Computer Science Test 1
Integer
Whole numbers.
Real/Float
Decimal or whole number, 1.025 or -12.
Strings
Combination of all characters, fiushd32ud@.
Boolean
True/False.
Characters
All characters (single), 4, a, £.
Algorithm
A set of steps/instructions needed to complete a software task.
Flowchart
A graphical representation of an algorithm.
Pseudocode
A representation of an algorithm in which the algorithm resembles a simplified, generic programming language.
Oval
Start/Stop.
Parallelogram
Input/Output.
Rectangle
Process.
Diamond
Decision.
Abstraction
The removal of irrelevant detail in order to focus on the problem at hand.
Decomposition
Breaking down problems into smaller subproblems so that they are easier to solve.
Algorithmic thinking
Thinking about the logical steps required to solve a problem.
Linear algorithm
Looking for a value by going through the list one by one until you find it.
Binary search algorithm
Looking at the middle of an algorithm and seeing if it's smaller or bigger than the value you're looking for.
Bubble sort
A method of sorting a set of data by repeatedly stepping through the dataset and swapping any pairs that are in the wrong order.
Explain why you think a bubble sort is inefficient for large sets of data
Bubble sort is inefficient for large lists because it keeps comparing and swapping items even if most of the list is already sorted. This takes a long time as the number of comparisons grows quickly as the list gets bigger.
Sequencing
A control structure where the computer executes every instruction in the order in which they are written.
Selection
A control structure which contains instructions that DO NOT have to be executed in sequence (non-sequential). The executed instruction is selected based on a condition at that time.
Iteration
A control structure which allows instruction to be repeated, either for a set number of times or based on the result of a condition.
Insertion sort
A method of sorting a set of data by repeatedly comparing data items with previous items in a dataset, before inserting them into the correct position.
Comparison
During the insertion sorting process, the data item being sorted at that time, will be compared with each previous data item.
Merge sort
A method of sorting a set of data by splitting the dataset up into its individual items and then continually pairing items from the dataset in order until the entire dataset has been ordered.
Merge
The processes of combining elements into a single entity
Operator
An operator is something which will perform an action on some data.
String Manipulation Methods
Built in functions that many programming languages have which can manipulate string data.
Substring
A sequence of characters (positioned together) within a string variable.
Can you go back more than once in insertion sort (1,23,45,2) to (1,2,23,45)
Yes