Questions and Answers
Which of the following programming constructs is NOT one of the three sufficient constructs for expressing any programming logic?
What does structured programming avoid to maintain clarity?
Which statement is accurate about structured programming?
What is one reason violations of structured programming principles might be permitted?
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How does structured programming affect the maintenance of a program?
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Which feature is characteristic of structured programs?
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What is the main advantage of using structured programming practices?
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Which programming approach is generally considered a foundational principle of structured programming?
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What was a significant limitation of early computer programming in the 1950s?
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Which programming languages were introduced in the early 1960s that significantly reduced software development efforts?
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During the late 1960s, programmers found it challenging to understand and maintain programs written by others. What was the primary reason for this difficulty?
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Which step in the software development lifecycle precedes hardware development?
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What was a characteristic of the software development style during the early 1960s?
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In control flow-based design, what did programmers struggle to ensure regarding their software?
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What does the feasibility study in the software development lifecycle primarily assess?
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Which of the following was a common issue with exploratory programming noted in the late 1960s?
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What are the two main principles deployed by software engineering to manage cognitive limitations?
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How does the slope of the effort-size curve change when software engineering principles are applied?
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What is the main purpose of abstraction in software engineering?
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What is the primary benefit of using decomposition in problem-solving?
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Which of the following best describes the process of decomposition in software engineering?
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Why might a machine generating programs lead to a more linear effort-size curve compared to a human?
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In the context of software development, what does the term 'abstraction' imply using a map as an example?
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What scenario best illustrates the principle of decomposition?
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Study Notes
Control Flow-Based Design
- Established in the late 1960s, only three programming constructs deemed necessary: sequence, selection, and iteration.
- Sequence allows linear execution of statements (e.g.,
a=0; b=5;). - Selection provides branching logic (e.g.,
if(c=true) k=5 else m=5;). - Iteration facilitates repetitive execution (e.g.,
while(k>0) k=j-k;). - GO TO statements deemed unnecessary for programming logic, fostering the rise of Structured Programming.
Structured Programming
- Defined as a programming paradigm utilizing only sequence, selection, and iteration constructs.
- Promotes clarity by avoiding unstructured control flows and leads to better modular design.
- Encourages single-entry, single-exit program constructs for improved maintainability.
Practical Violations
- Exceptions allow for deviations from structured constructs due to practical needs, such as premature loop exits for exception handling.
Benefits of Structured Programs
- Increased readability and understandability.
- Simplified maintenance processes, reducing effort and development time.
- Programmers experience fewer errors when using structured constructs compared to traditional test-and-branch methods.
Emergence of Software Engineering
- Early programming (1950s) involved assembly language, limited in size and complexity (usually a few hundred lines).
- Individual programming styles were heavily reliant on intuition, leading to an exploratory programming approach.
- High-level languages introduced in the early 1960s (FORTRAN, ALGOL, COBOL) streamlined software development but still faced exploratory limitations.
Complexity Challenges
- Program size and complexity escalated, revealing the inadequacies of exploratory styles; it became difficult to create cost-effective, correct software.
- Understanding and maintaining code written by others proved challenging as complexity increased, exceeding individual cognitive capabilities.
Software Development Principles
- Employing software engineering principles can linearize the effort-size curve by effectively addressing human cognitive limitations.
- Two core principles:
- Abstraction: Simplification of problems by focusing on essential aspects while omitting unnecessary details. Example: Using maps to understand a country instead of visiting every location.
- Decomposition: Breaking complex problems into smaller, manageable parts that can be tackled individually, akin to solving simpler tasks rather than attempting to manage a large, complex structure all at once.
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Description
This quiz explores the fundamental programming constructs established in the late 1960s that form the basis for control flow in programming. It highlights the significance of sequence, selection, and iteration in expressing programming logic. Test your understanding of these concepts and their applications in programming design.
