Glossary
Code Segment
A smaller, distinct part or block of a larger program's code, often performing a specific sub-task.
Example:
In a game, the code segment responsible for moving the player's character might be separate from the code that handles scoring.
Computing Innovation
A novel creation that includes a computer program or code as an integral part of its function, designed to solve a problem or enable creative expression.
Example:
A new mobile app that helps users learn a foreign language through interactive games is a great example of a computing innovation.
Creative Expression
A purpose of computing innovations where the technology is used as a medium for artistic creation, design, or personal communication.
Example:
Using a digital art program to paint a landscape on a tablet is an act of creative expression through computing.
Event-Driven Software
Software designed to respond to user actions or system occurrences (events) rather than following a strictly linear sequence of instructions.
Example:
Most modern graphical user interfaces, like those on smartphones, are event-driven software, constantly waiting for taps, swipes, or button presses.
Problem Solving
A primary purpose of many computing innovations, where the innovation is designed to address and resolve a specific issue or challenge.
Example:
An online calendar application helps with problem solving by organizing schedules and preventing missed appointments.
Program / Software / Application
A set of instructions that a computer executes to perform a specific task or set of tasks.
Example:
The web browser you are using right now is a complex program that allows you to access information on the internet.
Program Behavior
How a program responds to user interactions, inputs, and various scenarios, including both expected and unexpected situations.
Example:
The program behavior of a drawing application includes how it responds when you select a brush, change its color, or try to save a file to a full disk.
Program Event
An action or occurrence, often initiated by a user or system, that triggers a specific response or execution of code within a program.
Example:
Clicking the 'submit' button on an online form is a program event that tells the website to process your entered data.
Program Inputs
Data or information that a program receives from external sources, such as a user, sensors, or other programs, for processing.
Example:
When you type your username and password into a login screen, those are the program inputs that the system processes for authentication.
Program Outputs
Data or information that a program produces and sends to external destinations after processing, such as a display, speaker, or file.
Example:
After a calculator app processes your numbers, the displayed result on the screen is the program output.
Purpose (of computing innovations)
The intended goal or reason for which a computing innovation is created, guiding its development and defining its primary function.
Example:
The purpose of a navigation app is to help users find the most efficient route to their destination.
Statement
A single, individual instruction within a program's code that the computer executes.
Example:
The line of code print('Hello World!') is a single statement that tells the computer to display text.