CompSci - Principles Of Programming Flashcards
(24 cards)
BNF Notation
<> Encloses each element that can be broken down further
::= Defines the parameters for a previous element
|OR
<name> ::= <firstname> <lastname>
<firstname> ::= John | Michael
</firstname></lastname></firstname></name>
BNF Recursion
<string> ::= <letter> | <letter> <string>
</string></letter></letter></string>
Standardisation Benefits
Portability
Documentation
Maintenance
Employment
Development
Standardisation - Portability
Programs that use a standard will not need to be modified to run on different OS or hardware.
Standards cannot be biased towards particular software or hardware for this reason.
Standardisation - Documentation
Standardised documentation protocols ensure that developers or programmers can learn how to use a program and how it works.
Standardisation - Maintenance
A program can be bugfixed or otherwise maintained by anyone familliar with the standard.
Standardisation - Employment
Programmers that are able to use a programming standard can apply their skills at any job that uses that standard.
Standardisation - Development
Once a standard is defined, it can be used to develop other programs.
Unambiguous Syntax
Allows for flexible use of the language and a less steep learning curve. Homophones are an example of ambiguities.
Procedural Paradigm
Sequence of instructions that are performed consecutively as defined by the programmer.
Python, C
Uses sequence, selection, iteration, functions and procedures.
Used for algorithms.
Visual Paradigm
Allows for drag and drop of simple functions and conditions.
Scratch, Game Maker
Used for learning
Event-Driven Paradigm
Set of functions that are run when a user interaction is detected while the program sits in a loop.
C#, VB
Uses listener & callback functions
Used for games
Mark-Up Paradigm
Communicates with browsers to structure text & other elements.
HTML, LaTeX
Declarative Paradigm
Finds whether a task can be achieved based on facts and relationships between those facts.
Functional and logic
Functional Declarative Paradigm
Uses mathematical expressions to evaluate a problem that the programmer raises.
SQL, Wolfram
Logic Declarative Paradigm
Solves a problem based on a knowledge base.
PROLOG, Mercury
Object-Oriented Paradigm
Models things as classes with attributes.
Uses inheritance & encapsulation
C++, Java
OOP Object
An iteration of a class with some defined attributes & methods
OOP Instance
Location in memory of an object
OOP Encapsulation
All data & functionality in a program being held within classes, making it much more dynamic.
Attributes can be:
- Private, only accessible via methods of the same class
- Protected, only accessible via methods of the same class & subclasses
- Public, accessibly by any method of any object
Truncation
Removes the least significant bits up to a specified point.
OOP Method
A function that operates on objects of a class
OOP Class
A digital template of a real-life thing
Standardisation Difficulties In Implementation
Inflexible
Conflicting interests of vendors and developers
Backward compatibility not assured
Training
Limited optimisation
