GCSE

COMPUTER
SCIENCE
PROGRAMMING
CONCEPTS
Suitable for
CIE Examboard

Name: ____________________________________

Class: ____________________________________
Classification: Internal

Variables and Constants

A named data store that contains a value
VARIABLE that may be changed during the running of
a program
Can only be used by the part of the
LOCAL VARIABLE
program it has been declared in

GLOBAL VARIABLE Can be used by any part of the program

A named data store that contains a value

CONSTANT that does not change during the execution
of a program
Determines what type of value the variable
DATA TYPE
will hold

ARITHMETIC OPERATORS Used to perform calculations

Used to decide which path to take through

LOGICAL OPERATORS
a program

Decides whether an expression is true or

BOOLEAN OPERATORS
false

DATA TYPE DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE

Char Single alphanumeric character A
String One or more alphanumeric characters Computer Science
Integer Whole number 35
Real Decimal number 1.4
Boolean True/False TRUE

ARITHMETIC OPERATOR DESCRIPTION

+ Add
- Subtract
* Multiply
/ Divide
^ Raise to the power of

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LOGICAL OPERATOR DESCRIPTION

> Greater than
< Less than
= Equal to
>= Greater than or equal to
<= Less than or equal to
<> Not equal to

BOOLEAN OPERATOR DESCRIPTION

AND Both true
OR Either true
NOT Not true

PSEUDOCODE VISUAL BASIC

DECLARE FirstVar : INTEGER Dim FirstVar as Integer

DECLARE SecondVar: STRING Dim SecondVar as String
CONSTANT FirstVar ← 500 Const FirstVar as Integer = 500
CONSTANT SecondVar ← “Variable” Const FirstVar as String = “Variable”

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Library Routines

MOD Returns remainder of a division

Returns the quotient (i.e. The whole number

DIV
part) of a division

Returns a value rounded to a given number

ROUND
of decimal places

RANDOM Returns a random number.

PSEUDOCODE VISUAL BASIC

Value1 ← MOD(10,3) Value1 = 10 MOD 3

Value1 ← DIV(10,3) Value1 = 10 DIV 3

Value1 ← ROUND(6.9724,2) Value1 = Math.Round(6.9724,2)

Value1 ← RANDOM() Value1 = Rnd()

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String Handling

LENGTH Find the number of characters in a string

SUBSTRING Extract part of a string

UPPER Convert all letters to uppercase

LOWER Convert all letters to lowercase

PSEUDOCODE VISUAL BASIC

LENGTH(“Computer Science”) “Computer Science”.length()

LENGTH(MyString) MyString.length()

SUBSTRING(“Computer Science”, 10, 7)

SUBSTRING(MyString, 10, 7)
“Computer Science”.Substring(10,7)
MyString.Substring(10,7)
Parameters: string, position of first
character, length of required substring

UCASE(“Computer Science”) UCase(“Computer Science”)

UCASE(MyString) UCase(MyString)

LCASE(“Computer Science”) LCase(“Computer Science”)

LCASE(MyString) LCase(MyString)

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(b)

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Input and Output

PSEUDOCODE VISUAL BASIC

INPUT first_name First_name = Console.readline()

OUTPUT “Hello” Console.writeline(“Hello”)
OUTPUT “Hello”, first_name Console.writeline(“Hello “ & first_name)

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Arrays
A data structure containing several
elements of the same data type; these
elements can be accessed using the same
ARRAY
identifier name. The position of each
element in an array is identified using the
array’s index

PSEUDOCODE VISUAL BASIC

Declaring: Declaring:

DECLARE MyList: ARRAY[0:9] OF INTEGER Dim MyList(9) as Integer

DECLARE MyTable: ARRAY[0:9,0:2] OF Dim MyList(9,2) as Integer
INTEGER

Parameters: row, column Parameters: row, column

Storing: Storing:

MyList[4] ← 27 MyList(4) = 27

Populating using a loop:

Populating using a loop:
Console.writeline(“Enter these three values:
OUTPUT “Enter these three values: 1, 4, 89”
1, 4, 89”)
FOR Counter ← 0 TO 3
FOR Counter = 0 TO 3
OUTPUT “Enter next value”
Console.writeline(“Enter next value”)
INPUT MyList[Counter]
MyList[Counter] = console.readline()
NEXT Counter
NEXT Counter

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Selection

CONDITIONAL STATEMENTS Used to decide what action should be taken

PSEUDOCODE VISUAL BASIC

IF Age > 17
IF Age > 17 Then
THEN
Console.writeline(“You are an adult”)
OUTPUT “You are an adult”
ELSE
ELSE
Console.writeline(“You are a child”)
OUTPUT “You are a child”
End If
ENDIF

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Iteration

COUNT-CONTROLLED LOOPS Has a set number of repetitions

CONDITION-CONTROLLED LOOPS Will end once a condition has been met

PSEUDOCODE VISUAL BASIC

FOR i = 1 TO 10 For counter = 1 to 10

OUTPUT i Console.writeline(counter)
NEXT i Next

INPUT number Number = console.readline()

WHILE number != 0 WHILE number <> 0
OUTPUT number Console.writeline(number)
INPUT number Number = Console.readline()
END WHILE END WHILE

REPEAT Do
OUTPUT counter Console.writeline(counter)
Counter ← counter + 1 Counter = counter + 1
UNTIL counter = 5 Loop Until counter = 5

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(b)

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(a)

(b)

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Totalling and Counting

TOTALLING Keeping a total that values are added to

Keeps count of the number of times an
COUNTING
action is performed

PSEUDOCODE VISUAL BASIC

Total ← Total + Mark Total = Total + Mark

Count ← count + 1 Count = count + 1

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Maximum, Minimum, Average

MAXIMUM Finding the largest value
MINIMUM Finding the smallest value
AVERAGE Finding the average/mean value

PSEUDOCODE VISUAL BASIC

Maxmark ← 0
Dim Maxmark as Integer = 0
FOR Counter ← 1 to ClassSize
FOR counter = 1 To ClassSize
IF StudentMark[Counter] > Maxmark
If StudentMark[Counter] > Maxmark Then
THEN
Maxmark = StudentMark[Counter]
Maxmark ← StudentMark[Counter]
End If
ENDIF
NEXT Counter
NEXT Counter

Minmark 100 Dim Minmark as Integer = 100

FOR Counter ← 1 to ClassSize FOR counter = 1 To ClassSize
IF StudentMark[Counter] < Minmark If StudentMark[Counter] < Minmark Then
THEN Minmark = StudentMark[Counter]
Minmark ← StudentMark[Counter] End If
ENDIF NEXT Counter

FOR Counter ← 1 TO ClassSize FOR Counter = 1 To ClassSize

Total ← Total + StudentMark[Counter] Total = Total + StudentMark[Counter]
NEXT Counter NEXT Counter
Average ← Total/ClassSize Average = Total/ClassSize

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(6 marks)

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(15 marks)

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Searching
Used to check if a value is stored in a list by
LINEAR SEARCH
working through the items in the list

PSEUDOCODE VISUAL BASIC

Console.writeline(‘Please enter a name to
OUTPUT “Please enter a name to find”
find”)
INPUT Name
Name = console.readline()
Found ← False
Found = False
Counter ← 1
Counter = 1
REPEAT
REPEAT
IF Name = StudentName[Counter]
IF Name = StudentName(Counter) Then
THEN
Found = True
Found ← True
Else
ELSE
Counter = Counter + 1
Counter ← Counter + 1
UNTIL Found > ClassSize OR Counter >
UNTIL Found OR Counter > ClassSize
ClassSize

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Sorting
Ordering items in a list in a meaningful way
BUBBLE SORT
(e.g. alphabetically, ascending/descending)

PSEUDOCODE VISUAL BASIC

First ← 1 Dim First as Integer = 1

Last ← 100 Dim Last as Integer = 100
REPEAT Repeat
Swap ← False Swap = False
FOR Index ← First TO Last-1 For Index = First TO Last – 1
IF Temp[Index] > Num[Index + 1] IF Temp(Index) > Num(Index + 1)
THEN THEN
Temp ← Num[Index] Temp = Num(Index)
Num[Index] ← Num[Index + 1] Num(Index) = Num(Index + 1)
Nume[Index + 1] ← Temp Nume(Index + 1) = Temp
ENDIF ENDIF
NEXT Index NEXT Index
Last ← Last - 1 Last = Last - 1
UNTIL (Not Swap) OR Last = 1 UNTIL Swap = True OR Last = 1

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Classification: Internal

Procedures and Functions

A set of programming statements grouped
together under a single name that can be
PROCEDURE
called to perform a task at any point in a
program.
Like a procedure but, in contrast, a function
FUNCTION will return a value back to the main
program.

The variables that store the values of the

PARAMETER arguments passed to a procedure or
function

PSEUDOCODE VISUAL BASIC

PROCEDURE Stars (Number : INTEGER) Sub Stars(Number As Integer)

DECLARE Counter : INTEGER Dim Counter As Integer
FOR Counter ← 1 TO NUMBER For Counter = 1 To Number
OUTPUT "*" Console.Write("*")
NEXT Counter Next
ENDPROCEDURE End Sub

To call a procedure: To call a procedure:

CALL Stars (7) Stars(7)

Or Or
MyNumber ← 7 MyNumber = 7
CALL stars (MyNumber) Stars(MyNumber)

FUNCTION CalculateArea(Length: INTEGER, Sub CalculateArea(length As Integer, width

Width: INTEGER) RETURNS INTEGER As Integer)
Area ← Length * Width Dim area As Integer = length * width
RETURN Area Return area
ENDFUNCTION End Sub

To call a function: To call a function:

OUTPUT CalculateArea(5,3) CalculateArea(5,3)

Or Or
ShapeArea ← CalculateArea(5,3) ShapeArea = CalculateArea(5,3)

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File Handling

OPEN…FOR WRITE Opens a file for writing

WRITEFILE Writes a line of text to the file

OPEN…FOR READ Opens a file for reading

READFILE Reads a line of text from the file

CLOSEFILE Closes the file

PSEUDOCODE

DECLARE TextLine : STRING // variables are declared as normal

DECLARE MyFile : STRING
MyFile ← "MyText.txt"
// writing the line of text to the file
OPEN MyFile FOR WRITE // opens file for writing
OUTPUT "Please enter a line of text"
INPUT TextLine
WRITEFILE, TextLine // writes a line of text to the file
CLOSEFILE(MyFile) // closes the file
// reading the line of text from the file
OUTPUT "The file contains this line of text:"
OPEN MyFile FOR READ // opens file for reading
READFILE, TextLine // reads a line of text from the file
OUTPUT TextLine
CLOSEFILE(MyFile) // closes the file

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Classification: Internal

VISUAL BASIC

'writing to and reading from a text file

Imports System.IO
Module Module1
Sub Main()
Dim textLn As String
Dim objMyFileWrite As StreamWriter
Dim objMyFileRead As StreamReader
objMyFileWrite = New StreamWriter("textFile.txt")
Console.Write("Please enter a line of text ")
textLn = Console.ReadLine()
objMyFileWrite.WriteLine(textLn)
objMyFileWrite.Close()
Console.WriteLine("The line of text is ")
objMyFileRead = New StreamReader("textFile.txt")
textLn = objMyFileRead.ReadLine
Console.WriteLine(textLn)
objMyFileRead.Close()
Console.ReadLine()
End Sub
End Module

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Maintaining a Program

Enables programmers to easily recognise

MEANINGFUL IDENTIFIERS
the purpose of a variable

Annotations on each section of a program

USE OF COMMENTS so programmers know what the purpose of
that section is and they can find it easily //

To make programs modular and easier to

PROCEDURES AND FUNCTIONS
update / add functionality

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 MARK
SCHEME
Classification: Internal

VARIABLES AND CONSTANTS

LIBRARY ROUTINES

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STRING HANDLING

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INPUT AND OUTPUT

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11b

ARRAYS

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14a(i)

14a(ii)

SELECTION

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17a

17b

17c

ITERATION

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18b
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20a

20b

18b
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TOTALLING AND COUNTING

23a

23b

MAXIMUM MINIMUM AND AVERAGE

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SEARCHING

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SORTING

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PROCEDURES AND FUNCTIONS

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FILE HANDLING

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MAINTAINING A PROGRAM

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