2.2 programming fundamentals

• What are the three programming constructs used to control the flow of a program?

  Sequence, Selection, Iteration
• What does the Sequence construct in programming refer to?

  Structuring code into a logical, sequential order
• How does the Selection construct function in programming?

  It involves decision making using if statements
• What is the purpose of the Iteration construct in programming?

  Repeating code using for or while loops
• What is the role of variables in programming?

  To store data in programs
• What is the specification code for the OCR exam board related to data types?

  J277
• What are the two parts of a variable?

  The data value and the identifier
• What is a character in programming?

  A single character, such as a letter, number, or punctuation symbol
• Give an example of a character data type.

  T
• Why is it important to use sensible identifiers for variables?

  They help other programmers understand the purpose of the code
• What is a string in programming?

  A sequence of characters, including letters, numbers, and punctuation
• What is the difference between local and global variables?

  Local variables are used within a specific subroutine, while global variables can be used anywhere in the program
• Provide an example of a string data type.

  Harry Waters
• What is an integer in programming?

  A whole number
• What are the advantages of using local variables in programming?

  They save memory and are easier to debug
• Give an example of an integer data type.

  475
• What are the advantages of using global variables?

  They can be used anywhere in the program and make maintenance easier
• What is a real number in programming?

  A decimal number
• What is an array in programming?

  An array is a static data structure that can hold a fixed number of data elements.
• Provide an example of a real number data type.


  65.3
• What is a constant in programming?

  Data that does not change in value as the program runs
• What must each data element in an array be?

  Each data element must be of the same data type.
• What is a Boolean data type?

  An answer that only has two possible values
• Give an example of a constant in mathematics.

  Pi, which is approximately 3.14159
• What is the index in an array?

  The index is a number that indicates the position of an element in the array.
• Give examples of Boolean values.

  True / False
• What are comparison operators used for in programming?

  To compare two data values
• What is the index of the first element in an array?

  The first element in an array always has an index of 0.
• Why are telephone numbers stored as strings instead of integers?

  Because they may contain leading zeros and special characters
• What are the most common arithmetic operators?

  Add (+), Subtract (-), Multiply (*), Divide (/)
• What does casting mean in programming?

  Converting the value of a variable from one data type into another
• How can you traverse an array in programming?

  You can use a for loop to display each data element in order.
• What does modulo division reveal?

  The remainder from the last whole number
• What happens when you try to insert a new value into an array?

  You cannot insert new values, but you can change the value of existing elements.
• In Python, which command is used to cast an input into an integer?

  int()
• What is the result of $9 \% 4$?


  1
• What is the purpose of the str() command in Python?

  To cast a variable into a string
• What does integer division reveal?

  The whole number of times a number can be divided into another number
• What is the result of $9 // 4$?


  2
• What is an example of overwriting an element in an array?

  Overwriting the fourth element (Daphne) with a new value (Laura).