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Glossary
Look up any term from this course. Each entry links back to the lesson that taught it.
| Term | Definition | Lesson |
|---|---|---|
| Algorithm | A finite, ordered set of clear steps that solves a problem. An algorithm can be written in words, as a flowchart, as pseudocode, or as a program. | What Is a Program? |
| Logic error | A mistake in the design or reasoning of a program that makes it produce incorrect results without crashing. | Types of Errors |
| Module (subroutine) | A named, self-contained block of code that performs one specific task and can be called from other parts of a program. In Python, modules are usually written as functions. | Modular Programming |
| Program | A set of instructions, written in a programming language, that a computer follows to perform a task. | What Is a Program? |
| Programming language | A formal language with strict rules (syntax) used to write instructions that can be translated into machine code and run by a computer. | What Is a Program? |
| Runtime error | An error that occurs while a program is running, when it tries to do something impossible, causing it to stop (crash) unless handled. | Types of Errors |
| Source code | The program as written by the programmer in a programming language, before translation. | Translators: Assemblers, Compilers and Interpreters |
| Structured programming | A programming approach that builds programs only from sequence, selection and iteration, organised top-down into clear blocks, without uncontrolled jumps (GOTO statements). | Structured Programming |
| Syntax error | An error caused by code that does not follow the rules (grammar) of the programming language, so it cannot be translated. | Types of Errors |
| Test data | Planned inputs used to check a program: normal data (typical valid values), boundary data (values at the edges of valid ranges) and erroneous data (invalid values that should be rejected). | The Programming Process |
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