Edexcel GCSE Computer Science key terms

File Transfer Protocol: rules for uploading and downloading files between computers over a network.

A backup that copies all files selected for backup each time it runs.

A mesh network in which every device connects directly to every other device.

A subprogram that returns a value to the code that called it.

A computer designed to run different programs for many different tasks.

A unit of data equal to 1024 MiB, or $2^{30}$ bytes. Its symbol is GiB.

A variable created outside subprograms, at the main-program level, which can also be accessed by subprograms.

Control information added to the beginning of transmitted data, such as addresses or sequence information.

A method of detecting possible malware by analysing suspicious behaviours and characteristics rather than only matching known malware signatures.

A base-16 number system using the digits 0–9 and the letters A–F. Each hexadecimal digit corresponds to four binary bits.

A programming language that uses readable statements and hides many processor-specific details, making programs easier to develop and maintain.

A programming language, such as Python, that expresses instructions using human-readable constructs rather than machine-code instructions.

Hypertext Transfer Protocol: rules for exchanging web requests and responses between a client, such as a browser, and a web server.

The secure form of HTTP, which encrypts data exchanged between a client and a web server.

A name used to identify something in a program, such as a variable or constant.

Internet Message Access Protocol: rules for accessing and managing email kept on a mail server, allowing synchronised access from multiple devices.

A backup that copies data changed since the previous backup, rather than copying all the data each time.

Spaces at the beginning of a line that show its level within a code block. In Python, indentation determines which statements belong to a block.

A number identifying a character's position within a sequence. Python string indices start at 0.

A loop that never terminates because its stopping condition is never reached.

Giving a variable its first value.

Data supplied to a program for it to process, such as text entered using a keyboard.

A whole-number data type, including positive numbers, negative numbers and zero. Python uses int.

Division using Python's // operator, which rounds the quotient down. With positive integers, it gives the number of complete groups.

A creation of the human mind, such as software code, an invention or a brand logo, over which legal rights can exist.

A global network of interconnected computer networks.

The principal high-speed connections that carry data between networks across the internet.