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AP Computer Science Principles Flashcards

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10406556952Agile software developmentAn approach to software development that emphasizes a flexible and ready response to meet a shifting target.0
10406556953BenchmarkingRunning a program on many data sets to be sure its performance falls within required limits; timing the same algorithm on two different machines.1
10406556954Code libraryA collection of thoroughly tested object code for various useful tasks.2
10406556955CodingThe process of translating the detailed designs into computer code.3
10406556956Divide-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
10406556957Empirical testingDesigning a special set of test cases and running the program using these test data.5
10406556958Executable moduleThe resulting object code after a linker inserts requested code from code libraries.6
10406556959External documentationAny materials assembled to clarify the program's design and implementation.7
10406556960Feasibility studyA step in the software development life cycle that evaluates a proposed project and compares the costs and benefits of various solutions.8
10406556961Integrated 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
10406556962Integration 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
10406556963Internal documentationDocumentation that is part of the program code itself.11
10406556964Logic errorAn error in the algorithm used to solve a problem.12
10406556965Object codeMachine language instructions.13
10406556966Pair 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
10406556967Problem 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
10406556968Procedural languageA program written in a procedural language consists of sequences of statements that manipulate data items.16
10406556969Program design phaseA step in the software development life cycle that plans the structure of the software to be written.17
10406556970Program maintenanceThe process of adapting an existing software product due to errors, new system requirements, or changing user needs.18
10406556971Program 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
10406556972Regression 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
10406556973Runtime 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
10406556974SemanticsThe meaning of correctly written programming statements.22
10406556975Source codeHigh-level language instructions.23
10406556976Syntax errorAn error that occurs because a program statement fails to follow the correct rules of syntax.24
10406556977Technical documentationDocumentation that enables programmers who later have to modify the program to understand the code.25
10406556978Third-generation languageAnother name for high-level programming language as opposed to machine language (first generation) or assembly language (second generation).26
10406556979Top-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
10406556980SyntaxThe rules for exactly how programming statements must be written; the grammatical structure of a programming language28
10406556981Application(Java) A complete standalone program that resides and runs on a self-contained computer.29
10406556982External 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
10406556983Functional 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
10406556984Knowledge baseFacts and rules about a certain domain of interest.32
10406556985Open sourceSoftware whose source code is freely available and may be used, distributed, or modified by anyone.33
10406556986RecursiveSomething that is defined in terms of "smaller versions" of itself.34
10406556987Computational modelA model constructed using algorithmic procedures implemented as computer programs.35
10406556988Computational 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
10406556989Computer graphicsThe field of computer science that examines the technical problems of displaying visual images on a computer screen.37
10406556990Continuous modelA model of a system using mathematical equations that describe system performance as a continuous function of time t.38
10406556991Discrete event simulationA computational modeling technique that simulates the behavior of a system only at discrete points in time.39
10406556992Garbage 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
10406556993Scientific visualizationThe use of images and visualization techniques to make scientific data easier to interpret and understand.41
10406556994Simulation modelAnother term for a computational model.42
10406556995Statistical distributionThis is a mathematical function that describes the probability of a random quantity taking on certain values.43
10406556996Stochastic componentsParts of a model that display random behavior.44
10406556997Uniform random numberEvery value in the range from a to b has the same chance of occurring.45
10406556998AnalogyArguing 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
10406556999ConsequentialismA school of thought in ethics that focuses on the consequences of an act to determine if the act is good or bad.47
10406557000CyberbullyingHumiliating, taunting, threatening or invading someone's privacy using the Internet, Web, or other type of electronic technology.48
10406557001EthicsThe study of how to decide if something is morally right or wrong.49
10406557002HacktivismHacking that is intended as political activism.50
10406557003Peer-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
10406557004Computer scienceThe study of algorithms, including their mathematical properties, hardware and linguistic realizations, and their applications.52
10406557005Computing agentThe entity (machine, robot, person, or thing) that executes the steps of an algorithm.53
10406557006High-level programming languageA programming language that uses both natural language constructs and mathematical notation.54
10406557007Infinite loopThe repetitive execution of a block of operations that will never end. This is a fatal error when it occurs in an algorithm.55
10406557008Sequential operationAn algorithmic operation that carries out a single task and then moves on to the next operation in sequence.56
10406557009Algorithm 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
10406557010ComputationAn algorithmic operation that carries out a single numeric computation and stores the result.58
10406557011Conditional statementsOperations that ask a question and select the next instruction to carry out based on the answer to that question.59
10406557012Continuation conditionThe true/false condition that will determine when the iteration has been completed.60
10406557013Control operationsOperations that alter the normal sequential flow of control within an algorithm.61
10406557014InputAn operation that causes data values from the outside world to be brought into the algorithm.62
10406557015IterationThe repetitive execution of a block of operations.63
10406557016OutputAn operation that causes computed values to be sent to the outside world for viewing or saving.64
10406557017Primitive 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
10406557018PseudocodeA 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
10406557019SortingThe task of putting a list of values into numeric or alphabetical order.67
10406557020Boolean expressionAn expression that can evaluate only to true or false.68
10406557021GigabyteOne billion bytes.69
10406557022Programan algorithm that is written in a programming language that runs on a computer70
10406557023Control 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
10406557024Computational 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
10406557025Event 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
10406557026Hardwarethe large and small physical components that make up a computers such as the computer's keyboard or its processor.74
10406557027Softwarethe computer programs that make up a computer system such as the mobile apps we will be creating in this course.75
10406557028Abstractionone 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
10406557029Binary Numbera number written in the binary system, a system that uses only two digits, 0s and 1s.77
10406557030Blacklistin internet terminology, a generic term for a list of email addresses or IP addresses that are origination with known spammers78
10406557031Characterany symbol that requires one byte of storage79
10406557032Cyberspacea metaphor for describing the non-physical terrain created by computer systems80
10406557033Datadata 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
10406557034Data 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
10406557035Data Networka telecommunications network which allows computers to exchange data83
10406557036Disk Drivea randomly addressable and rewritable storage device84
10406557037Intellectual Propertyrefers to any property that is created using original thought. Traditional intellectual property include patents, copyrights, and trademarks.85
10406557038Networka group of two or more computer systems linked together86
10406557039Processorshort for microprocessor or CPU87
10406557040Social 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
10406557041Whitelista generic name for a list of email address or IP addresses that are considered to be spam free89
10406557042Analoga device or system that represents changing values as continuously variable physical quantities90
10406557043ASCIIa code for representing English characters as numbers, with each letter assigned a number from 0 to 12791
10406557044Cloud Computingcomparable to grid computing, cloud computing relies on sharing resources rather than having local servers handle applications.92
10406557045Cryptographythe art of protecting information by transforming it into an unreadable format, called cipher text93
10406557046Digitalany 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 1.94
10406557047Digital Signal Processing(DSP) refers to manipulating analog information95
10406557048Downloadto copy data (usually an entire file) from a main source to a peripheral device96
10406557049Megabyteused to describe data storage, 1,048,576 bytes (abbreviated MB)97
10406557050Megapixelone million pixels, used in reference to the resolution of a graphics device98
10406557051Modelingprocess of representing a real-world object of phenomenon as a set of mathematical equations.99
10406557052OCRoptical character recognition, the branch of computer science that involves reading text from paper and translating the images into a form that the computer can manipulate100
10406557053Rasterthe rectangular area of a display screen actually being used to display images101
10406557054Renderrefers to the process of adding realism to a computer graphics by adding 3-D qualities, such as shadows and variations in color and shade.102
10406557055Spamspam is electronic junk mail or junk newsgroup postings103
10406557056Steganographythe art and science of hiding information by embedding messages within other, seemingly harmless messages104
10406557057Uploadto transmit data from a computer to a bulletin board service, mainframe, or network.105
10406557058BitSingle unit of information on a computer represent as a 0 or 1106
10406557059Bit RateThe number of bits that are conveyed or processed per unit of time107
10406557060LatencyThe time it takes for a signal to arrive108
10406557061BandwidthTransmission capacity, measured by bit rate109
10406557062FiberopticsMethod of transmitting data that utilizes light110
10406557063Copper WireMethod of transmitting data that utilizes electricity111
10406557064WiFiA wireless networking technology that utilizes radio waves to transmit information/data112
10406557065PrototypeA preliminary sketch of an idea or model for something new. It's the original drawing from which something real might be built or created.113
10406557066IP AddressA number assigned to any item that is connected to the Internet.114
10406557067PacketsSmall chunks of information that have been carefully formed from larger chunks of information.115
10406557068RouterA computer which receives messages travelling across a network and redirects them towards their intended destinations based on the addressing information included with the message.116
10406557069Transmission 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.117
10406557070Domain Name System (DNS)An abbreviation for Domain Name System, the Internet's system for converting alphabetic names into numeric IP addresses.118
10406557071Hypertext 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.119
10406557072ServerA computer that awaits and responds to requests for data.120
10406557073ClientA computer that requests data stored on a server.121
10406557074Net 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.122
10406557075Internet 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.123
10406557076NodeVertex; Represented by a labeled circle124
10406557077EdgeA line connecting two nodes125
10406557078CostWeight; The number associated with an edge that indicates distance, time, or estimated cost126
10406557079CycleA set of edges that begin at one node and can be followed through other nodes back where you started127
10406557080EfficiencyA measure of the number of steps per input size needed to complete an algorithm128
10406557081Routing TableA data table stored in a router that lists the routes to particular network destinations129
10406557082Minimum 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.130
10406557083Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)A group of volunteers, private citizens, government officials, etc. who promote internet standards131
10406557084AlgorithmA precise sequence of instructions for processes that can be executed by a computer132
10406557085FunctionA piece of code that you can easily call over and over again.133
10406557086APIa collection of commands made available to a programmer134
10406557087Documentationa description of the behavior of a command, function, library, API, etc.135
10406557088ParameterAn extra piece of information that you pass to the function to customize it for a specific need136
10406557089For 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
10406557090LoopThe action of doing something over and over again.138
10406557091Bytetechnical term for 8 bits of data139
10406557092Kilobyte (KB)1000 bytes140
10406557093Megabyte (MB)1,000 kilobytes141
10406557094Terabyte (TB)1,000 gigabytes142
10406557095Petabyte (PB)1,000 terabytes143
10406557096.bmp(bitmap image file or bitmap) is a raster graphics image file format used to store digital images.144
10406557097.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
10406557098.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
10406557099.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
10406557100.wav(Waveform Audio File Format) an audio coding format standard for storing an audio bitstream of uncompressed audio data.148
10406557101.txta computer format that is structured as a sequence of lines of electronic text.149
10406557102.zipan archive file format that supports lossless data compression; may contain one or more files or directories.150
10406557103.png(Portable Network Graphics) a raster graphics file format that supports lossless data compression.151
10406557104Heuristica problem solving approach (algorithm) to find a satisfactory solution where finding an optimal or exact solution is impractical or impossible.152
10406557105ImageA type of data used for graphics or pictures.153
10406557106MetadataData 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
10406557107PixelShort 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
10406557108Hexadecimal Number SystemA number system consisting of 16 distinct symbols — 0-9 and A-F — which can occur in each place value.156
10406557109LosslessA compression scheme in which every bit of the original data can be recovered from the compressed file.157
10406557110LossyA 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
10406557111RGBthe 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
10406557112File extensionsthe endings of file names that indicate to the computer the format for how the underlying bits are organized.160
10406557113Computationally 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
10406557114InnovationA novel or improved idea, device, product, etc. or the development thereof162
10406557115Moore's Lawthe observation that computing power roughly doubles every two years.163
10406557116Big Dataa broad term for datasets so large or complex that traditional data processing applications are inadequate.164
10406557117Cipherthe generic term for a technique (or algorithm) that performs encryption165
10406557118Cracking encryptionWhen you attempt to decode a secret message without knowing all the specifics of the cipher.166
10406557119Decryptiona process that reverses encryption, taking a secret message and reproducing the original plain text167
10406557120Encryptiona process of encoding messages to keep them secret, so only "authorized" parties can read it.168
10406557121Asymmetric encryptionused in public key encryption, it is scheme in which the key to encrypt data is different from the key to decrypt.169
10406557122Public 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
10406557123Digital Dividethe gulf between those who have ready access to computers and the Internet, and those who do not.171
10406557124HypothesisA proposed explanation for some phenomenon used as the basis for further investigation.172
10406557125Search TrendsComparison of the popularity of topical queries in an online search engine as they relate to time.173
10406557126VisualizationImages, diagrams, tables, etc created from information extracted from a given data set, with the express intention of highlighting a data story.174
10406557127Pivot TableThe name of the tool used by most spreadsheet programs to create a summary table.175
10406557128READMEA document providing background information about a dataset.176
10406557129CSVAbbreviation of "comma-separated values," this is a widely-used format for storing data.177
10406557130Raw dataThe original data as it was collected.178
10406557131Summary tableA table of aggregate information about a dataset (e.g., the average, sum, count of some values).179
10406557132Filtertool/technique using dynamic parameters for reducing a data set to viewing only similar items in a row or column.180
10406557133AggregationA 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
10406557134Binary questiona question where there are only two possible answers182
10406557135ProtocolA set of rules governing the exchange or transmission of data between devices.183
10406557136ASCIIIThe universally recognized raw text format that any computer can understand184
10406557137American Standard Code for Information InterchangeWhat does ASCII stand for? (cap first letter)185
10406557138code(slang) to write instructions for a computer186
10406557139Redundancyrepetition of information or the inclusion of additional information to reduce errors in transmission.187
10406557140DNSThe service that translates URL's to IP addresses188
10406557141Domain name serviceDNS stands for...189
10406557142HTTPthe protocol used for transmitting web pages over the internet190
10406557143Hypertext transfer protocolHTTP stands for...191
10406557144TCPprovides reliable, ordered and error checked delivery of a stream of packets in the internet192
10406557145URLan easy to remember address for calling a web page193
10406557146OctalThe octal number system is base 8, using only digits 0 through 7.194
10406557147DecimalTraditional number system using digits 0-9.195
10406557148Iterative innovationIncremental or small improvement to an item196
10406557149Novel innovationImprovement that is new, creative and has not been done before "outside the box thinking."197
10406557150Vint CerfInternet pioneer who believed the Internet should be free and available to everyone198
10406557151Higher lower__________ level protocols use _______ levels without needing to understand precisely how they work. (space between each term)199
10406557152Lower higher_________ level protocols guarantee __________ level protocols will function without stating specifically how this will be accomplished.200
10406557153Creative 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.201
10406557154High 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, FORTRAN202
10406557155Low 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.203
10406557156Fault tolerant networkThe ability to route around broken servers on the internet.204
10406557157Global 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.205
10406557158If StatementThe common programming structure that implements "conditional statements".206
10406557159Local 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.207
10406557160Callback 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.208
10406557161EventAn action that causes something to happen.209
10406557162User InterfaceThe visual elements of an program through which a user controls or communications the application. Often abbreviated UI.210
10406557163Data 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"211
10406557164Expressionis a combination of values and functions that are combined and interpreted by the compiler to create a new value212
10406557165VariableA placeholder for a piece of information that can change.213
10406557166DebuggingFinding and fixing problems in your algorithm or program.214
10406557167Conditionalsstatements that run under only certain conditions215
10406557168SelectionA 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.216
10406557169Concatentateto link together or join. Typically used when joining together text Strings in programming (e.g. "Hello, "+name)217
10406557170OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) Modela conceptual model that characterizes and standardizes the communication functions of a telecommunication or computing system without regard to its underlying internal structure and technology.218
10406557171Stepwise Refinementway of developing a computer program by first describing general functions, then breaking each function down into details which are refined in successive steps until the whole program is fully defined. Also called top-down design. Invented by Niklaus Wirth in 1971219
10406557172Statementis just a standalone unit of execution and doesn't return anything220
10406557173Modulo Operationthe modulo operation finds the remainder after division of one number by another (sometimes called modulus). Given two positive numbers, a (the dividend) and n (the divisor), a modulo n (abbreviated as a mod n) is the remainder of the Euclidean division of a by n.221
10406557174Map Reduceuses a parallel distributed algorithm to process large amounts of data222
10406557175Asynchronous DataData saved remotely causing a delayed response223
10406557176Synchronous DataData is saved locally and is instantaneous224
10406557177Vint Cerf's 2002 ManifestoThe Internet is for Everyone225

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