CompTIA ITF+ Software Development
PASCAL
PASCAL is a compiled language and tends to be platform specific. To run it on another platform, you must recompile the source code for the new platform.
What is the function of an IF conditional statement in code?
Part of the code only executes when certain conditions are true.
Perl
Perl is a popular form of interpreted programming language that shares several similarities with the C programming language.
Given the equation "4 __ 5" during a logical test, which of the following operators would result in a TRUE condition?
"!="
Given the equation "3821 __ 6598" during a logical test, which of the following operators would result in a TRUE condition?
"<"
Given the equation "-39810 __ -39810" during a logical test, which of the following operators would result in a TRUE condition?
"=="
Given the equation "-329 __ -2034" during a logical test, which of the following operators would result in a TRUE condition?
">=" Looping and branching structures depend on logical tests to determine whether to continue the loop or the branch to follow. A logical test is one that resolves to a TRUE or FALSE value. The ">=" operator declares that the value on the left is greater than (or equal to) the value on the right.
<em>
<em>, which is used to emphasize text, is considered a text-level element. Text-level elements must both open and close within the block-level elements.
Subroutines
Programs can be divided into blocks of instructions that each perform some specific task. For example, where there are duplicate steps, you could write those as separate subroutines and then call them whenever needed. This in return reduces confusion from a development perspective. Subroutines may act either as one-time-use blocks of code or can be used on multiple occasions. Subroutines act as a secondary element in pseudocode and are not the primary routine. Subroutines do not act as loops during processing. They are implemented only when they are called and are terminated by an end statement.
Prompt
Prompt is the function designed to ask the user for a form of input. An example would be "Please enter your name?" A field would then be presented in which the user could type a name.
Properties
Properties represent an alternative way of accessing a field publicly. Using a method might be regarded as quite a "heavyweight" means of doing this, so properties allow external code to ask the object to show or change the value of one of its fields.
<html>
The <html> tag is the top-level parent element that identifies the type of document. This tag is required for an HTML page to execute properly and identify the coding standard being used, as multiple variations exist.
<p>
The <p> tag indicates that the content is a paragraph-level block. These are typically used for general text on a web page, and do not have any special formatting unless specified otherwise through CSS3.
In Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), what does the <p> tag do?
The <p> tag indicates the content is a paragraph-level block.
Which of the following uses proper HTML5 syntax?
<html> <body> <h1>Hello World</h1> <p>Say hello back to <a href="mailto:[email protected]">CompTIA</a>!</p> </body> </html> HTML5 uses tag pairs that are properly opened and closed (with a forward slash: "/"). For example, in "<h1>Hello World</h1>", <h1> is the opening tag, </h1> is the closing tag, and the content between them is displayed using a pre-defined format that corresponds to the tag.
Which of the following HTML code snippets includes properly nested tags?
<p><em>Hello World!</em></p> "<p><em>Hello World!</em></p>" is properly nested. Nesting code is the process of organizing code based on the proper order defined by HTML standards. For this example, the <p></p> is considers a block-level element, and the <em>, which is used to emphasize text, is considered a text-level element. Text-level elements must both open and close within the block-level elements. Although failing to do so may not prevent the code from appearing to execute properly, it will fail validation when checking for errors and warnings.
Assembly Language
An assembly language is any low-level programming language in which there is a very strong correspondence between the program's statements and the architecture's machine code instructions. Assembly code is converted into executable machine code by a utility program referred to as an assembler. Programs written in an assembly language consist of a series of mnemonic processor instructions, such that machine code is represented in human-readable text. Even though assembly languages are very low-level, they are more human-readable than machine code, so human-readable text is not represented in machine code
Attributes
Attributes are values and data types that define the object. The attributes are stored within the object as fields or private variables.
What would you use to instruct your computer to execute a different sequence of instructions?
Branching Branching is used to instruct the computer to execute a different sequence of instructions, for example, there may be a branch based on a condition. This causes the program to deviate from the main path. Branches are used to control the flow within the program. Code inside an IF statement is an example of a conditional branch.
C#
C# is a compiled language and tends to be platform specific. To run it on another platform, you must recompile the source code for the new platform.
What does a Java Virtual Machine (VM) do?
The Java VM converts source code into machine code to run on the hardware platform. The interpreter can either be part of an operating system, or it can be provided as a virtual machine, such as the Java VM. With a Java VM, you develop the programming code in the Java environment and deploy it to your hosts. Each host OS (Windows versus Linux versus Mac OS for instance) has a different Java VM. When you package your Java program, your source code is compiled to bytecode for the Java VM, and the VM converts it to machine code to run on the hardware platform.
Hypertext Markup Language
Hypertext Markup Language, also known as HTML, is a markup language that is used to present data to a browser utilizing defined structure tags. By organizing the data in this fashion through structured nested tags, it allows greater functionality and for additional rendering capabilities in the browser to create a more user-friendly program.
Which of the following BEST defines the AND condition?
If both conditions are TRUE, then the whole statement is TRUE.
Which of the following BEST defines the OR condition?
If either condition is TRUE, then the whole statement is TRUE.
Which of the following BEST defines the XOR condition?
If either, but not both, condition is TRUE, then the whole statement is TRUE. Logical operators can combine simple relational statements into more complex expressions. With the XOR (Exclusive OR) logical operator, the whole statement is TRUE when either condition is TRUE, but not both. So, TRUE XOR FALSE == TRUE, but TRUE XOR TRUE == FALSE.
While
While is considered a looping statement. A looping statement is a piece of code that repeats over and over until the condition has been fulfilled.
How is machine code, the language that all computers speak, presented?
In binary format as 1s and 0s
What does a programmer do?
Works with programming language(s) to write code for applications
Write
Write is the function used to output the result. Often this is used to write the result to the display for the user to see.
Which psuedocode defines a one-dimensional array allowing up to ten rows?
declare Logons(9) as string The code "declare Logons(9) as string" defines a simple array allowing up to ten rows. The number of possible elements in an array is fixed when the array is declared.
In terms of coding, what does the acronym XML stand for?
eXtensible Markup Language
What is the primary purpose of a flow chart?
It visualizes the graphical sequence of a program. A flow chart is used to visualize the graphical sequence of a program. These programs are not completely linear: they consist of different branches and loops. We can use these diagrams to analyze the sequence of instructions and write better code to support that sequence.
What is the key difference between Java and JavaScript?
Java is a programming language, whereas JavaScript is a scripting language.
What language does VBScript share similarities with?
JavaScript
Which of the following is NOT considered platform dependent?
JavaScript JavaScript is known as an interpreted language, which is capable of running on most platforms.
JavaScript
JavaScript is a popular form of interpreted programming language. JavaScript programs have great flexibility when it comes to operating across different browsers, as most major browsers support the language.
Which pseudocode adds a value to the first element in the array?
Logons(0) = find LastLoggedOnUser and get Forename The code "Logons(0) = find LastLoggedOnUser and get Forename" adds a value to the first element in the array. The variable that is being set represents a one-dimensional array, because there is only one number inside the parentheses. Array elements begin with 0, so Logons(0) is the first element in the array Logons.
Which pseudocode populates the first row and first column?
Logons(0,0) = find LastLoggedOnUser and get Forename The code "Logons(0,0) = find LastLoggedOnUser and get Forename" populates the first row and first column of a two-dimensional array Logons. Array elements begin with 0, so Logons(0) is the first element in a one-dimensional array, and Logons(0,0) is the first element, in both rows and columns, in a two-dimensional array.
Which pseudocode populates the first row and second column?
Logons(0,1) = find LastLoggedOnUser and get Time The code "Logons(0,1) = find LastLoggedOnUser and get Time" populates the first row and second column of a two-dimensional array Logons. Array elements begin with 0, so the first array coordinate of 0 refers to row #1, and the second array coordinate of 1 refers to column #2.
A program has a piece of code that needs to be repeated over and over until the condition has been fulfilled. What is this an example of?
Looping
Looping
Looping instructs the computer to perform, or repeat, a task until a condition is fully met. The FOR and WHILE statements are examples of looping.
What is the main difference between looping and branching?
Loops are used to perform a task until a condition is met.
How does a markup language, such as HTML, assist a program when rendering code?
Markup language makes data in a document accessible to a program through structured tags.
Which of the following BEST describes the purpose of methods?
Methods are procedures associated with a message and an object. They define what you can do to an object.
Methods
Methods define what the program can do to an object. They are procedures of an object, which another part of the program can invoke to access or update a field of the object.
While writing a program, you notice that you use a value multiple times throughout your program but it doesn't change. You decide to create an identifier and assign the unchanging value to that identifier. What did you just create?
A constant
You have created an identifier with a value that cannot be changed. What is this considered?
A constant
Constant
A constant is a specific identifier that contains a value that cannot be changed within the program. For example, you might want to reference the numerical value for screen dimensions or resolution.
Constant
A constant is a specific identifier that contains a value that cannot be changed within the program. It has no impact on which sequences of instructions are executed, other than as a possible reference in a conditional statement.
Container
A container is a special type of identifier that can reference multiple values (or elements).
What is the key difference, in programming terms, between a procedure and a function?
A function can return a value to whatever called it.
Decompiler
A program that translates from a low-level language, such as machine code, to a higher level one, is a decompiler.
How is a script different than a program?
A script is generally smaller and targeted at completing a specific task.
What is a program BEST described as?
A sequence of instructions for your computer to perform
During program execution, a value changes and returns a new value to be used. Which type of identifier is this?
A variable A variable contains a value that can change during the execution of the program. This value might be a text string, a number, or any other data type.
Variable
A variable contains a value that can change during the execution of the program. The variables can be evaluated inside a conditional statement (for example, looping until the variable "i" reaches a certain value), but variables by themselves cannot execute a different sequence of instructions.
Which is NOT a characteristic of a variable?
A variable is a fixed value that does not change.
Vector
A vector is a container that can grow or shrink in size as elements are added or removed.
COBOL
COBOL is a compiled language and tends to be platform specific. To run it on another platform, you must recompile the source code for the new platform.
Which of the following is NOT a compiled programming language?
CSS
Which object is NOT utilized by Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)?
Commands
How does pseudocode present comments to maintain revisions?
Comments are preceded by a special character syntax depending on the language being used. Comments are part of the programming code that are not executed by the computer but that help the developer read and maintain the code. Do keep in mind that each programming language may operate with different comment syntax or special characters.
Compiled Languages
Compiled languages use compilers, which are computer programs that translate computer code written in a high-level programming language to a lower level language, to create an executable program. Higher level languages are more human-readable than lower level languages.
Why is it important to compile code before executing it?
Compiling converts the source code into machine code for the CPU to process.
Which of the following is NOT a comment line special delimiter?
Dollar ($)
Your team is developing a program and would like to create a visual representation of how it works. Which type would be most helpful?
Flowchart
Functions
Functions enable you to create segments of code that you will reuse.
Which of the following is NOT important to consider when choosing a programming language?
How large the source code file size will be after compiling the program What type of program you are writing is extremely relevant and important to consider in order to achieve the desired functionality of a program. A programmer should be experienced with a specific language so that the capabilities of software can be met, and code can be securely and properly written to prevent bugs and other errors. The devices being used with the program can directly affect which programming language should be used, as each language has its own limitations when it comes to cross-platform designs.
Which of the following is NOT a scripting language?
Hypertext Markup Language
Which statement BEST describes the overall purpose of Windows PowerShell?
It enables you to perform management and administrative tasks in Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016 (and some earlier versions).
Why is it important to write comments when coding a program?
It helps the developer read and maintain the code. Comments are part of the programming code that are not executed by the computer but help the developer read and maintain the code. Different programming languages have different special delimiters that indicate which lines are comments and which are not.
Which of the following best defines a container?
It is a special type of identifier that can reference multiple values or elements.
Which statement BEST defines a virtual machine?
It is used to operate multiple operating systems and virtual computers on existing hardware.
How is pseudocode used in programming?
It is used to write informal programming code that is readable by humans.
How does assembly language work?
It represents machine code in human-readable text.
Python
Python is a popular form of interpreted programming language. It is considered a very easy-to-learn high-level programming language.
What does the acronym SQL stand for?
Structured Query Language
When writing pseudocode, what are subroutines?
Subroutines are blocks of code that represent duplicate tasks but have been defined separately.
Sum
Sum is a function used when adding multiple values and strings together. This is a very common function.
"<"
The "<" operator declares that the value on the left is less than the value on the right.
"<="
The "<=" operator declares that the value on the left is less than (or equal to) the value on the right.
"=="
The "==" operator declares that the two set values are equal to one another.
In Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), what does the <a> tag do?
The <a> tag indicates that the content links to another resource. These are known as anchor tags and are used to represent an internal page link, or to link with an external page.
In Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), what does the <body> tag do?
The <body> tag indicates the main part of the content as a page to show to the client.
<body>
The <body> tag indicates the main part of the content as a page to show to the client. The <body> tag opens immediately after the closing <head> tag.
In Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), what does the <h1> tag do?
The <h1> tag indicates that the content is a heading level.
In Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), what does the <html> tag do?
The <html> tag is the top-level parent element that identifies the type of document.
Which of the following BEST describes the purpose of properties in object-oriented programming?
They allow external code to access a field of an object. Properties allow external code to ask the object to show or change the value of one of its fields. They represent an alternative way of accessing a field publicly, instead of using a method to access an attribute.
Which statement BEST describes batch files?
They are a collection of command-line instructions that you store in a .CMD file.
Which of the following BEST describes the purpose of attributes?
They are values and data types that define the object.
Which of the following accurately describes arrays?
They can be either single-dimensional or multi-dimensional.
What key role do functions play in both consistency and functionality?
They enable you to create segments of code that you will reuse.
How do compilers and interpreters respond to comments in your code?
They ignore comments.
Which negative factor must be considered when developing with interpreted languages?
They must be converted into machine code, therefore increasing runtime.
What is the primary function of markup language tags?
They tell a client application (such as a browser) how to structure the document.
What is the primary purpose of the Windows PowerShell Integrated Scripting Environment (ISE)?
To help create and manage your Windows PowerShell scripts
In which situation would you use a vector?
To include a container that can grow or shrink in size as elements are added or removed
Query languages, such as Structured Query Language, are designed for what purpose?
To retrieve specific records from a dataset Query languages are designed to retrieve specific records from a dataset. Code written in a query language, such as Structured Query Language (SQL), is designed to retrieve specific records from a dataset. The code does not need to be compiled.
Most programming languages are similar in their structure and syntax, but it is important to use the specific syntax of a given language. Why?
Using incorrect syntax creates errors, causing the code not to compile or run.
What programming language is VBScript based on?
Visual Basic
What purpose does branching in programming serve?
What purpose does branching in programming serve?
Constants are best used in which situation?
When referencing a value that cannot be changed within a program
Which of the following is NOT an example of a function?
While
