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AP * Computer Science Principles * Flashcards

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7696230384Agile software developmentAn approach to software development that emphasizes a flexible and ready response to meet a shifting target.0
7696230385BenchmarkingRunning a program on many data sets to be sure its performance falls within required limits; timing the same algorithm on two different machines.1
7696230386Code libraryA collection of thoroughly tested object code for various useful tasks.2
7696230387CodingThe process of translating the detailed designs into computer code.3
7696230388Divide-and-conquerA program design strategy in which tasks are broken down into subtasks, which are broken down into sub-subtasks, and so on, until each piece is small enough to code comfortably. These pieces work together to accomplish the total job.4
7696230389Empirical testingDesigning a special set of test cases and running the program using these test data.5
7696230390Executable moduleThe resulting object code after a linker inserts requested code from code libraries.6
7696230391External documentationAny materials assembled to clarify the program's design and implementation.7
7696230392Feasibility studyA step in the software development life cycle that evaluates a proposed project and compares the costs and benefits of various solutions.8
7696230393Integrated development environment (IDE)A collection of programs that support software development, such as debuggers, editors, toolkits, and libraries, that lets programmers perform several tasks within the shell of a single application.9
7696230394Integration testingAfter unit testing, integration testing is done to see that the modules communicate the necessary data between and among themselves and that all modules work together smoothly.10
7696230395Internal documentationDocumentation that is part of the program code itself.11
7696230396Logic errorAn error in the algorithm used to solve a problem.12
7696230397Object codeMachine language instructions.13
7696230398Pair programmingInvolves two programmers at a single workstation. At any given point in time, one is writing code and the other is actively observing, watching for possible errors but also thinking about the overall approach.14
7696230399Problem specificationA step in the software development life cycle that involves developing a clear, concise, and unambiguous statement of the exact problem the software is to solve.15
7696230400Procedural languageA program written in a procedural language consists of sequences of statements that manipulate data items.16
7696230401Program design phaseA step in the software development life cycle that plans the structure of the software to be written.17
7696230402Program maintenanceThe process of adapting an existing software product due to errors, new system requirements, or changing user needs.18
7696230403Program verificationUsed to prove that if the input data to a program satisfies certain conditions, then, after the program has been run on these data, the output data satisfies certain other conditions.19
7696230404Regression testingIf anything is changed on an already-tested module, regression testing is done to be sure that this change has not introduced a new error into code that was previously correct.20
7696230405Runtime errorAn error that occurs when the program is run using certain sets of data that result in some illegal operation, such as dividing by zero.21
7696230406SemanticsThe meaning of correctly written programming statements.22
7696230407Source codeHigh-level language instructions.23
7696230408Syntax errorAn error that occurs because a program statement fails to follow the correct rules of syntax.24
7696230409Technical documentationDocumentation that enables programmers who later have to modify the program to understand the code.25
7696230410Third-generation languageAnother name for high-level programming language as opposed to machine language (first generation) or assembly language (second generation).26
7696230411Top-down decompositionA program design strategy in which tasks are broken down into subtasks, which are broken down into sub-subtasks, and so on, until each piece is small enough to code comfortably. These pieces work together to accomplish the total job.27
7696230412SyntaxThe rules for exactly how programming statements must be written; the grammatical structure of a programming language28
7696230413Application(Java) A complete standalone program that resides and runs on a self-contained computer.29
7696230414External libraryA well-written, efficient, and thoroughly tested code module that is separately compiled and then drawn on by any program that wishes to use its capabilities.30
7696230415Functional programming languagesViews every task in terms of functions. In this context, function means something like a mathematical function—a recipe for taking an argument (or possibly several arguments) and doing something with them to compute a single value.31
7696230416Knowledge baseFacts and rules about a certain domain of interest.32
7696230417Open sourceSoftware whose source code is freely available and may be used, distributed, or modified by anyone.33
7696230418RecursiveSomething that is defined in terms of "smaller versions" of itself.34
7696230419Computational modelA model constructed using algorithmic procedures implemented as computer programs.35
7696230420Computational steeringA procedure for using a computational model to improve the design of an actual system by continually resetting model parameters to improve system performance.36
7696230421Computer graphicsThe field of computer science that examines the technical problems of displaying visual images on a computer screen.37
7696230422Continuous modelA model of a system using mathematical equations that describe system performance as a continuous function of time t.38
7696230423Discrete event simulationA computational modeling technique that simulates the behavior of a system only at discrete points in time.39
7696230424Garbage in, garbage outThe term for the fact that the output coming out of a computer model is only as accurate as the assumption used to build the model.40
7696230425Scientific visualizationThe use of images and visualization techniques to make scientific data easier to interpret and understand.41
7696230426Simulation modelAnother term for a computational model.42
7696230427Statistical distributionThis is a mathematical function that describes the probability of a random quantity taking on certain values.43
7696230428Stochastic componentsParts of a model that display random behavior.44
7696230429Uniform random numberEvery value in the range from a to b has the same chance of occurring.45
7696230430AnalogyArguing about a problem by comparing it to a related problem, which you claim is very similar in terms of its ethical implications and consequences.46
7696230431ConsequentialismA school of thought in ethics that focuses on the consequences of an act to determine if the act is good or bad.47
7696230432CyberbullyingHumiliating, taunting, threatening or invading someone's privacy using the Internet, Web, or other type of electronic technology.48
7696230433EthicsThe study of how to decide if something is morally right or wrong.49
7696230434HacktivismHacking that is intended as political activism.50
7696230435Peer-to-peer file sharingThe sharing of files between two equal participants on a network. This is distinct from the client-server model in which the two sides serve very different roles--one side only sending information (the server) and the other side only receiving information (the client).51
7696230436Computer scienceThe study of algorithms, including their mathematical properties, hardware and linguistic realizations, and their applications.52
7696230437Computing agentThe entity (machine, robot, person, or thing) that executes the steps of an algorithm.53
7696230438High-level programming languageA programming language that uses both natural language constructs and mathematical notation.54
7696230439Infinite loopThe repetitive execution of a block of operations that will never end. This is a fatal error when it occurs in an algorithm.55
7696230440Sequential operationAn algorithmic operation that carries out a single task and then moves on to the next operation in sequence.56
7696230441Algorithm discoveryThe process of finding an algorithmic solution to a given problem. Computation: An algorithmic operation that carries out a single numeric computation and stores the result.57
7696230442ComputationAn algorithmic operation that carries out a single numeric computation and stores the result.58
7696230443Conditional statementsOperations that ask a question and select the next instruction to carry out based on the answer to that question.59
7696230444Continuation conditionThe true/false condition that will determine when the iteration has been completed.60
7696230445Control operationsOperations that alter the normal sequential flow of control within an algorithm.61
7696230446InputAn operation that causes data values from the outside world to be brought into the algorithm.62
7696230447IterationThe repetitive execution of a block of operations.63
7696230448OutputAn operation that causes computed values to be sent to the outside world for viewing or saving.64
7696230449Primitive operationAn operation that can be directly understood by the computing agent executing the algorithm and which does not have to be further clarified or explained.65
7696230450PseudocodeA notation used to design algorithms. It uses English constructs, mathematical notation and an informal algorithmic structure designed to look like a high-level programming language.66
7696230451SortingThe task of putting a list of values into numeric or alphabetical order.67
7696230452Boolean expressionAn expression that can evaluate only to true or false.68
7696230453GigabyteOne billion bytes.69
7696230454Programan algorithm that is written in a programming language that runs on a computer70
7696230455Control Structuresa block of programming that determines which part of the program is executed next. There are three types of structures: sequence, selection, and repetition.71
7696230456Computational Artifactan object created by a human being that involves the use of computation in some way, for example a mobile app or a web page.72
7696230457Event Driven Programminga programming approach whereby the program's behavior is controlled by writing code that responds to various events that occur, such as Button clicks.73
7696230458Hardwarethe large and small physical components that make up a computers such as the computer's keyboard or its processor.74
7696230459Softwarethe computer programs that make up a computer system such as the mobile apps we will be creating in this course.75
7696230460Abstractionone of the seven big ideas of the CS Principles curriculum. An abstraction is a simplified and general representation of some complex object or process. One example --we'll encounter many in this course, including abstractions used in computer programming -- would be a Google map.76
7696230461Binary Numbera number written in the binary system, a system that uses only two digits, 0s and 1s.77
7696230462Blacklistin internet terminology, a generic term for a list of email addresses or IP addresses that are origination with known spammers78
7696230463Characterany symbol that requires one byte of storage79
7696230464Cyberspacea metaphor for describing the non-physical terrain created by computer systems80
7696230465Datadata is distinct information that is formatted in a special way. Data exists in a variety of forms, like text on paper or bytes stored in electronic memory81
7696230466Data Centerare physical or virtual infrastructures used by enterprises to house computer, server and networking systems and components for the company's IT (information technology) needs82
7696230467Data Networka telecommunications network which allows computers to exchange data83
7696230468Disk Drivea randomly addressable and rewritable storage device84
7696230469Intellectual Propertyrefers to any property that is created using original thought. Traditional intellectual property include patents, copyrights, and trademarks.85
7696230470Networka group of two or more computer systems linked together86
7696230471Processorshort for microprocessor or CPU87
7696230472Social Networkinga social structure made of nodes that are generally individuals or organizations. A social network represents relationships and flows between people, groups, organizations, animals, computers, or other information/knowledge processing entities88
7696230473Whitelista generic name for a list of email address or IP addresses that are considered to be spam free89
7696230474Analoga device or system that represents changing values as continuously variable physical quantities90
7696230475Cloud Computingcomparable to grid computing, cloud computing relies on sharing resources rather than having local servers handle applications.91
7696230476Cryptographythe art of protecting information by transforming it into an unreadable format, called cipher text92
7696230477Digitalany system based on discontinuous data or events. Computers are digital machines because at the basic level they can distinguish between just two values, 0 and 1.93
7696230478Digital Signal Processing(DSP) refers to manipulating analog information94
7696230479Downloadto copy data (usually an entire file) from a main source to a peripheral device95
7696230480Megabyteused to describe data storage, 1,048,576 bytes (abbreviated MB)96
7696230481Megapixelone million pixels, used in reference to the resolution of a graphics device97
7696230482Modelingprocess of representing a real-world object of phenomenon as a set of mathematical equations.98
7696230483OCRoptical character recognition, the branch of computer science that involves reading text from paper and translating the images into a form that the computer can manipulate99
7696230484Rasterthe rectangular area of a display screen actually being used to display images100
7696230485Renderrefers to the process of adding realism to a computer graphics by adding 3-D qualities, such as shadows and variations in color and shade.101
7696230486Spamspam is electronic junk mail or junk newsgroup postings102
7696230487Steganographythe art and science of hiding information by embedding messages within other, seemingly harmless messages103
7696230488Uploadto transmit data from a computer to a bulletin board service, mainframe, or network.104
7696230489BitSingle unit of information on a computer represent as a 0 or 1105
7696230490Bit RateThe number of bits that are conveyed or processed per unit of time106
7696230491LatencyThe time it takes for a signal to arrive107
7696230492BandwidthTransmission capacity, measured by bit rate108
7696230493FiberopticsMethod of transmitting data that utilizes light109
7696230494Copper WireMethod of transmitting data that utilizes electricity110
7696230495WiFiA wireless networking technology that utilizes radio waves to transmit information/data111
7696230496PrototypeA preliminary sketch of an idea or model for something new. It's the original drawing from which something real might be built or created.112
7696230497IP AddressA number assigned to any item that is connected to the Internet.113
7696230498PacketsSmall chunks of information that have been carefully formed from larger chunks of information.114
7696230499RouterA computer which receives messages travelling across a network and redirects them towards their intended destinations based on the addressing information included with the message.115
7696230500Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)Provides reliable, ordered, and error-checked delivery of a stream of packets on the internet. TCP is tightly linked with IP and usually seen as TCP/IP in writing.116
7696230501Domain Name System (DNS)An abbreviation for Domain Name System, the Internet's system for converting alphabetic names into numeric IP addresses.117
7696230502Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)The protocol used by the World Wide Web. It describes how messages are formatted and interchanged, and how web servers respond to commands.118
7696230503ServerA computer that awaits and responds to requests for data.119
7696230504ClientA computer that requests data stored on a server.120
7696230505Net NeutralityThe principle that Internet service providers should enable access to all content and applications regardless of the source, and without favoring or blocking particular products or websites.121
7696230506Internet CensorshipThe control or suppression of what can be accessed, published, or viewed on the Internet. It may be carried out by governments or by private organizations at the behest of government, regulators, or on their own initiative.122
7696230507NodeVertex; Represented by a labeled circle123
7696230508EdgeA line connecting two nodes124
7696230509CostWeight; The number associated with an edge that indicates distance, time, or estimated cost125
7696230510CycleA set of edges that begin at one node and can be followed through other nodes back where you started126
7696230511EfficiencyA measure of the number of steps per input size needed to complete an algorithm127
7696230512Routing TableA data table stored in a router that lists the routes to particular network destinations128
7696230513Minimum Spanning TreeDictates the shortest aggregate path from one node to every node A spanning tree connecting all nodes together with the minimum aggregate value of its edges.129
7696230514IETFA group of volunteers, private citizens, government officials, etc. who promote internet standards130
7696230515IETF stands for...Internet Engineering Task Force131
7696230516AlgorithmA precise sequence of instructions for processes that can be executed by a computer132
7696230517FunctionA piece of code that you can easily call over and over again.133
7696230518APIa collection of commands made available to a programmer134
7696230519Documentationa description of the behavior of a command, function, library, API, etc.135
7696230520ParameterAn extra piece of information that you pass to the function to customize it for a specific need136
7696230521For LoopA particular kind of looping construct provided in many languages. Typically, a for loop defines a counting variable that is checked and incremented on each iteration in order to loop a specific number of times.137
7696230522LoopThe action of doing something over and over again.138
7696230523Bytetechnical term for 8 bits of data139
7696230524Kilobyte (KB)1000 bytes140
7696230525Megabyte (MB)1,000 kilobytes141
7696230526Terabyte (TB)1,000 gigabytes142
7696230527Petabyte (PB)1,000 terabytes143
7696230528.bmp(bitmap image file or bitmap) is a raster graphics image file format used to store digital images.144
7696230529.gif(acronym for Graphics Interchange Format) a bitmap image format which uses the LZW lossless data compression technique to reduce the file size without degrading the visual quality. Supports 8 bits per pixel for each image and animations.145
7696230530.jpg or .jpeg(acronym for Joint Photographic Experts Group), a commonly used lossy compression format for digital images, particularly for those images produced by digital photography. The format supports adjustable degrees of compression.146
7696230531.mp3an audio coding format for digital audio which uses a form of lossy data compression which works by reducing (or approximating) certain components of the audio that are considered to be beyond audible human hearing.147
7696230532.wav(Waveform Audio File Format) an audio coding format standard for storing an audio bitstream of uncompressed audio data.148
7696230533.txta computer format that is structured as a sequence of lines of electronic text.149
7696230534.zipan archive file format that supports lossless data compression; may contain one or more files or directories.150
7696230535.png(Portable Network Graphics) a raster graphics file format that supports lossless data compression.151
7696230536Heuristica problem solving approach (algorithm) to find a satisfactory solution where finding an optimal or exact solution is impractical or impossible.152
7696230537ImageA type of data used for graphics or pictures.153
7696230538MetadataData that describes other data. For example, a digital image my include metadata that describe the size of the image, number of colors, or resolution.154
7696230539PixelShort for "picture element" it is the fundamental unit of a digital image, typically a tiny square or dot which contains a single point of color of a larger image.155
7696230540Hexadecimal Number SystemA number system consisting of 16 distinct symbols — 0-9 and A-F — which can occur in each place value.156
7696230541Lossless compressionA compression scheme in which every bit of the original data can be recovered from the compressed file.157
7696230542Lossy compressionA compression scheme in which "useless" or less-than-totally-necessary information is thrown out in order to reduce the size of the data. The eliminated data is unrecoverable.158
7696230543RGBthe color model that uses varying intensities of (R)ed, (G)reen, and (B)lue light added together in order to reproduce a broad array of colors.159
7696230544File extensionsthe endings of file names that indicate to the computer the format for how the underlying bits are organized.160
7696230545Computationally Hard ProblemA problem that can not be solved in a reasonable amount of time. Heuristics are often used to create an approximate or good enough solution.161
7696230546InnovationA novel or improved idea, device, product, etc. or the development thereof162
7696230547Moore's Lawthe observation that computing power roughly doubles every two years.163
7696230548Big Dataa broad term for datasets so large or complex that traditional data processing applications are inadequate.164
7696230549Cipherthe generic term for a technique (or algorithm) that performs encryption165
7696230550Cracking encryptionWhen you attempt to decode a secret message without knowing all the specifics of the cipher.166
7696230551Decryptiona process that reverses encryption, taking a secret message and reproducing the original plain text167
7696230552Encryptiona process of encoding messages to keep them secret, so only "authorized" parties can read it.168
7696230553Asymmetric encryptionused in public key encryption, it is scheme in which the key to encrypt data is different from the key to decrypt.169
7696230554Public Key EncryptionUsed prevalently on the web, it allows for secure messages to be sent between parties without having to agree on, or share, a secret key. It uses an asymmetric encryption scheme in which the encryption key is made public, but the decryption key is kept private.170
7696230555Digital Dividethe gulf between those who have ready access to computers and the Internet, and those who do not.171
7696230556HypothesisA proposed explanation for some phenomenon used as the basis for further investigation.172
7696230557Search TrendsComparison of the popularity of topical queries in an online search engine as they relate to time.173
7696230558VisualizationImages, diagrams, tables, etc created from information extracted from a given data set, with the express intention of highlighting a data story.174
7696230559Pivot TableThe name of the tool used by most spreadsheet programs to create a summary table.175
7696230560READMEA document providing background information about a dataset.176
7696230561CSVAbbreviation of "comma-separated values," this is a widely-used format for storing data.177
7696230562Raw dataThe original data as it was collected.178
7696230563Summary tableA table of aggregate information about a dataset (e.g., the average, sum, count of some values).179
7696230564Filtertool/technique using dynamic parameters for reducing a data set to viewing only similar items in a row or column.180
7696230565AggregationA computation in which rows from a data set are grouped together and used to compute a single value of more significant meaning or measurement. Common aggregations include: Average, Count, Sum, Max, Median, etc.181
7696230566Binary questiona question where there are only two possible answers182
7696230567ProtocolA set of rules governing the exchange or transmission of data between devices.183
7696230568ASCIIThe universally recognized raw text format that any computer can understand184
7696230569What does ASCII stand for?American Standard Code for Information Interchange185
7696230570HTTP stands for...Hypertext transfer protocol186
7696230571code(slang) to write instructions for a computer187
7696230572Redundancyrepetition of information or the inclusion of additional information to reduce errors in transmission.188
7696230573DNSThe service that translates URL's to IP addresses189
7696230574DNS stands for...Domain name service190
7696230575TCPprovides reliable, ordered and error checked delivery of a stream of packets in the internet191
7696230576URLan easy to remember address for calling a web page192
7696230577OctalThe octal number system is base 8, using only digits 0 through 7.193
7696230578DecimalTraditional number system using digits 0-9.194
7696230579Iterative innovationIncremental or small improvement to an item195
7696230580Novel innovationImprovement that is new, creative and has not been done before "outside the box thinking."196
7696230581Vint CerfInternet pioneer who believed the Internet should be free and available to everyone197
7696230582__________ level protocols use __________ levels without needing to understand precisely how they work. (space between each term)Higher lower198
7696230583__________ level protocols guarantee __________ level protocols will function without stating specifically how this will be accomplished.Lower Higher199
7696230584Creative Commonsone of several public copyright licenses that enable the free distribution of an otherwise copyrighted work. A CC license is used when an author wants to give people the right to share, use, and build upon a work that they have created.200
7696230585High Level Programming LanguageA programming language that enables a programmer to write programs that are more or less independent of a particular type of computer. Such languages are considered high-level because they are closer to human languages and further from machine languages. Examples: JavaScript, Java, FORTRAN201
7696230586Low Level Programming LanguageA programming language that provides little or no abstraction from a computer's instruction set architecture—commands or functions in the language map closely to processor instructions. Generally this refers to either machine code or assembly language.202
7696230587Fault tolerant networkThe ability to route around broken servers on the internet.203
7696230588Global VariableA variable whose scope is "global" to the program, it can be used and updated by any part of the code. Its global scope is typically derived from the variable being declared (created) outside of any function, object, or method.204
7696230589If StatementThe common programming structure that implements "conditional statements".205
7696230590Local VariableA variable with local scope is one that can only be seen, used and updated by code within the same scope. Typically this means the variable was declared (created) inside a function; includes function parameter variables.206
7696230591Callback functiona function specified as part of an event listener; it is written by the programmer but called by the system as the result of an event trigger.207
7696230592EventAn action that causes something to happen.208
7696230593User InterfaceThe visual elements of an program through which a user controls or communications the application. Often abbreviated UI.209
7696230594Data Type(ex: Number, Boolean, or String) a value's property that dictates how the computer will interpret it. For example 7+5 is interpreted differently from "7"+"5"210
7696230595ExpressionAny valid unit of code that resolves to a value.211
7696230596VariableA placeholder for a piece of information that can change.212
7696230597DebuggingFinding and fixing problems in your algorithm or program.213
7696230598Conditionalsstatements that run under only certain conditions214
7696230599SelectionA generic term for a type of programming statement (usually an if-statement) that uses a Boolean condition to determine, or select, whether or not to run a certain block of statements.215
7696230600Concatentateto link together or join. Typically used when joining together text Strings in programming (e.g. "Hello, "+name)216
7696230601byte8 bits one letter https://www.computerhope.com/issues/chspace.htmv217
7696230602Lossless Compressiona data compression algorithm that allows the original data to be perfectly reconstructed from the compressed data.218

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