3.2 Programming

• What is variable assignment?

  Variable assignment is changing the value of a variable.
• What is initialization in programming?

  Initialization is assigning a variable with its first value.
• What is a variable?

  A variable is a temporary memory location that holds a value that can change during program execution.
• What is a constant?

  A constant is a temporary memory location that holds a value that stays the same during program execution.
• What is selection in programming?

  Selection is choosing the path a program will follow based on a condition (if, elif, else).
• What is iteration in programming?

  Iteration is repeating a set of instructions, which can be count-controlled (for loop) or condition-controlled (while loop).
• What is string concatenation?

  String concatenation is joining strings together, e.g., "a" + "b" = "ab".
• What is string slicing?


  String slicing is cutting a section of a string, e.g., subject = "mathematics" and subject.SubString(2,4) will give "them".
• What are data structures?

  • Data structures are organized and structured sets of data that can be easily edited and changed.
  • Created using brackets: [ ] for 1D and [ ][ ] for 2D.
• How does indexing work in data structures?

  Data structures indexing starts at 0 (left to right) and -1 (right to left).
• How do you iterate through a list of values?

  You must use a loop (for or while), with for loop preferred for knowing the number of values.
• What is a record in programming?

  A record groups together items of data that are related to each other.
• What is the comparison between arrays and records?

  • Arrays hold a list of values of the same data type.
  • Records can hold different data types, making them more powerful for storing related information.
• What are the advantages of using subroutines?

  • Easier to understand the program.
  • Test subroutines in isolation.
  • Develop them independently.
  • Change one without affecting others.
  • Easily debugged for errors.
  • Allows collaborative development.
• What is a structured approach in programming?

  • Using multiple modularized subroutines.
  • Clear and well-documented interfaces.
  • Local variables and parameters for efficiency.
  • Return values.
• What is a subroutine?

  A subroutine is a predefined block of code with a unique name that can be called at any time.
• What are the two types of sub-programs?

  The two types of sub-programs are subroutines (no return value) and functions (has a return value).
• How do you call a subroutine in Python?

  You call a subroutine by writing its name followed by parentheses, e.g., linearSearch().
• What are parameters in programming?

  Parameters are input variables needed to create subroutines.
• What are arguments in programming?

  Arguments are input values passed into already created subroutines.
• What is a local variable?

  A local variable is only accessible within a section of code or a sub-program.
• What is a global variable?

  A global variable can be accessed throughout the entire program or multiple sub-programs.
• How do you write a new subroutine name in Python?

  You write a new subroutine name using def uniqueName(parameter1, parameter2...):.
• How do you call a subroutine with arguments in Python?

  You call a subroutine with arguments using uniqueName(5, 10...).