Programming fundamentals

• What is a variable?


  A named memory location that contains data that can be changed.
• What is a constant?


  A named memory location that contains data that cannot be changed.
• What are the 3 programming constructs?

  Sequence, Selection and Iteration
• What is selection?

  Where a section of code is run only if a condition is met.
• What do we use for selection?

  If/else statements
• What is sequence?

  Where program is run in order from top to bottom
• What is iteration?

  Repeating sections of code based on a condition or a set number.
• What are the two types of iteration?

  Condition and count controlled
• What is condition controlled iteration?


  Repeating code until a condition is met
• What is count controlled iteration?

  Repeating code for a set number of times.
• What is assignment?

  Giving a variable a value
• What is an algorithm?

  A set of instructions
• What is an integer?

  A whole number
• What is a float?

  A decimal number
• What can a float also be called?

  A real
• What is a string?

  Alphanumerical characters in a line of code
• What is a boolean?

  Where values are stored as true or false
• What is casting?


  Converting a data type into another
• Give an example of an assignment operator?

  =
• What are mathematical operators?

  Characters that represent a mathematical function
• What does MOD do?

  Calculates the remainder after division
• How is MOD useful?

  For finding if a number is a multiple of another.
• What does DIV do?

  An integer division; truncates the remainders.
• What does ^ do?

  To the power of
• Equal to 


  ==
• Not equal to


  !=
• Less than

  <
• Less than or equal to

  <=
• Greater than


  >
• Greater than or equal to


  >=
• Multiplication


  *
• Division

  /
• What is abstraction?

  Removing the unnecessary parts of a problem to focus on key details.
• Give an example of abstraction

  Saving a file
• How can I design an algorithm for a problem?

  Flowcharts
• What are the benefits of abstraction for the programmer?(3)

  • Easier to solve
  • Saves time
  • Reduces memory required
• What is decomposition?

  Breaking a problem down into smaller more manageable pieces
• Why is decomposition useful? (2)


  • Easier to solve
  • Saves time
• Give an example of decomposition in daily life.

  Getting to school
• What is algorithmic thinking?


  Identifiying individual steps needed to solve a problem.