Chapter 7 - Programming

Question 1

In a flow chart what does a slanted square mean?

Answer 1

Input or output

Question 2

In a flow chart what does a square mean?

Answer 2

Process, doing something

Question 3

What is machine code?

Answer 3

Instructions represented in binary used by the CPU

Question 4

What does machine code consist of?

Answer 4

An opcode: tells the processor what to do

An operand: tells the processor what to do it to

Question 5

What are binary bit patterns decoded by?

Answer 5

The processor’s logic circuits

Question 6

What is high-level languages?

Answer 6

A programming languages which resembles a natural language, each instruction translates to many machine instructions. It is problem based rather than machine based.

Question 7

Why is there a new for translators?

Answer 7

CPU does not understand high level code, therefore it must be translated into a set of machine code instructions

Question 8

What is an assembler?

Answer 8

Software which translates mnemonic instructions in assembly language to machine code

Question 9

What is a compiler?

Answer 9

Converts the whole high level code into machine code before running it

Question 10

What is an interpreter?

Answer 10

Converts the code one instruction at a time, running each instruction before translating the next

Question 11

What is source code?

Answer 11

Code written by the programmer

A compiler turns source code into object code which runs independently to the source code

Question 12

Advantages + disadvantages of an assembler?

Answer 12

Precise and direct instructions to the computer hardware

Difficult to code and limited range of commands available

Question 13

Advantages + disadvantages of a compiler?

Answer 13

Code runs quickly once compiled
Difficult for others to modify without access to source code
Initial compilation can be slow
Errors are generated for all the code at once - difficult to debug

Question 14

Advantages + disadvantages of an interpreter?

Answer 14

Executes one statement at a time so easy to debug
Code can be developed and tested in stages
More portable as the code will run anywhere as long as there is an interpreter available
Interpreter takes up space in memory
Code executes slowly
Interpreter needed on target machine

Question 15

What is an IDE?

Answer 15

Translators usually include an integrated development environment o help programmers

Question 16

What are typical features of an IDE?

Answer 16

Source code editor
Error diagnostics and debugger
Run time environment
Translator (compiler/interpreter)
Automation tools

Question 17

What is a source code editor?

Answer 17

A text editing area organises the code including indenting structures and colour coding command words, variables an comments

Question 18

What is an error diagnostics and debugger,

Answer 18

Warnings identify potential problems with the code and listing errors found in the code

Question 19

What is a run time environment?

Answer 19

Allows the developer to run the code during development to check for logical errors

Question 20

What is a translator?

Answer 20

Compiled or interprets the source code into runnable machine code

Question 21

Why are automation tools?

Answer 21

Auto documentation: tracks variables, sub routines and comments as the project is developed ( produce text file used for maintenance)
Wizards: autocomplete woe as it is typed

Question 22

What is a constant/variable?

Answer 22

A named storage space reserved in memory to store the value associated with that variable name or constant

Question 23

What does an integer store?

Answer 23

Whole number values, positive or negative with no decimal part

Question 24

What does a real store?

Answer 24

Numbers with a decimal part or factional part

Question 25

What does a character store?

Answer 25

Single alphanumeric character

Question 26

What does a string store?

Answer 26

Any string of alphanumeric characters

Question 27

What does Boolean store?

Answer 27

Either True or False

Question 28

What does mean?

Answer 28

Is not equal to

Question 29

How do you select a specific variable in an array?

Answer 29

Using an index = array(3)

Starts at 0!!

Question 30

What is a syntax error?

Answer 30

Errors in the use of language rules and these are often identified by the IDE

Question 31

What are causes of logic errors?

Answer 31

Conditions that cannot be met in a conditional statement
Infinite loops
Incorrect algorithm
Incorrect expressions (calculations which are incorrect or missing a braquet)