Big Idea 1: Foundations of Creative Development

Collaboration

The practice of multiple people working together to create a computing innovation.

Benefits of Diverse Perspectives

Diverse backgrounds in a team lead to better software, reducing bias and enhancing error detection.

Pair Programming

A collaborative programming model where two programmers work at a single workstation, taking on different roles.

The Driver

The programmer who controls the keyboard and mouse and writes the actual code.

The Navigator

The programmer who reviews the code in real-time and thinks about the overall design.

Program Purpose

Describes the 'why' of a program, focusing on the problem the innovation solves.

Program Function

Describes the 'how' or 'what' of a program, detailing its specific behaviors during execution.

Iterative Development

Refining a program through cycles of design, coding, testing, and improving.

Incremental Development

Building a program one piece at a time by breaking a large problem into smaller components.

Investigation Phase

The process where developers understand user needs through surveys, interviews, and observations.

Specifications

Defining inputs, outputs, and requirements for a software program.

Documentation

Keeping a record of how the program works, including comments within the code.

Comments in Code

Annotations in the code that are ignored by the computer but help humans understand the logic.

Syntax Error

A violation of the programming language's rules that prevents code from compiling or starting.

Runtime Error

An error that occurs while a program is running, causing it to crash.

Logic Error

An error in the program that produces incorrect results without crashing.

Hand Tracing

A debugging strategy involving tracking variable values manually, useful for finding logic errors.

Test Cases

Specific inputs with known outputs used to verify that a program functions correctly.

Normal Data

Standard inputs used in test cases to validate expected outcomes.

Boundary Data

Edge case inputs used in testing to check program behavior at limits.

Erroneous Data

Invalid inputs used in testing to ensure the program handles them gracefully.

Debugging Strategies

Techniques like hand tracing, test cases, and visualizations used to identify and correct errors.

Common Mistake: Logic vs. Runtime Confusion

Believing that wrong results in a program indicate a runtime error instead of a logic error.

Ignoring the Navigator

Assuming the Navigator in Pair Programming does nothing; they actively review and oversee the coding process.

Ambiguous Purpose

A common mistake where the purpose of a program is not clearly defined, often confused with function.

Skipping Edge Cases

Forgetting to test boundary conditions, where logic errors often occur.