AP COMPUTER SCIENCE AND PRINCIPLES EXAM
WITH COMPLETE SOLUTION 2023/2024
BIG IDEA 1
Unit 1 Intro to Programming
event
is associated with an action, such as clicking on the sprite, pressing a key, or clicking
the green flag button
loop
in computer programming -- the code inside a loop repeats over and over!
algorithm
a step-by-step procedure defines a set of instructions that must be carried out in order
to produce the desired result.
parameters
(or formal parameter) is the input name, such as number of branches. The input name
is set in the block definition. It never changes.
Iteration
it's called "iteration" because the code repeats (iterates) over and over again. Note that
iteration statements have a stopping condition: either some condition becoming true (as
seen in the repeat-until), or code repeating for a designated number of times (as seen in
the repeat).
forever statement
it isn't technically considered an iteration statement because there is no stopping
condition
SELECTION
if and if-else blocks
boolean
true/false or yes/no
Abstraction
a simplified representation of something more complex. Abstractions allow you to hide
details to help you manage complexity, focus on relevant concepts, and reason about
problems at a higher level.
procedural abstraction
a process and allows a procedure to be used only knowing what it does, not how it does
it. Procedural abstraction allows a solution to a large problem to be based on the
solution of smaller subproblems. This is accomplished by creating procedures to solve
each of the subproblems.
reporters
to report a value, they are called reporters.
list
is an ordered set of items.
string
is a sequence of characters (letters, digits, punctuation, etc.).
substring
, is just a piece of some existing string. For example, "Hanna," "anna", and "nnah" are
each substrings of the string "Hannah." (The empty string as well as the original string
are both also substrings.)
concatenate
means to make a bigger string by connecting two or more smaller strings
Debugging
is the process of testing, finding problems, and fixing them.
procedure
is a sequence of instructions
expression
is either a constant value (such as "4" or "winter") or a call to a reporter block with any
input slots filled in
pair programming
a collaborative programming style in which two programmers switch between the roles
of writing code and tracking or planning high level progress
Pseudocode
As mentioned before, an algorithm is a sequence of steps that are usually performed by
a computer. The algorithm doesn't have to be written in any particular programming
language or even in a programming language at all; you can write your algorithm in
English or any other human language. Some people call an algorithm written in human
language pseudocode. Once you know the steps that the computer will take, you can
code your algorithm in the programming language of your choice. A good example of
something we have already done in pseudocode would be your PB&J instructions - it is
a combination of regular English with some compute-like instructions 😊
argument
(or actual argument) is the input value, such as 6 for a hexagonal pinwheel. The input
value is given each time the block is run; it can be different.
called
When a procedure gets executed as part of an algorithm, it's sometimes said that the
procedure gets "called".
abstraction by generalization
looking at chunks of code that are almost the same and writing a single block by using
an input to distinguish among the different cases.
variable
is used to hold a value inside a program, similar to its use in math. It names a piece of
data that we wish to use in our program. Each variable represents one value at a time,
and that value can be a number, text, and even a list (which actually has multiple
values!). The last example, a list, would be considered data abstraction as it holds
multiple values under one name!
Personally identifiable information (PII)
is information that can let others figure out who you are and possibly get more
information like your Social Security number, age, race, phone number(s), medical
information, financial information, or biometric data (such as your thumbprint or face
scan).
geolocation
WITH COMPLETE SOLUTION 2023/2024
BIG IDEA 1
Unit 1 Intro to Programming
event
is associated with an action, such as clicking on the sprite, pressing a key, or clicking
the green flag button
loop
in computer programming -- the code inside a loop repeats over and over!
algorithm
a step-by-step procedure defines a set of instructions that must be carried out in order
to produce the desired result.
parameters
(or formal parameter) is the input name, such as number of branches. The input name
is set in the block definition. It never changes.
Iteration
it's called "iteration" because the code repeats (iterates) over and over again. Note that
iteration statements have a stopping condition: either some condition becoming true (as
seen in the repeat-until), or code repeating for a designated number of times (as seen in
the repeat).
forever statement
it isn't technically considered an iteration statement because there is no stopping
condition
SELECTION
if and if-else blocks
boolean
true/false or yes/no
Abstraction
a simplified representation of something more complex. Abstractions allow you to hide
details to help you manage complexity, focus on relevant concepts, and reason about
problems at a higher level.
procedural abstraction
a process and allows a procedure to be used only knowing what it does, not how it does
it. Procedural abstraction allows a solution to a large problem to be based on the
solution of smaller subproblems. This is accomplished by creating procedures to solve
each of the subproblems.
reporters
to report a value, they are called reporters.
list
is an ordered set of items.
string
is a sequence of characters (letters, digits, punctuation, etc.).
substring
, is just a piece of some existing string. For example, "Hanna," "anna", and "nnah" are
each substrings of the string "Hannah." (The empty string as well as the original string
are both also substrings.)
concatenate
means to make a bigger string by connecting two or more smaller strings
Debugging
is the process of testing, finding problems, and fixing them.
procedure
is a sequence of instructions
expression
is either a constant value (such as "4" or "winter") or a call to a reporter block with any
input slots filled in
pair programming
a collaborative programming style in which two programmers switch between the roles
of writing code and tracking or planning high level progress
Pseudocode
As mentioned before, an algorithm is a sequence of steps that are usually performed by
a computer. The algorithm doesn't have to be written in any particular programming
language or even in a programming language at all; you can write your algorithm in
English or any other human language. Some people call an algorithm written in human
language pseudocode. Once you know the steps that the computer will take, you can
code your algorithm in the programming language of your choice. A good example of
something we have already done in pseudocode would be your PB&J instructions - it is
a combination of regular English with some compute-like instructions 😊
argument
(or actual argument) is the input value, such as 6 for a hexagonal pinwheel. The input
value is given each time the block is run; it can be different.
called
When a procedure gets executed as part of an algorithm, it's sometimes said that the
procedure gets "called".
abstraction by generalization
looking at chunks of code that are almost the same and writing a single block by using
an input to distinguish among the different cases.
variable
is used to hold a value inside a program, similar to its use in math. It names a piece of
data that we wish to use in our program. Each variable represents one value at a time,
and that value can be a number, text, and even a list (which actually has multiple
values!). The last example, a list, would be considered data abstraction as it holds
multiple values under one name!
Personally identifiable information (PII)
is information that can let others figure out who you are and possibly get more
information like your Social Security number, age, race, phone number(s), medical
information, financial information, or biometric data (such as your thumbprint or face
scan).
geolocation
