programming techniques
No description yet. This curated deck is ready for daily study.
Card preview (19)
Name 3 programming constructs
Sequence,breaching, and iteration
Which two categories of loop is iteration split up into?
• Count-controlled • Condition-controlled
Describe how the branching programming construct works
A certain block of code is run if a specific condition is met, using IF statements.
What is recursion?
A programming construct in which a subroutine calls itself during its execution until the stopping condition is met.
What is the base case in recursion?
A condition that must be met for the recursion to end.
State two advantages of recursion
● Can be represented in fewer lines of code ● Easier to express some functions recursively than using iteration
State a disadvantage of recursion
• Inefficient use of memory • Danger of stack overflow • Difficult to trace
Give three pieces of information that are stored in the call stack
• Parameters • Return addresses • Local variables
Define scope
The section of the program in which a variable is accessible.
Give two advantages of using local variables over global variables
-Less memory is used - Self-contained so unaffected by code outside of the subroutine - Take precedence over global variables with the same name
What is top-down design?
A technique used to modularise programs in which the problem is continually broken down into sub-problems, until each can be represented as an individual, self-contained module which performs a certain task.
State advantages of a modular design
• Makes a problem easier to understand and approach • Simpler to divide tasks between a team • Easier to manage project • Self-contained modules simplify testing and maintenance • Greater reusability
Give another name for top-down design
Stepwise refinement
What is the difference between procedures and functions?
Functions must always return a single value while a procedure does not always have to return a value.
What does it mean to pass a parameter to a subroutine by reference?
The address in memory of the parameter is passed to the subroutine so its value outside of the subroutine will be updated.
State two features of IDEs.
• Stepping • Variable watch • Breakpoint • Source code editor • Debugging tools
What does IDE stand for?
Integrated Development Environment
What is encapsulation in object-oriented programming?
When attributes are declared as private so can only be accessed and edited by public methods.
Describe the purpose of encapsulation in object-oriented programming
Program complexity is reduced by protecting data from being accidentally edited by other parts of the program.