Y8

Revision tools

You can print this page for a quick reference guide or you can use the tools below to create printable test sheets

6a: Describe what algorithms and programs are and how they differ

Keyword	Definition
algorithm	step by step instructions to solve a problem (which might not be run on a computer)
program	step by step instructions to solve a program (which can be run on a computer)

6b: Recall how machines need translators for executing programs.

Keyword	Definition
high level programming language	a type of programming language where you can perform complex tasks with only a few instructions
low level programming language	a type of programming language where you need lots of detailed instructions to perform even simple tasks
machine code	code that is hard for humans to understand but can be easily understood by a computer
program code	code that is designed to be easy for human programmers to understand but is hard for a computer to run in its current form
translator	a software tool that is used to convert program code into machine code

6c: Use an IDE to write and execute a Python program.

Keyword	Definition
debug	finding and fixing errors in code
IDE	integrated development environment (program which gives you all the tools to write, run and debug a program)
program	step by step instructions that can be run on a computer
python	a high level text based programming language
syntax	the rules of a programming language
syntax highlighting	displaying code in different colours based on what each part of the code does

6d: Locate and correct common syntax errors.

Keyword	Definition
brackets	syntax errors often occur if ( { and [ are missing matching ] } and )
debugging	finding and fixing errors in code
indentation	syntax errors often occur if code has the wrong amount of tabs or spaces at the start of each line
line numbers	each line of code has a number which can be used to help find errors
syntax error	a type of error which prevents code from running at all because the rules of the programming language have been broken

6e: Use simple arithmetic expressions in assignment statements to calculate values

Keyword	Definition
arithmetic expressions	combinations of variables, operators and numbers to calculate a value
arithmetic operator	a mathematical symbol such as add (+), subtract (-), divide (/) or multiply (*)
assignment statement	storing a value into a variable
values	data such as a number
variable	a named memory location which can store a value

6f: Receive input from the keyboard and convert it to a numerical value

Keyword	Definition
character	individual letter, digit or symbol
float	a number with a decimal point
input	builtin python function which asks the user to type something in
integer	a whole number (no decimal point)
string	text made up of multiple characters

6g: Use relational operators to form logical expressions

Keyword	Definition
!=	relational operator which means "not equal to"
<	relational operator which means "less than"
<=	relational operator which means "less than or equal to"
==	relational operator which means "equal to"
>	relational operator which means "greater than"
>=	relational operator which means "greater than or equal to"
logical expression	a value which can only be one of either true or false
relational operator	symbol or symbols which are used to compare two values

6h: Use binary selection (if, else statements) to control the flow of program execution

Keyword	Definition
elif	selection statement which will only run the next indented block if a previous condition has not been met but a different condition is met
else	selection statement which will only run the next indented block if a condition has not been met
if	selection statement which will only run the next indented block if a condition has been met
indented block	lines of code which share the same amount of spaces or tabs at the start
program flow	the order in which lines of code are executed in a program

6i: Generate and use random integers

Keyword	Definition
import	instruction which tells python how to find and use an external module of code
integer	a whole number
parameter	data which is passed into a subprogram to customise how it works (e.g. minimum and maximum random numbers to choose between)
random	a module which can be imported to tell python how to choose random numbers
return value	data which is passed out from a function back to the code which called the function (e.g. a number chosen at random)

6j: Use multi-branch selection (if, elif, else statements) to control the flow of program execution

Keyword	Definition
elif	selection statement which will only run the next indented block if a previous condition has not been met but a different condition is met
else	selection statement which will only run the next indented block if a condition has not been met
if	selection statement which will only run the next indented block if a condition has been met
indented block	lines of code which share the same amount of spaces or tabs at the start
program flow	the order in which lines of code are executed in a program

6k: Describe how iteration (while statements) controls the flow of program execution

Keyword	Definition
condition	an expression which can contain values, variables and operators to calculate a value which is either True or False
indented block	lines of code which share the same amount of tabs or spaces at the start
iteration	running lines of code multiple times
program flow	the order in which lines of code are executed
while statement	form of iteration which runs an indented block of code repeatedly as long as a condition is met

6l: Use iteration (for loops) to control the flow of program execution

Keyword	Definition
for loop	a type of iteration where an indented block of code is repeated a certain number of times
indented block	lines of code which have the same number of spaces or tabs at the start
index	a variable that is used to keep track as iteration loops through a range of values
iteration	running an indented block of code multiple times
program flow	the order in which lines of code are executed

6m: Use variables as counters in iterative programs

Keyword	Definition
assignment	storing a value in a variable
decrement	decreasing the value stored in a variable by 1
increment	increasing the value stored in a variable by 1
index	a variable that is used in a while or for loop to keep track of of how many times the loop has repeated
iteration	repeating lines of code multiple times
variable	a named memory location which can store a value which may change as a program runs
variable identifier	the name of a variable which describes the value it stores
variable value	the data stored in a variable

6n: Combine iteration and selection to control the flow of program execution

Keyword	Definition
iteration	running instructions multiple times (in a loop)
program execution	running a program
program flow	the sequence (order) in which lines of code are executed
selection	running instructions which determine which other instructions should be run next

6o: Use Boolean variables as flags

Keyword	Definition
boolean flag	a variable which stores either True or False as a way of controlling a program (e.g. whether or not a player is still alive in a game or not)
boolean value	either True or False
variable	a named memory location which can store a value that might change when the program runs
variable identifier	the name of a variable which should describe the data that it stores
variable value	the data stored in a variable