Glossary
AP Pseudocode Indexing
The rule in AP Pseudocode that dictates list indices begin at 1 for the first element, rather than 0.
Example:
When accessing the first item in grades ← [90, 85, 92], you would use grades[1] due to AP Pseudocode Indexing.
Copying Lists
The process of creating a new list variable and assigning it the values from an existing list.
Example:
If originalScores ← [10, 20, 30], then backupScores ← originalScores performs copying lists, making backupScores a duplicate.
Data Abstraction
The process of simplifying complex data by representing it in a general way, focusing on essential information while hiding underlying details.
Example:
Instead of managing individual variables for each student's grade, using a single data abstraction like a studentGrades list simplifies the overall data management.
Elements
The individual values or items stored within a list.
Example:
If shoppingList ← ["milk", "eggs", "bread"], then "milk", "eggs", and "bread" are the elements.
Empty List
A method of creating a list that initially contains no elements.
Example:
shoppingCart ← [] initializes an empty list ready to have items added later.
Filled List
A method of creating a list where initial values (elements) are assigned directly at the time of the list's creation.
Example:
playlist ← ["Song A", "Song B", "Song C"] demonstrates creating a filled list with three songs.
Index
A numerical position assigned to each element in a list, used to access or refer to that specific element.
Example:
In colors ← ["red", "green", "blue"], "red" is at index 1, "green" at index 2, and "blue" at index 3 in AP Pseudocode.
List
A data structure that acts as a container to hold multiple values, known as elements, in a specific order.
Example:
In a game, a list could store all the high scores: highScores ← [1000, 950, 800].
Strings as Lists
The concept that a string can be treated as an ordered sequence (or list) of individual characters, allowing access to characters by their index.
Example:
In the string word ← "hello", you can access the character 'h' using word[1] because of the concept of strings as lists.