Programming Glossary
This page is a glossary for all the terms I've learned during the programming unit.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Others
- Argument
- Definition: An actual value (variable, constant, or declared constant) of a specified datatype provided when a subprogram is called (into action) ; an argument list is an ordered set of such values.
- Assignment operator ( :=)
- Definition: An operator which instructs the computer to store the value on its right side in the variable or declared constant whose name appears on its left side; pronounced “is assigned the value” or “gets.”
- Comma (,)
- Definition: Symbol used to separate items in a list; good programming technique requires a blank space after each comma.
- Comment
- Definition: Text written for the benefit of programmers; this text is never seen by the users of programs.
- Concaction operator (+)
- Definition: A binary string operator whose result is the concatenation (the linking together) of the operands.
- Constant
- Definition: A value which never changes.
- Declared constant
- Definition: A special kind of variable whose value cannot be changed once initialized (set).
- Dot-dot
- Definition: Option of the put keyword; instructs computer not to move the cursor to the beginning of the next line.
- Function
- Definition: A subprogram which returns a value (see, also, procedure).
- Output-field
- Definition: The horizontal space taken by data put out by the computer; if no field width is specified, the computer provides an output field whose length is exactly equal to the length of the data; string data are left-justified, and numeric data are right justified within an output field.
- Output-field width
- Definition: For character strings and integers, a single value is specified for the field width; for reals, two values can be specified: the overall field width and the number of decimal places to be displayed within the overall width; 0 is a special value which specifies a field width exactly equal to the actual width of the data (the default width).
- Parameter
- Definition: A variable of a specified datatype required for the correct execution of a subprogram; a parameter list specifies the order and datatypes of the values which must be provided when a subprogram is called into action.
- Procedure
- Definition: A subprogram which performs a defined task (see, also, function).
- Put
- Definition: Keyword short for “output” instructs computer to output objects to the run window; once the objects are output, the cursor moves to the beginning of the next line.
- Skip
- Definition: Keyword used as the object of put; instructs computer to move the cursor to the beginning of the next line.
- Sequence
- Definition: Unless a computer specifies otherwise, the computer will execute each instruction of a program in sequence, from top to bottom. This type of program is called sequence, and all programs have at least one section of code which executes in sequence.
- Subprogram
- Definition: A named program fragment. (see procedure, function)
- Variable
- Definition: A named location in memory (RAM) suitable for the storage of data of a specifed type; the value stored in this location can be changed, hence it’s a variable.
- %
- Definition: Symbol used to mark the beginning of a comment; the comment ends with the line (there is no end comment symbol);
- % comment goes here
- is equivilant to
- <!--comment goes here--> in HTML
- and
- /* comment goes here */ in CSS
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