Vocab

  • Unit 2… Binary/Data Terms

its are the basic unit of information in computing, consisting of a single binary digit that can take on a value of 0 or 1.

Bytes are a unit of measurement for data storage, consisting of eight bits.

Hexadecimal, or hex, is a number system with base 16, often used in computing to represent binary data in a more human-readable format.

Nibbles are a unit of measurement for data, consisting of four bits.

A binary number is a number represented using only the digits 0 and 1.

An unsigned integer is a binary number that represents a non-negative whole number, without any representation of sign.

A signed integer is a binary number that represents a whole number, with a separate representation of sign (positive or negative).

A floating point number is a binary number that represents a real number, with a separate representation of the decimal point.

A Boolean is a binary data type that can take on one of two possible values, representing true or false.

ASCII is a character encoding standard that represents each letter, digit, and symbol as a unique binary number.

Unicode is a character encoding standard that represents most of the world’s written languages, including all of the characters in ASCII, as well as many additional characters.

RGB (Red-Green-Blue) is a color model used in computing to represent colors as a combination of red, green, and blue values.

Data compression is the process of reducing the amount of data required to represent a given amount of information, typically to save space or transmission time.

Lossy data compression involves discarding some of the data in order to achieve a higher level of compression.

Lossless data compression involves preserving all of the data, but encoding it in a more compact form.

  • Unit 3… Algorithm/Programming Terms

A variable is a named location in a computer’s memory that is used to store a value. The value stored in a variable can be changed, and the same variable can be used to store different values at different times.

Data types are the classification of data based on their type and the operations that can be performed on them. Common data types include integers, floating-point numbers, strings, and Booleans.

A list is a collection of data items that are organized in a specific order. In Python, lists are represented using square brackets and can contain any data type, including other lists.

A 2D list is a list that contains other lists as its items. This allows for the creation of data structures that have more than one dimension, such as a grid or a table.

A dictionary is a data structure that uses keys to map to values. In Python, dictionaries are represented using curly braces and can contain any data type.

A class is a template or blueprint for creating objects in object-oriented programming. Classes define the properties and behaviors of objects, and objects are instances of a class.

An algorithm is a step-by-step procedure for solving a problem or achieving a specific goal. Algorithms are used in many different fields, including computer science, mathematics, and engineering.

A sequence is a type of control structure in which a set of instructions are executed in a specific order.

Selection is a type of control structure in which a specific set of instructions are executed based on the evaluation of a condition.

Iteration is a type of control structure in which a set of instructions are repeated until a specific condition is met.

An expression is a combination of variables, operators, and other elements that produces a value. In programming, expressions are often used in control structures to evaluate conditions.

Comparison operators are operators that are used to compare two values. In Python, the comparison operators include < (less than), > (greater than), == (equal to), and != (not equal to).

Boolean expressions are expressions that evaluate to either true or false. In programming, Boolean expressions are often used in control structures to determine which instructions to execute.

Selection statements are control structures that use Boolean expressions to evaluate conditions and decide which instructions to execute. In Python, the selection statement is the if statement.

Iteration statements are control structures that repeat a set of instructions until a specific condition is met. In Python, the iteration statements are the for and while loops.

A truth table is a table that shows the possible combinations of inputs and outputs for a logical operation. Truth tables are often used to evaluate the behavior of Boolean expressions.

Characters are the basic building blocks of a string. In Python, characters are represented as single quotes (e.g. ‘a’) and can be any letter, number, or symbol.

Strings are collections of characters that are used to represent text. In Python, strings are represented as double quotes (e.g. “Hello”) or single quotes (e.g. ‘Hello’).

The length of a string is the number of characters it contains. In Python, the length of a string can be found using the len() function.

Concatenation is the process of joining two or more strings together to form a new string. In Python, concatenation is performed using the + operator.

The upper() and lower() methods are used to convert a string to all uppercase or all lowercase characters

Traversing a string means to access each character in the string one by one. In Python, this can be done using a for loop and the len() function to iterate over the characters in a string.

The if, elif, and else keywords are used in Python to create conditional statements.

The if statement is used to evaluate a condition and execute a specific set of instructions if the condition is true.

The elif statement is used to evaluate additional conditions if the original if condition is false.

The else statement is used to specify a default set of instructions to execute if all other conditions are false.

Nested selection statements are if statements that are placed inside of other if statements. This allows for the creation of complex conditional statements that can evaluate multiple conditions.

The for and while loops are used in Python to repeat a set of instructions multiple times. The for loop is used to iterate over a sequence of items, such as the elements of a list. The while loop is used to repeat a set of instructions as long as a specific condition is true.

The range() function is used in Python to generate a sequence of numbers. This can be used in a for loop to specify the number of times to repeat the loop.

The break and continue keywords are used in Python to control the flow of a loop. The break keyword is used to exit a loop completely, while the continue keyword is used to skip the current iteration of the loop and continue with the next iteration.

Procedural abstraction is the process of separating the details of how a task is performed from the overall logic of the program. In Python, this is achieved using def procedures, which allow for the creation of reusable blocks of code that can be called from other parts of the program.

Parameters are variables that are used to pass information into a def procedure. When a procedure is called, the values of the parameters are specified and are used by the procedure to perform its tasks.

Return values are the values that are returned by a def procedure after it has finished executing. Return values can be used by the calling code to access the results of the procedure’s operations.