1. Computer Terms
Good to Know

2. System
A group of independent but interrelated elements comprising a unified whole

3. Computer System
Hardware
Software
Data
People

4. Hardware
Mechanical, magnetic, electronic, and electrical devices comprising a computer system:
CPU, disk drives, keyboard, or screen

5. Software
Programs used to direct the operation of a computer, as well as documentation giving instructions on how to use them
Operating System Software
Applications Software

6. Data Facts, statistics, or items of information
A collection of facts from which conclusions may be drawn
Examples:
Data:
Information:

7. People Human beings, as distinguished from animals or other beings
Required in order to interpret the data received from a computer system

8. Operating System Software
Software required to support the production or execution of application programs but which is not specific to any particular application
Examples:
Windows, UNIX, Linux, MacOS, VM

9. Application Software A program used for a particular application
Examples include:
Document Processing (Word)
Spreadsheets (Excel)
Database (Access)
Communications, Browsers, & (Firefox)
Education & Learning (West Point Bridge)
Entertainment & Gaming (Halo Reach)

10. Things a Computer System Can Do
Input
Process
Storage
Output

11. Input
Noun: Data or signals entered into a system for processing or transmission
Verb: To enter data into a system

12. Process Noun: A running software program or other computing operation
Verb: To perform operations on data

13. Storage
Noun: Device into which data can be entered, in which they can be held, and from which they can be retrieved at a later time
Verb: (Store) To hold information for use at a later date

14. Output
Noun: Information in a form suitable for transmission from internal to external units of a computer, or to an outside medium.
Verb: To transfer data from internal storage to an external medium, as paper or microfilm

15. Variables
“A named space in main memory that holds a value that can be changed”
Can hold information
Temporary space in main memory
Available while program or function runs
Released when program or function ends

16. Variable Naming Rules Must start with a letter
May contain letters & numbers
May NOT contain spaces or special characters
Except may contain underscore or dash
Should make sense
Might be case sensitive

17. Computer Program Statements
Sequential: Taken in a sequence
Decision or Selection: The process of making a choice
Iteration or Loop: A repetition of a statement or statements in a program

18. Sequential Taken in a sequence The next following the previous
A program will execute (follow the instructions in) one line at a time
When a line of instruction is complete, the program processes the next line in sequence

19. Decision or Selection The act or process of making a choice
The computer will decide if a statement will be executed based on the outcome of some condition being true
Syntax is usually “if (condition is true) { perform these statements }”

20. If Syntax
if(condition) {
execute statements when condition is true }

21. If Else Syntax if(condition) {
execute statements when condition is true }
else {
execute statements when condition is false

22. If Else If Syntax if(condition1 is true) {
execute statements when condition1 is true }
else if(condition2 is true) {
execute statements when condition2 is true

23. Switch Case Syntax Switch(variableName) {
case value1: execute statements when
variableName is value1; break;
case value2: execute statements when
variableName is value2; break;
case value3: execute statements when
variableName is value3; break;
default: execute statements when no values match }

24. Iteration or Loop
A repetition of a statement or statements in a program
The computer will decide to execute one or more statements again based on the outcome of some condition being true
Syntax is usually “while (condition is true) { perform these statements }”

25. Loop Definitions
Sentinel - A symbol, mark, or other labeling device indicating the beginning or end of a unit of information
Sentinel Value - In programming, a special value that is used to terminate a loop
Sentinel Variable - The variable that contains the sentinel value

26. 3 Parts to Every Loop
Start - the condition of the sentinel variable at the start of the loop
Test - test the sentinel value against some stopping value, the loop will repeat when the condition is true
Change - change the value of the sentinel so that, at some time, the test will become false & the loop will not repeat

27. Different Loops For While Do While
(Different languages may have differences)

28. For Loop Execute a code segment more than once
Loops while some condition is true
Use when you know how many times

29. For Loop Syntax for(sentinelVariableStartValue;
sentinelVariableTestCondition;
sentinelVariableChange) {
statements when condition is true }

30. While Loop Execute a code segment more than once
Loops while some condition is true
Use when you don't know how many times to loop
If the condition is false the first time this will NOT execute even once

31. While Loop Syntax initialize sentinelVariableValue
while(test sentinelVariableValue) {
statements when condition is true
change sentinelVariableValue }

32. Do While Loop Execute a code segment more than once
Loops while some condition is true
Use when you don't know how many times to loop
If the condition is false the first time this will execute at least once

33. Do While Loop Syntax initialize sentinelVariableValue do {
code segments when condition is true
change sentinelVariableValue
} while(test sentinelVariableValue)