Coding Block 7/8

debugging

Finding and fixing errors in programs.

comment

Information in a program that is meant for other programmers (or anyone reading the source code) and has no effect on the execution of the program.

data

Information. Often, quantities, characters, or symbols that are the inputs and outputs of computer programs.

computational thinking

Mental processes and strategies that include: decomposition, pattern matching, abstraction, algorithms (decomposing problems into smaller, more manageable problems, finding repeating patterns, abstracting specific differences to make one solution work for multiple problems, and creating step-by-step algorithms).

function

Sometimes called a procedure. A named sequence of statements that performs some useful operation. Functions may or may not take parameters and may or may not produce a result.

packet

Small chunks of information that have been carefully formed from larger chunks of information.

digital citizen

Someone who acts safely, responsibly, and respectfully online.

integer

A data type that represents a positive or negative whole number. (ex. -1, 1, 2, 9, 0)

character (char)

A datatype that is a single character which can be a letter, number, or symbol.

URL (universal resource locator)

A relatively easy-to-remember address for calling a web page (like www.code.org).

iteration

A repetitive action or command typically created with programming loops.

conditional statement

A statement that controls the flow of execution depending on some condition.

command

An instruction for the computer. Many commands put together make up algorithms and computer programs.

argument

Another term for parameter

String

Any finite sequence of characters (i.e., letters, numerals, symbols and punctuation marks). An important characteristic of each string is its length, which is the number of characters in it. The length can be any natural number (i.e., zero or any positive integer).

block-based programming language (block-based coding)

Any programming language that lets users create programs by manipulating "blocks" or graphical programing elements, rather than writing code using text. Examples include Code Studio, Scratch, Blockly, and Swift. (Sometimes called visual coding, drag and drop programming, or graphical programming blocks)

output

Anything that comes out of a computer

Input

Data to be entered into a computer for processing (commands or info that you type in).

program

A collection of instructions (algorithms) that performs a specific task when executed by a computer.

programming

The process of creating a computer program.

binary search (dichotomizing search)

A digital scheme for locating a specific object in a large set. Each object in the set is given a key. The number of keys is always a power of 2. If there are 32 items in a list, for example, they might be numbered 0 through 31 (binary 00000 through 11111).

Internet

A group of computers and servers that are connected to each other.

algorithm

A list of steps to finish a task. A set of instructions that can be performed with or without a computer. For example, the collection of steps to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich is an algorithm.

linear search (or sequential search)

A method for finding a target value within a list. It sequentially checks each element of the list for the target value until a match is found or until all the elements have been searched.

variable

A name that refers to a value. Stores a piece of data, and gives it a specific name.

parameter

A name used inside a function to refer to the value which was passed to it as an argument.

IP address

A number assigned to any item that is connected to the Internet. (w.x.y.z with 0-255)

value

A number or string (or other things to be named later) that can be stored in a variable or computed in an expression.

binary

A way of representing information using only two options.

Wi-Fi

A wireless method of sending information using radio waves.

event

An action that causes something to happen.

bug

An error in a program that prevents the program from running as expected.

decompose

Break a problem down into smaller pieces.

servers

Computers that exist only to provide things to others.

code

One or more commands or algorithm(s) designed to be carried out by a computer.

loop

The construct that allows the repeated execution of segment of code until a terminating condition has been satisfied.

digital footprint

The information about someone on the Internet.

data type

The particular kind of data item. Tells how the program intends to use the data. Some examples are integers, floats, Booleans, characters, and strings.

Syntax

The set of rules that defines the combinations of symbols that are considered to be a correctly structured document or fragment in that language.

persistence

Trying again and again, even when something is very hard.

computer science

Using the power of computers to solve problems.

Boolean

a data type that has two possible values: "true" and "false"

pseudocode

a detailed, yet readable, description of what a computer program or algorithm must do, expressed in languages that humans use naturally rather than in a programming language.

selection sort

a sorting algorithm, specifically an in-place comparison sort. It has O(n2) time complexity, making it inefficient on large lists, and generally performs worse than the similar insertion sort.

text based language

actually writing text to code. Ex. "move up" or "move down" (upper end of coding)