This year’s vocabulary includes:

Trimester 1

  • Function - A group of related statements that perform a specific task
  • Def - The command to define a function
  • Parameter - Variables for the values the function needs. Is passed as an argument when the function is called
  • Variable - A way of storing values into the memory of the computer by using specific names that you define
  • List - A “container” that can store any kinds of values
  • Repository - A location where all the files for a particular project are stored
  • String - A series of readable or usable sentences that the user will use
  • len() - Returns the length (the number of items) of an object
  • Return - Used to return from a function (break out of the function)

Trimester 2

  • Bits - Smallest unit of data that a computer can process and store
  • Bytes - A unit of data that is eight binary digits long
  • Hexadecimal - A numbering system with base 16
  • Binary Numbers - A numbering scheme in which there are only two possible values for each digit – 0 or 1 :
    • Unsigned Integer - Just like integers (whole numbers) but have the property that they don’t have a + or - sign associated with them
    • Signed Integer - Represent both positive and negative numbers
    • Floating Point - A positive or negative whole number with a decimal point
  • Binary Data Abstractions - Reduction of a particular body of data to a simplified representation of the whole:
    • Boolean - A logical data type that can have only the values true or false
    • ASCII - The most common character encoding format for text data in computers and on the internet
    • Unicode - Universal character representation standard for text in computer processing
    • RGB - A system for representing the colors to be used on a computer display
  • Data Compression - the process of encoding, restructuring or otherwise modifying data in order to reduce its size:
    • Lossy - the data in a file is removed and not restored to its original form after decompression
    • Lossless - restores and rebuilds file data in its original form after the file is decompressed
  • Variable - A value that can change, depending on conditions or on information passed to the program
  • Data types - A classification that specifies which type of value a variable has and what type of mathematical, relational or logical operations can be applied to it without causing an error
  • Assignment Operation - The operator used to assign a new value to a variable, property, event or indexer element
  • Managing Complexity with Variables - Establishes a level of complexity on which a person interacts with the system, suppressing the more complex details below the current level:
    • Lists - abstract data type that represents a finite number of ordered values, where the same value may occur more than once
    • 2D Lists - collection of data cells, all of the same type, which can be given a single name
    • Dictionaries - an abstract data type that defines an unordered collection of data as a set of key-value pairs
    • Class - template definition of the method s and variable s in a particular kind of object
    • Algorithms - a procedure used for solving a problem or performing a computation
    • Sequence - the order in which the statements are executed
    • Selection - a programming construct where a section of code is run only if a condition is met
    • Iteration - a process where the design of a product or application is improved by repeated review and testing
    • Expressions - a combination of values and functions that are combined and interpreted by the compiler to create a new value
    • Comparison Operators - used to compare the values within an expression, such as to check if the value held by a variable matches the value held by another variable
    • Booleans Expressions and Selection - a logical statement that is either TRUE or FALSE and can be selected
    • Booleans Expressions and Iteration - a logical statement that is either TRUE or FALSE where a process can be repeated
    • Truth Tables - a way of summarising and checking the logic of a circuit
    • Characters - a display unit of information equivalent to one alphabetic letter or symbol
    • Strings - a sequence of characters, either as a literal constant or as some kind of variable
    • Length - The length of a data type, can be number of characters or number of data
    • Concatenation - the operation of joining two strings together
    • Upper - Uppercase characters
    • Lower - Lowercase characters
    • Traversing Strings - accessing all the elements of the string one after the other by using the subscript
    • Python If, Elif, Else conditionals - expressions that evaluate to either true or false
    • Nested Selection Statements - used when more than one decision must be made before carrying out a task
    • Python For, While loops with Range, with List - a sequence of instruction s that is continually repeated until a certain condition is reached
    • Combining loops with conditionals to Break, Continue - Conditionals that occur while a specific process is being repeated - can be stopped or passed
    • Procedural Abstraction - when we write code sections which are generalised by having variable parameters
    • Python Def procedures - A procedure allows us to group a block of code under a name, known as a procedure name
    • Parameters - a special kind of variable used in a function to refer to one of the pieces of data provided as input to the function
    • Return Values - ends the execution of a function, and returns control to the calling function