Computer Science key terms

The number of bits available to store the value of each sound sample.

An image represented by a grid of pixels, with a colour value stored for each pixel.

An image represented as a grid of pixels, with each pixel's colour stored in binary.

The number of bits available to store a binary value, such as eight bits.

A short-range wireless standard commonly used to connect nearby devices, such as a phone and headphones.

A data type with two logical values: True and False.

An expression that combines values which are either true or false using operators such as AND, OR and NOT.

A system of logic using two values, TRUE and FALSE, often represented by 1 and 0.

An operator that combines or reverses Boolean values, such as AND, OR or NOT.

A value with one of two possible states: True or False.

The process of starting a computer and loading its operating system.

A connection or piece of equipment whose limited capacity restricts the performance of the rest of a network.

Data of the correct data type which is on the very edge of being valid.

A marked position in source code where a debugger pauses execution, allowing the programmer to inspect the program’s state.

An attack that repeatedly tests possible passwords or other authentication values until the correct one is found.

A sorting algorithm that repeatedly compares adjacent items and swaps them if they are in the wrong order.

A unit of data consisting of 8 bits.

Small, very fast memory in the CPU that stores frequently used data and instructions for quick access.

Small, very fast memory on or close to the CPU that temporarily stores copies of frequently used instructions and data, or those likely to be needed next.

The amount of data a storage device or medium can hold, usually measured in bytes and their multiples.

A digit passed to the next column on the left when a column total cannot be represented by one digit.

Converting a value from one data type to another so that it can be used in a different way.

The processor that executes program instructions and processes data.

A data type representing one symbol, such as a letter, digit or punctuation mark. Python represents character data using a string of length one.

A binary value assigned to represent a particular character.

A collection of characters and their corresponding codes that a computer uses to represent text.

Data in an unreadable form produced by encryption.

A computer that requests or uses a service provided by a server on a network.

A network arrangement in which clients request or use services provided by one or more servers.

The number of clock cycles a CPU carries out per second, measured in hertz (Hz).