Glossary

Algorithm

A general step by step process for solving a problem.

Array

A collection of components, all of the same type.

Argument

A variable or expression listed in a call to a function.

Bug

An error in a program.

Binary

A system of numbers using only the two digits 1 and 0

Bit

Binary digit. A unit of information introduced by Shannon in the 1940''s. A single on/off binary position. 1 is on and o is off.

Byte

Eight bits make byte.

Block

program_structure (A piece of source code that has one or more declarations in it.)

Computer

A programmable device that can store, retrieve, and process data.

Coding

The process of writing the programming language statements to create a computer program.

Comment

Information in a program that is meant for you (the programmer) and does not get executed in the program.

Data

Information in a form a computer can use.

Declaration

A statement that associates an identifier with a data object, a function, or a data type so that the programmer can refer to that item by name.

HTML

Authoring markup language used for creating webpages, multimedia documents on the web

Function

Something that is called with parentheses, e.g., sqrt(). Specifically, A portion of code that is designed for one mini-task, e.g., draw a line, draw a square, compute the square root, or find the largest value. In Java, functions are called "methods".

Editor

An interactive program used to create and modify source programs or data.

Input

Data supplied to some program, subprogram, OS, machine, system.

Iteration

An individual pass through, or repetition of, the body of a loop or steps in the program.

Loop

A control structure that causes a statement or group of statements to be executed repeatedly

Program

A sequence of instructions that specifies to a computer actions and computations to be performed.

Programming language

A set of rules, symbols, and special words used to construct a computer program

Statement

A command line that ends with a semicolon.

Syntax

The structure of a program. The formal rules governing how valid instructions are written in a programming language.

Variable

A location in memory, referenced by an identifier, that contains a data value that can be changed. A named place in a program that holds a value. e.g., integers (int), strings (string) and reals (float, double).