GCSE OCR Computer studies PROGRAMMING / COMPUTERS

• Data Type


  A category that describes the type of value a variable can hold, such as integer, string, or boolean.
• Algorithm


  A step-by-step procedure for solving a problem or achieving a specific goal.
• Pseudocode


  A high-level representation of programming code that uses natural language and simplified syntax to describe the steps of an algorithm.
• Flowchart


  A diagram that represents the control flow of a program, including decisions, loops, and actions.
• Conditional Statement


  A statement that executes a specific action based on a condition being true or false, such as if-else or switch-case.
• Loop


  A part of a program that repeats a set of statements for a specified number of times, such as for, while, or do-while.
• Variable


  A value or memory location used in a program that can be changed or modified.
• Divide and Conquer


  A problem-solving approach that breaks down a complex problem into smaller, more manageable sub-problems.
• Recursion


  A problem-solving approach that solves a problem by breaking it down into smaller instances of the same problem, until a base case is reached.
• Variable Declaration


  A statement that declares a variable with a specific data type and initial value.
• Expression


  A group of values, variables, and operators that can be evaluated to produce a result.
• Function Parameters


  The values passed to a function when it is called, which can be used to modify the function's behavior.
• Constant


  A value that cannot be changed or modified during the execution of a program, often used to represent fixed values.
• Variable Characteristics


  Can be assigned, reassigned, or calculated using expressions; has a symbolic name.
• Constant Characteristics


  Cannot be changed or modified; has a numeric value; often used to represent fixed values.