30 Programming Terms and Definitions
1. Algorithm
An algorithm is a set of instructions or rules designed to solve a definite problem. The problem can be simple like adding two numbers or a complex one, such as converting a video file from one format to another.2. Program
A computer program is termed as an organized collection of instructions, which when executed perform a specific task or function. A program is processed by the central processing unit (CPU) of the computer before it is executed. An example of a program is Microsoft Word, which is a word processing application that enables users to create and edit documents. The browsers that we use are also programs created to help us browse the internet.3. API
Application Programming Interface (API) is a set of rules, routines, and protocols to build software applications. APIs help in communication with third party programs or services, which can be used to build different software. Companies such as Facebook and Twitter actively use APIs to help developers gain easier access to their services.4. Argument
Argument or arg is a value that is passed into a command or a function. For example, if SQR is a routine or function that returns the square of a number, then SQR(4) will return 16. Here, the value 4 is the argument. Similarly, if the edit is a function that edits a file, then in edit myfile.txt, ‘myfile.txt’ is the argument.5. ASCII
American Standard Code for Information Interexchange (ASCII) is a standard that assigns letters, numbers and other characters different slots, available in the 8-bit code. The total number of slots available is 256. The ASCII decimal number is derived from binary, which is assigned to each letter, number, and character. For example, the ‘$’ sign is assigned ASCII decimal number 036, while the lowercase ‘a’ character is assigned 097.6. Boolean
A Boolean expression or Boolean logic is an expression used for creating statements that are either TRUE or FALSE. Boolean expressions use AND, OR, XOR, NOT and NOR operators with conditional statements in programming, search engines, algorithms, and formulas. Boolean expressions are also called comparison expressions, conditional expressions, and relational expressions.7. Bug
A bug is a general term used to denote an unexpected error or defect in hardware or software, which causes it to malfunction. Even though bugs are often considered to be insignificant computer glitches, there have been instances where bugs have caused life-threatening conditions and led to major financial losses. This makes it imperative to invest in the process of finding bugs before programs are rolled out for their application. This process is known as testing.8. Char
Character (char) is a display unit of information equal to one alphabetic letter or symbol. The value of a char variable could be any one character value, such as ‘a’, ‘1’, ‘$’ and ‘X’. This definition of character relies on the general definition of a character as a sole unit of written language. However, char as an abbreviation is a reserved keyword in languages such as C, C++, C#, and Java.9. Objects
An object is a combination of related variables, constants and other data structures which can be selected and manipulated together. An object can include shapes that appear on a screen or the age of students in a school.10. Object-Oriented Programming
Object-oriented programming (OOP) is a model defined by programmers that revolve around objects and data rather than ‘actions’ and ‘logic’. In OOP, not only the data type of a data structure is defined, but also the types of functions that can be applied to it. Through this, the data structure becomes an object that consists of both data and functions. Languages that use OOP concepts are Java, Python, C++, and Ruby.11. Class
In Object-Oriented programming, a class refers to a set of related objects with common properties. Classes and the ability to create new classes render OOP a powerful and flexible programming model. For example, there might be a class called shapes which contains objects which are triangles, pentagons, square and circle.12. Code
Code or source code is a term used to describe a written set of instructions, written using the protocols of a particular language, such as Java, C or Python. The code can also be used informally to describe text written in a specific language. There are instances where references to the code are made for different languages, such as ‘PHP Code’, ‘HTML Code’, ‘Java Code’ or ‘CSS Code’.13. Command-line interface
The command-line interface is a user interface based on the text. The UI is used to view and manage computer files. Command-line interfaces are also called command-line user interfaces, console user interfaces and character user interfaces. During the early 1960s and through the 1970s and 1980s, the command line interface was the primary means of interaction with most computers on terminals.14. Compilation
The process of creating an executable program through code written in a compiled programming language is called compilation. Through compiling, the computer can understand and run the program without using the programming software used to create it. A compiler is a program that translates computer programs written using letters, numbers, and characters into a machine language program. An example of a compiler in C++.15. Conditionals
Conditionals, conditional statements, and conditional expressions are features of programming language, which help the code make a choice and result in either TRUE or FALSE. These perform different actions depending on the need of the programmer, and multiple conditions can be combined into a single condition, as long as the final value of the condition is either TRUE or FALSE. Examples of conditional statements are ‘IF’, ‘IF-Else’, ‘While’ and ‘Else-If’.16. Constants
A constant (also known as Const) is a term used to describe a value that does not change throughout the execution of the program, unlike a variable. Constant cannot be altered and will remain fixed, and a constant can be a number, character, and string.17. Data types
A data type is the classification of a particular type of data. We as humans can understand the difference between a name and a number, but the computer cannot. The computer uses special internal codes to distinguish between different types of data it receives and processes. The most common data types include integer type which are numbers, a floating-point number data type which are decimal based numbers, Boolean values which are TRUE or FALSE and character data type which is alphabets.18. Array
Arrays are lists or groups of similar types of data values that are grouped. All values in the array are of the same data type and are only differentiated by their position in the array. For example, the age of all students in a class can be an array as they will all be numbers. Similarly, the name of every student in a class will be an array as they will all be of the character data type.19. Declaration
A statement that describes a variable, function or any other identifier is called a declaration. A declaration helps the compiler or interpreter identify the word and understand its meaning, and how the process should be continued. Even though they are important, they are optional and may be used depending on the nature of the programming language.20. Exception
A special, unexpected and anomalous condition encountered during the execution of a program is known as an exception. It can also be termed as an error or a condition that alters the way of the program or the microprocessor to a different path. An example of an exception can be the case when a program tries to load a file from the disk, but the file does not exist. The exceptions must be handled and eradicated in the program code to avoid any fatal error.21. Expression
An expression is a legal grouping of letters, symbols, and numbers being used to represent the value of one or more variables. Expressions are highly used in a number of programming languages and many other programs, with each having its own set of legal and illegal expressions. Every expression contains one or more operands (objects being manipulated) and operators (symbols representing actions). For example, in the expression A+B-C, A, B and C are operands while + and – are operators.22. Framework
Framework in programming is a foundation with a specified level of complexity that may be altered by the programmer, making use of their code. A framework might include different software libraries, APIs, compilers and much more. In simpler terms, a framework provides a favorable environment for a certain type and level of programming for a project. A framework allows the developers to bypass the general necessities and focus on more project-related specifics.23. Hardcode
In computer programming, the term hard code or hardcode is used to describe code that is not likely to change. Hardcoded features are built into hardware or software in such a way so that they cannot be modified later on. For example, if font size 10 is hardcoded in the software, then it might not change for a long time.24. Loop
A loop is a sequence of instructions that repeat the same process over and over until a condition is met and it receives the order to stop. In a loop, the program asks a question, and if the answer directs the program to perform an action, the action is performed, and the loop runs again, performing the same task. It runs until the answer is such that no action is required and the code can proceed further. Loops are considered one of the most basic and powerful concepts in programming.25. Endless loop
An endless loop or infinite loop is a continuous repetition of a program snippet, which is everlasting. This occurs majorly due to conditional operators and functions which redirect the code back to the snippet, making it endless.
