2.2 Programming Fundamentals

Question 1

What is a constant?

Answer 1

Named variable fixed for the duration of the program

Written at the same time the program is written

Question 2

What is an assignment?

Answer 2

Storing a value to a variable or constant

Question 3

What is a character?

Answer 3

A single letter, number, symbol or control code

Question 4

What are all the arithmetic operators?

Answer 4

*
/
MOD or %
DIV or //

Question 5

What is sequence?

Answer 5

Instructions executed 1 after another in order

Question 6

What is selection?

Answer 6

Branches based on a condition

Question 7

What is nesting?

Answer 7

À loop or selection inside another loop or selection

Question 8

What is the pseudo code for totalling?

Answer 8

total = 0
count = 0
for i = 0 to 9
num = input( “enter a number” )
total = total + num
count = count + 1
next i
print ( “total: “ + str(total))
print ( “count: “ + str(count))

Question 9

What is the pseudo code for averaging?

Answer 9

average = total / num
print (“average: “ + str(average))

Question 10

What is the pseudo code for finding the max or min?

Answer 10

max = 0
min = 999
num = input (“enter a number”)
if num > max then
max = num
endif
if num < min then
min = num
endif

Question 11

What is the pseudo code for counting

Answer 11

count = 0
for i = 0 to 9
count = count + 1
next i
print (“total items: “ + str(count))

Question 12

Write a function in pseudo code

Answer 12

FUNCTION addNumbers (num1, num2)
sum = num1 + num2
RETURN sum
ENDFUNCTION

Question 13

What is pseudo code for?

Answer 13

À method of writing up a set of instructions for a program in plain English without worrying about syntax rules

Used for planning a program in plain

Question 14

How to spot an off by one mistake?

Answer 14

In a country controlled loop make sure to remember the 2nd number is excluded

Question 15

How to spot wrong operators?

Answer 15

= vs ==
< vs <= and > vs >=
/ vs //
and vs or

Question 16

How to spot infinite loops?

Answer 16

Make sure there’s a condition that tells it to stop when conditions are full filled

Question 17

What is a trace table?

Answer 17

Trace the value of each variable as each line of code is being executed

Question 18

What is a parameter?

Answer 18

A named variable that acts a placeholder for the data the function needs to perform a task