannot use some languages, such as Java c. you do not accept input d. you do not code calculations; they are created automatically