Programming Vocabulary

We've spent the last few lessons learning several concepts by exploring the basics of how computers work and the essential components that make up a computer. It's now time for us to explore the first basic definitions of programming, which will be the foundation of our learning in this course. Watch the following short video, then take notes on the definitions below.

Vocabulary Terms

Here are a set of common terms used in programming, including their definitions. Take notes on these terms.

hex: Short for hexadecimal, which is a number system with base sixteen, using the digits 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E and F. It is most used in computing as a hexadecimal digit can represent four bits, half a standard byte, and thus a single byte can be represented conveniently with two digits.
binary language: A system for representing numbers in which a radix of two is used; that is, each digit in a binary numeral may have either of two different values. In computing, this represents either ON (1) or OFF (0).
sequence of commands: Sequence, which is the order that commands are executed by a computer, allows us to carry out tasks that have multiple steps. In programming, a sequence is a basic algorithm: a set of logical steps carried out in order.
conditional structures: A programming structure that completes a sequence of instructions if/when a specific condition is met.
looping structures: A programming structure that repeats a sequence of instructions until a specific condition is met.

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