Computer Basics and Programming Fundamentals

Questions and Answers

What is a computer?

A machine that stores and manipulates information under the control of a changeable program.

What is software?

Computer programs.

What is hardware?

The physical components of a computing system.

What is programming?

The process of creating a computer program to solve some problem. Signup and view all the answers

What is an algorithm?

A detailed sequence of steps for carrying out some process; a recipe. Signup and view all the answers

What does intractable mean?

Too difficult to be solved in practice, usually because it would take too long. Signup and view all the answers

What is a central processing unit (CPU)?

The 'brain' of the computer where numeric and logical operations are carried out. Signup and view all the answers

What is main memory (RAM)?

The place where all data and program instructions that the CPU is currently working reside. Signup and view all the answers

What is the fetch-execute cycle?

The process a computer carries out to execute a machine code program (fetch one line, execute, fetch second line, execute, etc.). Signup and view all the answers

What are programming languages?

Notation for writing computer programs; usually high-level languages like Python. Signup and view all the answers

What is syntax?

The form of a language. Signup and view all the answers

What is semantics?

The meaning of a construct. Signup and view all the answers

What is coding?

The process of turning an algorithm into a computer program. Signup and view all the answers

What is machine language?

The low-level (binary) instructions that a given CPU can execute. Signup and view all the answers

What is binary?

Base two numbering system in which the only digits are 0 and 1. Signup and view all the answers

What is a compiler?

A complex program that translates a program written in a high-level language into machine language. Signup and view all the answers

What is an interpreter?

A computer program that simulates the behavior of a computer that understands a high-level language. Signup and view all the answers

What is source code?

The text of a program in a high-level language. Signup and view all the answers

What is machine code?

A program in machine language. Signup and view all the answers

What is portability?

The ability to run a program unmodified on various different systems. Signup and view all the answers

What is a prompt?

A printed message that signals to the user of a program that input is expected. Signup and view all the answers

What is a statement in programming?

A single command in a programming language. Signup and view all the answers

What is a function?

A subprogram within a program; takes parameters as input and returns values. Signup and view all the answers

What does invoke mean in programming?

Making use of a function. Signup and view all the answers

What are parameters in programming?

Special variables in a function that are initialized at the time of call with information passed from the caller. Signup and view all the answers

What is a module in programming?

Any relatively independent part of a program, also a file containing code that can be imported and executed. Signup and view all the answers

What is a script?

Another name for a program, usually a simple one in an interpreted language. Signup and view all the answers

What is a programming environment?

Special computer program that provides facilities to make programming easier. Signup and view all the answers

What is an import statement?

Makes an external library module available for use within a program. Signup and view all the answers

What does it mean to execute a program?

To run a program or segment of a program. Signup and view all the answers

What is byte code?

Intermediate form of computer language, high-level languages are sometimes compiled into this. Signup and view all the answers

What is a comment in programming?

Text placed in a program for the benefit of human readers; ignored by the computer. Signup and view all the answers

What is a variable?

An identifier that labels/stores a value for future reference. Signup and view all the answers

What is a loop in programming?

A control construct for executing portions of a program multiple times. Signup and view all the answers

What is the body of a control structure?

Generic term for a block of statements inside of a control structure such as a loop or decision. Signup and view all the answers

What is an assignment statement?

The process of giving a value to a variable. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Computer Basics

A computer is a machine that stores and manipulates information controlled by a changeable program.
Hardware refers to the physical components of a computing system, while software encompasses the computer programs that run on it.

Programming Fundamentals

Programming is the process of creating computer programs to solve problems, employing algorithms as detailed sequences of steps akin to recipes.
The CPU (Central Processing Unit) is the computer's "brain" responsible for performing numeric and logical operations.

Memory and Execution

Main memory (RAM) is where data and program instructions are temporarily stored and accessed by the CPU during computations.
The fetch-execute cycle describes how a computer processes machine code by fetching lines of code and executing them sequentially.

Languages and Code

Programming languages are notations used for writing software, with high-level languages like Python being prevalent due to their ease of use.
Syntax pertains to the structure of a programming language, while semantics refers to its meanings.

Coding Processes

Coding turns algorithms into executables and machine language is the low-level binary language understood by CPUs.
A compiler translates high-level language into machine language in a single batch, while an interpreter executes high-level language line by line (Python is an interpreted language).

Programs and Portability

Source code represents the written code in a high-level language, while machine code is its low-level counterpart.
Portability allows programs to operate unmodified across different systems.

User Interaction

A prompt signals the user that input is needed, and a statement is a single command within a programming language.
Functions are subprograms that take input parameters and return values (e.g., def sing(animal, sound)).

Modular Programming

Invoking a function involves calling it with specific parameters (e.g., sing("cat","meow")).
A module is an independent part of a program, which can be a file containing reusable code.

Environment and Execution

A programming environment provides tools to facilitate coding (e.g., Wingware).
The import statement includes external library modules for use within a program (e.g., import say).

Running Programs

Executing means running a program or part of it, while byte code is an intermediate representation of high-level language sometimes generated during compilation.
Comments are added for readability, ignored by the compiler, and are marked with # or triple quotes (""").

Control Structures

Variables are identifiers that store values and can change through assignment (e.g., term1 = 1).
A loop is a control mechanism for executing blocks of code multiple times, and the body contains statements inside control structures.

Assignments and Statements

An assignment statement assigns a value to a variable using the = operator.

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Description

This quiz covers fundamental concepts of computer systems, including hardware, software, and programming basics. Learn about the CPU, memory, and the fetch-execute cycle, as well as different programming languages. Test your understanding of how computers store and manipulate information.