Midterm Terms

  1. Programming: providing a computer with a set of intructions
  2. Software: the name for programs created for a computer. A sequence of steps that can be interpreted by the hardware of the computer.
  3. Computer Science: The creation of the steps necessary for a computer to solve a problem.
  4. Algorithm: a set of steps to solve a program.
  5. Pseudocode: a generic way of describing an algorithm using the conventions of programming languages.
  6. Machine language: a system of codes directly understandable by a computer's CPU.
  7. Assembly language: a human-readable notation for the machine language that a specific computer architecture uses
  8. High-level language: a computer language that is readable, often platform-independent, and abstract from low-level computer processor operations.
  9. Operating system: the system software responsible for the direct control and management of hardware and basic system operations
  10. Utility programs: any computer software whose purpose is to help run the computer system. Most of it is responsible directly for controlling, integrating, and managing the individual hardware components of a computer system.
  11. Application program: computer software that employs the capabilities of a computer directly to a task that the user wishes to perform.
  12. stdio.h
  13. printf, fprintf
  14. scanf, fscanf
  15. fgetc
  16. fgets/gets
  17. atoi
  18. standard in: default input location for a program, either from the keyboard or from a redirected source.
  19. standard out: default output location for a program, either to the screen or to a redirected source.
  20. redirecting standard in/out: method of specifying a differnt location to use in place of standard in/out.
  21. casting: a method of informing the system to treat one data type as another.
  22. variable: a named location in memory for holding information.
  23. data type: a name or label for a set of values and some operations which one can perform on that set of values
  24. parameter: information provided to a function to allow it to perform the same sequence of commands with different data without re-specifying the instructions. (a.k.a. formal parameter)
  25. argument: the actual value provided for a parameter. (a.k.a. actual parameter)
  26. int: a data type specifying a 4-byte space for storing whole numbers [-2147483648, 2147483647]
  27. float: a data type specifying a 4-byte space for storing numbers with scientific notation or values after the decimal point.
  28. char: a data type specifying a 1-byte space for storing values (usually ASCII characters) [-127, 127]. Unsigned chars can store values [0, 255].
  29. function: a sequence of code which performs a specific task.
  30. return type: the data type of the resulting value from a functino.
  31. integer division: Division performed by two non-floating point numbers in which the remainder is ignored.
  32. mod (modular arithmetic): a system of arithmetic for integers, where numbers "wrap around" after they reach a certain value — the modulus. OR, modular arithmetic can be thought as as to obtain the remainder after a division is performed.
  33. C string: An array of characters that is terminated by a NULL (binary zero).
  34. array: a list of elements of the same type.
  35. multi-dimensional array: an array whose elements are also arrays.
  36. row-major order: A method of accessing an array in which the columns in row N are accessed (in order) before accessing any in row N+1.
  37. logical AND: a logical operator that results in true if both of the operands are true.
  38. logical OR: a logical operator that results in true if either of the operands are true.
  39. conditional statement (if/else): A statement which has the computer determine whether to execute the body, based on a condition.
  40. loop: a sequence of commands that can be carried out several times, although it is written just once.
  41. counted loop: a sequence of commands that can be carried out N times, although it is written just once.
  42. condition: a boolean statement that affects the execution of a program.
  43. boolean value: a value specifying either true (!0) or false (0).
  44. preprocess: the act of processing data before it is parsed. (The phase of compiling that handles including header files.)
  45. compiler: a computer program that translates a series of instructions written in one computer language into a resulting output in another computer language.
  46. compile: The process of translating a series of instructions written in one computer language into another computer language.
  47. link: Joins together function calls and global variables to the actual functions and variables.
  48. function prototype: The critical information for a function: name, return type, and (usually_ parameters all listed in a singe preprocessor statement.
  49. function call/invocation: passing actual arguments to a function in a program statement.
  50. function definition: includes the function header and body.
  51. function header: The critical information for a function: name, return type, and (usually) parameters.
  52. header file: A separate file for holding function headers, includes, and constants.
  53. library: A collection of functions available for use in other programs.
  54. luminance: the brightness or intensity of a color.
  55. ASCII: American Standard Code for Information Interchange. A character set used to represent text in computers.
  56. binary: a base 2 counting system.
  57. bit: a binary digit
  58. byte: eight binary digits
  59. RGB: a way to specify the colors in an image using combinations of red, green, and blue.
  60. Parse: the process of analyzing a continuous stream of input in order to determine its information.
  61. PPM format: a simple color image format
  62. PGM format: a simple grayscale image format