AP CSP Unit 3 Vocab

hexadecimal

a base-16 number system utilizing numbers 0-9 and letters A-F used to represent eight binary digits or one byte.

Baudot Code

a binary code invented by Emile Baudot in 1870 that uses crosses and dots in order to encode 2^5 or 32 characters.

unicode

a binary encoding system that can represent much more of the world's text than ASCII can (represents 65,536 different characters)

Morse Code

a code where letters are represented by combinations of long and short signals of light or sound.

list

a data structure (also called an array) that stores multiple pieces of information at once.

string

a linear sequence of characters, words, or other data

linear search

a method for finding a target value within a list (whether presorted or not) by checking each value until a match is found or until all the elements have been searched.

procedure

a named collection of steps in an algorithm that can be reused anytime it is needed without restating the detailed procedures (abstraction)

data structure

a particular way of organizing and storing data such as an array, table, etc.

bit string

a sequence of bits that can be used to represent sets or to manipulate binary data.

substring

a subset of a string of alphanumeric fields or variables.

ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange)

a table that outlines a common set of conventions established for converting between binary values and alphanumeric (represents 128 different characters)

mapping

associating each element of a given set with one or more elements of a second set.

join

block in Scratch that concatenates, or links two values together. Example: "hello" and "there" would result in "hellothere".

concatenation

chaining together or placing two or more separate things side by side so that they are treated as one.

data

characters, symbols or quantities on which operations are performed, stored and/or transmitted by a computer.

binary code

code represented with the two symbols of 1 and 0

decimal

describes the base-10 number system. The most commonly used number system.

approximation

digital copies are only approximations of the natural object.

digital

how information is stored, accessed, transformed and used by computers

dichotomous

in which something can only be one thing or another (yes or no)

digital noise

irrelevant or meaningless data that has found its way into otherwise meaningful code.

analog

non-digital signals or information represented by a continuously variable physical quantity such as spatial position or voltage.

output

observable behaviors generated by the computer such as animation, sound, and text.

discrete

separate or divided (digital)

alphanumeric

the characters that consists of uppercase and lowercase letters in addition to numerals 0-9.

bits

the foundation for digital computing (1s and 0s) - short for binary digits

abstraction

the process of removing or suppressing details to create a manageable level of complexity.

exponential growth

the rate of growth that rapidly increases in proportion to the growing total number or size.

index value

the representation of the location of each item in a list.

state space

the space of potential possibilities

continuous

unbroken, without interruption (analog)

variable-width encoding

using codes of different lengths to encode a character set for representation (example: Morse Code)

fixed-width encoding

using codes with a fixed width to encode a character set for representation (example: Baudot Code)