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Nebraska CS: Coding First Glossary

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Karel General

Karel is a dog who listens to your commands.

Karel

Karel Documentation JavaScript

Documentation for all Karel Commands and Syntax.

karel documentation karel docs karel reference

Call a Function JavaScript

Calling a function actually gives the command, so the computer will run the code for that function.

Call a Function

Function body JavaScript

The part of a function that contains the commands

function body

Function Python

A function is like a command that you get to invent and name. It allows us to break our program into smaller parts, making the program easier to understand.

Define a Function JavaScript

Defining a function means to teach the computer a new command and explain what it should do when receiving that command.

Define a Function

Function Body Python

In Python functions, the function body is the indented block of code that comes after the `def my_function():` line. The function body is what will be executed when the function is called.

Snake Case Python

`snake case` refers to the style of writing in which each space is replaced by an underscore `_` character and the first letter of each word is lowercase.

Decomposition General

Decomposition is breaking your program into smaller parts.

Decomposition

Top Down Design JavaScript

Top down design is a method for breaking our program down into smaller parts.

Top Down Design

Precondition JavaScript

Assumptions we make about what must be true before the function is called.

Precondition

Postcondition JavaScript

What should be true after the function is called

Postcondition

Comment Python

A message in your code that explains what is going on.

Abstraction General

Managing complexity by "abstracting away" information and detail, in order to focus on the relevant concepts.

Procedural Abstraction Java

The ability to use methods and programs that we do not fully understand, or are unable to write.

SuperKarel General

SuperKarel is like Karel but already knows how to turnRight() and turnAround()

SuperKarel

Application Programming Interfaces Java

APIs and libraries simplify complex programming tasks by providing sets of clearly defined methods of communication among various computing components.

documentation General

Written instructions detailing the functions, methods, and variables available and how to use them.

For Loop Python

A for loop lets us repeat code a **fixed number of times.**

Condition General

A condition is code that you put inside an if statement or while-loop.

Condition

if statement Python

Executes code only if condition is true

If Else Statement General

Control structure that lets us run either one section of code or another depending on a test.

If Else Statement

While Loop Python

Lets us repeat code as long as something is true.

Control Structure General

A control structure lets us change the flow of the code.

Control Structure loops if statements

Bug General

A bug is a problem in your code.

Bug

Debugging General

Debugging is fixing a problem in your code.

Debugging

Pseudocode General

Pseudocode is a brief explanation of code in plain English.

Pseudocode

Algorithm General

An algorithm is a set of steps or rules to follow to solve a particular problem.

algorithm, process

Sequencing General

Sequencing, or sequential execution, is step by step execution of instructions in the order they are given.

Iteration General

Repetition of instructions a specified number of times, or until a condition is met.

Selection General

Using a condition to determine which part of an algorithm is executed.

Parameters Python

Pieces of information you can give to functions when you define them. When the function is called the arguments are the data you pass into the function's parameters. Parameter is the variable in the declaration of the function. Argument is the actual value of this variable that gets passed to the function.

Ultra Karel JavaScript

Ultra Karel is the same as Super Karel, except Ultra Karel has the ability to paint the grid world!

For Loop JavaScript

A for loop lets us repeat code a **fixed number of times**.

For Loop

While Loop General

Lets us repeat code as long as something is true.

While Loop

Comment JavaScript

A message in your code that explains what is going on.

Comment

Function JavaScript

A function is a way to teach Karel a new word.

Function

Indentation General

Indentation is the visual structure of how your code is laid out. It uses tabs to organize code into a hierarchy.

Digital Footprint General

The information about a particular person that exists on the Internet as a result of their online activity

Cyberbullying General

the use of electronic communication to bully a person

Privacy Policy General

Legal document outlining how a company can collect and use your data

personally identifiable information General

any data that can be used to identify an individual, such as their name, address, or social security number

Information Literacy General

Information literacy is having the ability to find information, evaluate information credibility, and use information effectively.

Artificial Intelligence General

A computer system able to perform tasks that ordinarily require human intelligence

Deepfake General

a video or image of a person in which their face or body has been digitally altered so that they appear to be someone else, typically used maliciously or to spread false information.

Copyright General

A law that grants the creator of an original work exclusive rights to its use, distribution, and sale

Ethics General

The moral principle that governs a person's behavior.

Law General

refers to an external mechanism of control

Hacktivist General

A specific group of hackers who are motivated by their ideological views.

Cyberterrorists General

Have political motivations with the intent to harm, typically resulting in violence.

Nation State Hackers General

Sponsored by and funded by a government with the goal of giving their country a competitive advantage on a global scale.

Authentication General

The process of identifying a user and granting them access. Authentication is proving that someone is who they say they are.

Passphrase JavaScript

A type of authentication that is similar to a password but longer and is usually a sentence or a series of words

Two-Factor Authentication JavaScript

(2FA) A type of multifactor authentication that typically combines something the user knows (like a password) with something the user has (like a mobile phone)

Multifactor Authentication JavaScript

(MFA) An extra layer of authentication that requires two or more factors for authentication. Typically, these factors fall into three categories: something you know (password), something you have (such as a phone), or something you are (such as your fingerprint).

Biometric Authentication General

A form of authentication that uses an individual’s physical or behavioral characteristics to verify their identity

Password Manager General

Tools that store and manage passwords for various accounts, generating strong passwords and auto-filling login credentials.

Malware General

Any type of software that is designed to intentionally harm or damage a computer or network.

Virus General

A type of malware that attaches itself onto a host program, such as a document. It can cause serious damage to files or an entire device.

Ransomware General

A software that prevents users from accessing their files or network until a ransom is paid.

Spyware General

Once downloaded onto a user’s computer, the software secretly gathers information about a person or organization and sends it to the attacker.

Phishing General

A cybercrime in which a person is contacted by email, telephone or text message by someone who is posing as a legitimate company.

Firewall General

A network security device that monitors and filters incoming and outgoing network traffic.

Cryptography General

The practice of encrypting information so only authorized people can read it.

Encryption General

A process of converting information into an unreadable form to keep it secure from unauthorized access.

Brute Force General

The process of breaking an encryption by trial and error.

Symmetric encryption General

When the same key is used to both encrypt and decrypt.

Asymmetric encryption General

When one key encrypts and a different key decrypts.

Substitution Cipher General

A cipher that changes one character or symbol into another.

Block Cipher JavaScript

A cipher that groups bits into blocks of plaintext before applying the encryption.

Transposition Cipher General

A cipher that shifts the positions of plaintext character (or groups of characters) according to a regular system.

operating system (OS) General

The primary software that runs applications and manages all the hardware, memory and other software on a computer.

software General

A set of computer instructions that tells the computer how to work.

workstation OS General

Most commonly used on a desktop or laptop computer and can perform many tasks without an internet connection.

mobile OS General

An operating system used on mobile devices, such as a mobile phone or tablet.

server OS General

Used on specialized computers that take in requests and send back a response (mail server, web server, etc).

embedded OS General

Will only perform one type of task and are used in machines such as an ATM or a GPS system.

firmware General

An operating system that is permanently etched into a hardware device such as a keyboard or a video card.

hypervisor General

Operating systems that are most commonly used to run multiple operating systems on a computer system at the same time.

file extension General

The suffix at the end of a filename that indicates what the type of file.

processor General

The electronic part of a computer that executes the instructions that are passed to it by the operating system. It’s also called a CPU, or central processing unit.

platform General

An operating system such as Windows, Mac OS, Android or iOS.

single-platform software General

Software that only works on one platform, such as only on Android phones, or only on Mac computers.

cross-platform software General

Software that works on multiple platforms.

software license General

Legally binding guidelines for use and distribution of software.

open source software General

Software that is available for anyone to access and modify.

proprietary software General

Software that is owned by an individual or company.

application architecture model General

Refers to the design of the essential parts of an application and how they are connected to each other.

locally installed software General

Software installation that is performed on your local computer.

local network hosted General

Software installation that is performed on a local area network (LAN).

cloud hosted General

Software that is installed, hosted and accessed entirely from a remote server or location.

patches General

Updates that address and fix security vulnerabilities within a program or product.

computer virus General

A type of computer program that can spread by modifying other computer programs and inserting its own code (rules).

backup General

A copy or snapshot of the state of your computer.

full backup General

Backs up everything on your computer.

incremental backup General

Backs up only what has changed since the last backup.

browser General

Used to navigate the world wide web and view HTML files.

cache General

A collection of data and files used to increase the speed of the browser.

client-side scripting General

Program code, usually written in JavaScript, that is executed on the client's browser.

proxy server General

An intermediary between the user and the Internet that takes requests from the user and returns a response.

certificate General

Confirms the identity and authenticity of a website.

command line interface (CLI) General

Processes commands to a computer program in the form of lines of text.

Bit General

Bit means "binary digit". A bit is a single digit in a binary number. A bit can either be 0 or 1.

Byte General

A byte is 8 bits.

Binary Number System General

Number system that has 2 digits, 0 and 1. This is how computers represent numbers at the base level.

Transistor General

A semiconductor device used to amplify or switch electronic signals and electrical power, functioning as an on/off switch in computing

Encode General

The process of converting information or data into a specific format that can be understood or processed by a computer.

URL General

Stands for Uniform Resource Locator. You are locating a resource that exists somewhere on the internet.

Internet General

A philosophy of making information and knowledge open and accessible to all people. A network of networks built on open, agreed upon protocols.

Wired Network General

A network where devices are connected via physical cables.

Wireless Network General

A network where devices connect without physical cables, typically using radio waves.

Modulation General

The process of varying a signal to transmit data.

Submarine Cables General

Undersea cables used for transmitting telecommunications signals across oceans.

IPv6 General

A new 128 bit version of the Internet Protocol.

IP (Internet Protocol) General

The protocol that defines the payout of an an Internet address.

Protocol General

An agreed upon set of rules that outlines how to communicate or send information.

IPv4 General

The original 32 bit IP protocol that was created in the 1980s.

Routing General

The process of sending data between two computers on the internet. The data is sent through routers that determine the route.

Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) General

Allows for sending MULTIPLE packets between two computers. TCP checks that all packets arrived and can be put back in the proper order. The metadata must include a destination IP address, a from IP address, the message size and the packet order number.

router General

An access point that allows for network management and security configuration.

Fault-tolerant General

a system that will operate with no interruption when one or more of its components fail

Hop General

When data is passed from one network segment to another.

Hop Count General

The number of hops it takes for data to get to its final destination.

ARPANET General

Advanced Research Projects Agency Network, precursor to the modern internet

User Datagram Protocol (UDP) General

UDP is often used in real-time applications where timely delivery of data is more important than the accuracy of delivery. UDP does not number the packets and it does not retransmit packets that are lost.

Domain Name System (DNS) General

Used to translate domain names into IP addresses.

HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) General

Protocol that standardizes the language for talking to web servers to send and receive web resources. Defines how computers send and receive hypertext information. (HTTPS: The “S” denotes a secure connection using HTTP.)

IP Address General

The unique address that is assigned to each device connected to the internet. It is part of the Internet Protocol.

Web Server JavaScript

A computer that stores web pages and makes them available to users on the internet.

motherboard General

A circuit board with ports and sockets used to connect the main devices of a computer.

BIOS General

A special kind of firmware that runs programs strictly to start up your computer.

central processing unit (CPU) General

The core component of a device that accepts and executes instructions.

random access memory (RAM) General

A fast type of computer memory which temporarily stores all the information your device needs right away.

solid-state drive (SSD) General

A fast access storage device used in computers.

graphics processing unit (GPU) General

A component designed to speed up the creation of images and output them to a display device, like a monitor.

network interface card (NIC) General

A component with a built in wired network port that allows the computer to connect to a network.

plug-and-play device General

A device that will be recognized by your computer and install on its own.

driver General

A group of files that allows a device to communicate with the computer’s operating system.

Bluetooth General

A short-range wireless communication technology that uses radio waves to transmit information.

NFC (Near Field Communication) General

Enables short-range communication between compatible devices.

network device General

An electronic device which is required for communication between devices.

network adapter General

An internal component of a computer that is used for communicating over a network.

modem General

A network device that allows a device to connect to the Internet.

switch General

Enables wired connections between more than one computer or device.

access point General

A network device that allows other Wi-Fi devices to connect to a wired network.

volatile storage General

Storage that is available only while the system is on and disappears when the system is turned off.

non-volatile storage General

Storage that is saved and available even when the system is shut down.

network-attached storage (NAS) General

Storage that contains one or more drives that can be accessed over a network.

file server General

Network attached storage that is equipped with powerful network adapters.

WLAN General

A wireless LAN that uses radio frequency technology to send and receive data.

VLAN General

A virtual LAN that allows for the setup of separate networks by configuring a network device.

wireless networking standards General

A set of protocols that specify how your Wi-Fi network and other data transmissions work.

Troubleshooting General

A systematic approach to solving a problem.