Computer unit 1 Flashcards
What is a software engineer?
Software engineers design, develop, and maintain software applications
Computer software
collection of programs, data, and Instructions that enable a computer system to perform specific tasks or functions
computer hardware
Physical components of a computer system that can be touched or manipulated
computational system
combination of hardware, software, and data that work together to perform computational tasks
computational device
any device capable of performing computations or processing information
Machine learning
it involves training models on large datasets to recognize patterns, make inferences, and improve performance over time through experience
What is the purpose of a compiler?
It translates high-level programming language to low-level programming language
How is data stored on a computer
Binary
Von Neumann architecture
A computer architecture that uses a single memory unit for both instructions and data
RAM
Temporarily stores data and instructions that the CPU needs to access when the computer is in use
What is pseudocode?
An artificial language that helps programmers develop algorithms
CPU
Central processing unit; The “brain” of the computer and mostly performs the calculations and instructions in a computer such as algorithms, logical operations, and controlling the flow of data
What are some storage devices?
Hard disk drives, solid state drives, DVD, CD
What is the motherboard?
The motherboard is the main circuit that connects and allows communication between various hardware components of the computer; it mothers the CPU, memory modules, storage devices, and other essential components
What is the GPU
Graphic processing unit; Houses the graphics cards which display images, videos and 3D graphics that are reflected onto the computer screen.
Examples of input devices
Keyboard, mouse, microphone
Examples of output devices
Monitor, printer, speakers
What is the Fetch-Decode-Execute cycle?
The CPU fetches the instructions from the memory (RAM), Decodes it to understand the operation to be performed, the executes the instructions
what is system software?
A collection of computer programs that manage the resources of a computer and facilitates access to those resources
What is binary?
Binary is how a computer executes and understands a set of instructions. It is made up of 1 and 0 and has two states, on and off. Binary is a low-level language
Syntax
Programming languages have specific rules and syntax that dictate how programs should be written
Data type
Programming languages define different data types that determine how data is stored and manipulated in the program
Variables
programmers can declare variables to store and manipulate data during program execution
Control structure
Programming languages provide a control structure such as conditional statements and loops to control the flow of execution withing a program
