| Terms |
Definitions |
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boolean
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data type used to represent values that are true and/or false
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disjunction
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the connection of 2 Boolean expressions using the logical operator || (OR), returning TRUE if at least one of the expressions is TRUE, or FALSE if they are both FALSE
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Thomas Edison
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developed the first electronic vacuum tube
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system software
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programs that allow users to write and execute other programs, including operating systems such as DOS
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modem
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device that connects a computer to a telephone system to transmit
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infinite loop
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a loop in which the controlling condition is not changed in such a manner as to allow the loop to terminate
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mainframe
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a large computer typically used by major companies and universities
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data validation
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– the process of examining data prior to its use in a program
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William Gates
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founder of Microsoft
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statement block
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– a form by which a sequence of statements can be treated as a unit
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Dennis Ritchie
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developed the C programming language
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variable condition loop
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– a repetition statement in which a loop control condition changes within the body of the loop
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control variable
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variable that controls the number of times that the body of the loop is executed
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logical operator
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either logical connective (&&, ||) or negation (!)
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microsecond
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1/1,000,000 of a second
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Robert Noyce
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one of two inventors of the integrated circuit
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John von Neumann
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developed game theory
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module specifications
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In the case of a function, a description of data received, information returned, and task performed by a module. In the case of a class, a description of the attributes and behaviors
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program proof
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– an analysis of a program that attempts to verify the correctness of program results
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byte –
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stores a very small integer value
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compound assignment
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an assignment operation that performs a designated operation, such as addition, before storing the result of a variable
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reserved words
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– Words that have predefined meanings that cannot be changed
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George Boole
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developed the logic system used by computers
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network
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group of computers that are linked to share resources
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float
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– Supports a less precise representation of real numbers
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input device
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a device that provides information to the computer; typical devices are keyboards, disk drives, card readers, and tape drives
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control structure
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a structure that controls the flow of execution of program statements
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software engineering
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The process of developing and maintaining large software systems
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microcomputer
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computer capable of fitting on a laptop or desktop, generally used by one person at a time
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Bjarne Stroustrup
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developed the C++ programming language
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I/O devices
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any device that allows information to be transmitted to or from a computer
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default option
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the choice used in a switch statement when listed values are not applicable
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interactive input
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to entering values from the keyboard while the program is running
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simple Boolean expression
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an expression in which 2 numbers of variable values are compared using a single relational operator
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post-test (exit-controlled) loop
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a loop where the control condition is tested after the loop is executed; a do…while loop
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execute
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to carry out the instructions of the program
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assembly language (low-level language)
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a computer language that allows words and symbols to be used in an unsophisticated manner to accomplish simple tasks
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selection statement
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a control statement that selects some particular logical path based on the value of an expression
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abacus
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the oldest calculating device
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William Shockley
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one of three inventors of the transistor
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sentinel value
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special value that indicates the end of a set of data or of a process
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memory location
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a storage cell that can be accessed by address
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gigabyte
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1,073,741,824 bytes
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software
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programs that make the machine (hardware) do something, such as word processing, database management, or games
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input
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data obtained by a program during its execution
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negation
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the use of the logical operator ! (NOT) with a Boolean expression, returning TRUE if the expression is FALSE and FALSE if the expression is TRUE
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module
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An independent unit that is part of a larger development. Can be a function or a class (set of functions and related data).
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main unit
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CPU and main memory; hooked to an input device and an output device
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decrement
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to decrease the value of a variable
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machine language
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the language used directly by the computer in all its calculations and processing
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structure chart
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– A graphic method of indicating the relationship between modules when designing the solution to a problem.
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short
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Represents a smaller range of integer values
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conjunction
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the connection of 2 Boolean expressions using the logical operator && (AND), returning FALSE if at least one of the expressions is FALSE, or TRUE if they are both TRUE
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CPU
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a major hardware component that consists of the ALU and the control unit
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pseudocode
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– A stylized half-English, half-code language written in English but suggesting Java code
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object program (object code
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the machine code version of the source program
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Top-down design
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A design methodology for solving a problem whereby you first state the problem and then proceed to subdivide the main task into major subtasks. Each subtask is then subdivided into smaller subtasks. This process is repeated until each remaining subtask is easily solved.
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operating system
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a large program that allows the user to communicate with the hardware and performs various management tasks
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standard output stream
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An object to which a program sends data for output to a device, normally the terminal screen.
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string
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An object data type used to represent a word or a line of text.
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data
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the particular characters that are used to represent information in a form suitable for storage, processing, and communication
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test program
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A short program written to provide an answer to a specific program.
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counter
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a variable used to count the number of times some process is completed
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pretest condition
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a condition that controls whether the body of the loop is executed before going through the loop
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int
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Values of this type are used to represent integers or whole numbers
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main block
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The main part of a program
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Herman Hollerith
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developed the punched card system
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output device
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a device that allows you to see the results of a program; usually a monitor or a printer
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object-oriented design
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– Holds much promise for the development of solutions to complex problems, it is not necessarily the easiest and most straight-forward way to learn to solve problems with a computer.
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picosecond
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1/1,000,000,000,000 of a second
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stepwise refinement
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The process of repeatedly subdividing tasks into subtasks until each subtask is easily accomplished.
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variable
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a memory location, referenced by an identifier, whose value can bechanged during a program; a variable can be thought of as a named location or cell in computer’s memory
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Ada Augusta Byron
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known as the first programmer
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millisecond
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1/1,000 of a second
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megabyte
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1,048,576 bytes
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high-level language
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any programming language that uses words and symbols to make it relatively easy to read and write a program
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accumulator
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variable used for the purpose of summing successive values of some other variable
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effective statement
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A clear, unambiguous instruction that can be carried out.
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programmer-supplied identifiers
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Words defined by the programmer
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bit
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a binary digit
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workstation
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a powerful desktop computer that uses microprocessor technology
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self-documenting code
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code that is written using descriptive identifiers
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mutually exclusive
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not able to exist at the same time; totally independent
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super computer
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the fastest computer
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quadword
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two longwords
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relational operator
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– an operator used for comparison of data items of the same type
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extended if statement
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nested selection where additional if … else statements are used in the else option
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minicomputer
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small version of a mainframe computer; it’s usually used by several people at once
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syntax –
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The formal rules governing construction of valid statements
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long
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Supports a more precise representation (larger ranger) of integral numbers, at the cost of more computer memory.
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secondary (auxiliary) memory device
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an auxiliary device for memory, usually a disk or magnetic tape
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John Bardeen
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one of three inventors of the transistor
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client/server relationship
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a means of describing the organization of computing resources in which one resource provides service to another resource
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Alan Turing
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did pioneering work in the field of artificial intelligence
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fixed repetition (iterated) loop
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– a loop used when it is known in advance the number of times a segment of code needs to be repeated
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byte
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a sequence of bits used to encode a character in memory
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comment
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A nonexecutable statement used to make a program more readable
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Blaise Pascal
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invented the first mechanical calculating machine
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Harold Arnold
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developed the audion, the first vacuum tube that could strengthen an electronic signal
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keywords
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Either a reserved word or a library identifier
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John Backus
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developed the FORTRAN programming language
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source program
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a program written by a programmer
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Steven Wozniak
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one of the two founders of Apple Computer
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Boolean expression
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an expression whose value is either true or false
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ALU
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the part of the CPU that performs arithmetic operations and evaluates expressions
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char
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data type available in Java which is used to represent character data
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integrated circuit
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the invention that was responsible for the third generation of computing
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user-friendly
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a phrase used to describe an interactive program with clear, easy-to-follow messages for the user
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nested if statement
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selection statement use within another selection statement
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hardware
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the physical computing machine and its support devices
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John Napier
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developed logarithms and the multiplication tables
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Gottfried Leibniz
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invented the Stepped Reckoner
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algorithm
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a finite sequence of effective statements that, when applied to a problem, will solve it
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data type
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A formal description of the set of values that a variable can have
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compiler
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a computer program that automatically converts instructions in a high-level language to machine language
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kilobyte
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1,024 bytes
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bus
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a group of wires imprinted on a circuit board to facilitate communication between components of a computer
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longword
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two words
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double
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Values are used to represent real numbers
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compound Boolean expression
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refers to the complete expression when logical connectives and negation are used to generate Boolean values
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software system life cycle
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The process of development, maintenance, and demise of a software system. Phases include analysis, design, coding, testing/verification, maintenance, and obsolescence.
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Jack Kilby
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one of two inventors of the integrated circuit
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Walter Brattain
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one of three inventors of the transistor
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program
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a set of instructions that tells the machine (hardware) what to do
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robust
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the state in which a program is protected against possible crashes from bad data and unexpected values
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John Kemeny
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developed the BASIC programming language
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application software
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programs designed for a specific use
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programming language
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formal language that computer scientists use to give instructions to a computer
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Stephen Jobs
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one of the two founders of Apple Computer, instigated the use of the mouse as an input device
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library identifiers
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Words defined in standard Java libraries/classes
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Charles Babbage
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known as the father of modern computing
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executable statement
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The basic unit of grammar in Java consisting of valid identifiers, library identifiers, reserved words, numbers, and/or characters, together with appropriate punctuation.
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main (primary) memory
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memory contained in the computer
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compound statement
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used with the symbols { and } to group several statements as a unit
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Niklaus Wirth
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developed the Pascal programming language
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assignment statement
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a method of putting values into memory locations
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Grace Murray Hopper
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developed the COBOL programming language
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pretest (entrance-controlled) loop
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loop where the control condition is tested before the loop is executed; while loop
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nanosecond
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1/1,000,000,000 of a second
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vacuum tube
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the invention that was responsible for the first generation of computing
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Transistor
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the invention that was responsible for the second generation of computing
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binary digit (bit)
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a digit, either 0 or 1, in the binary number system; program instructions are stored in memory using a sequence of binary digits
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short-circuit evaluation
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the process whereby a compound Boolean expression halts evaluation and returns the value of the first subexpression that evaluates to TRUE, in the case of ||, or FALSE, in the case of &&
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control unit
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the part of the CPU that controls the operation of the rest of the computer
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nested loop
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a loop as one of the statements in the body of another loop
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