Basic Key terms

  • bug
    • An error in a program.
  • central processing unit
    • The heart of any computer. It is what runs the software that we write; also called “CPU” or “the processor”.
  • compile
    • To translate a program written in a high-level language into a low-level language all at once, in preparation for later execution.

  • high-level language

    • A programming language like Python that is designed to be easy for humans to read and write.

  • interactive mode

    • A way of using the Python interpreter by typing commands and expressions at the prompt.

  • interpret

    • To execute a program in a high-level language by translating it one line at a time.

  • low-level language

    • A programming language that is designed to be easy for a computer to execute; also called “machine code” or “assembly language”.

  • machine code

    • The lowest-level language for software, which is the language that is directly executed by the central processing unit (CPU).

  • main memory

    • Stores programs and data. Main memory loses its information when the power is turned off.

  • parse

    • To examine a program and analyze the syntactic structure.

  • portability

    • A property of a program that can run on more than one kind of computer.

  • print statement

    • An instruction that causes the Python interpreter to display a value on the screen.

  • problem solving

    • The process of formulating a problem, finding a solution, and expressing the solution.

  • program

    • A set of instructions that specifies a computation.

  • prompt

    • When a program displays a message and pauses for the user to type some input to the program.

  • secondary memory

    • Stores programs and data and retains its information even when the power is turned off. Generally slower than main memory. Examples of secondary memory include disk drives and flash memory in USB sticks.

  • semantics

    • The meaning of a program.

  • semantic error

    • An error in a program that makes it do something other than what the programmer intended.

  • source code

    • A program in a high-level language.

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