KEY TERMS

1. DATA REPRESENTATION
bit - the basic computing element that is either 0 or 1, and is formed from the words Binary digit
binary number system - a number system based on 2 and can only use the values 0 and 1
hexadecimal number system - a number system based on the value 16 which uses denary digits 0 to 9 and
letters A to F
error code - an error message generated by the computer
MAC address - standing for Media Access Control, this address (given in hexadecimal) uniquely identifies a
device on the internet; it takes the form: NN-NN-NN-DD-DD-DD, where NN-NN-NN is the manufacturer code
and DD-DD-DD is the device code NN-NN-NN-DD-DD-DD
IP address - Internet Protocol identified either as IPv4 or IPv6; it gives a unique address to each device connected
to a network identifying their location
HTML - HyperText Mark-up Language is used in the design of web pages and to write, for example, http(s)
protocols; in the context of this chapter, colours used in web pages are assigned a hexadecimal code based on
red, green and blue colours
overflow error - the result of carrying out a calculation that produces a value that is too large for the computer’s
allocated word size (8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit, and so on)
logical shift - an operation that shifts bits to the left or right in a register; any bits shifted out of a register (left
or right) are replaced with zeroes
two’s complement - a method of representing negative numbers in binary; when applied to an 8-bit system, the
left-most bit (most significant bit) is given the value -128
ASCII code - a character set for all the characters on a standard keyboard and control codes
character set - a list of characters that have been defined by computer hardware and software. The character
set is necessary so that the computer can understand human characters
Unicode - a character set which represents all the languages of the world (the first 128 characters are the same
as ASCII code)
sampling resolution - the number of bits used to represent sound amplitude in digital sound recording (also
known as bit depth)
bit depth - the number of bits used to represent the smallest unit in a sound file
colour depth - the number of bits used to represent the colours of a pixel
sampling rate - the number of sound samples taken per second in digital sound recording
bitmap image - an image made up of pixels
pixel - derived from the term picture element’, this is the smallest element used to make up an image on a
display
image resolution - the number of pixels in the X-Y direction of an image, for example, 4096 x 3192 pixels
pixelated (image) - this is the result of zooming into a bitmap image; on zooming out the pixel density can be
diminished to such a degree that the actual pixels themselves can be seen
pixel density - number of pixels per square inch
compression - reduction of the size of a file by removing repeated or redundant pieces of data; this can be lossy
or lossless.
bandwidth - the maximum rate of transfer of data across a network, measured in kilobits per second [kbps) or
megabits per second (Mbps)
lossy (file compression) - a file compression method in which parts of the original file cannot be recovered
during the decompression process for example, JPEG, mp3
lossless (file compression) - a file compression method that allows the original file to be fully restored during
the decompression process, for example, run length encoding (RLE)
audio compression - a method used to reduce the size of a sound file using perceptual music shaping
MP3 - a lossy file compression method used for music files

Key words & definitions IGCSE Computer Science Page 1 of 14

MP4 - a lossy file compression method used for multimedia files
JPEG - from Joint Photographic Expert Group; a form of Lossy file compression used with image files which relies
on the inability of the human eye to distinguish certain colour changes and hues
run length encoding (RLE) - a lossless file compression technique used to reduce the size of text and photo files
in particular

2. Symmetric and asymmetric encryption

data packet - a small part of a message/data that is transmitted over a network; after transmission all the data
packets are reassembled to form the original message/data
packet header - the part of the data packet that contains the IP addresses of the sender and receiver, and
includes the packet number which allows reassembly of the data packets
packet trailer - the part of a data packet that indicates the end of the data packet and cyclic redundancy check
error check
cyclic redundancy check (CRC) - an error checking method in which all the 1-bits in the data packet payload are
added and the total is stored in the packet trailer; the same calculation is repeated at the receiving station
payload - the actual data being carried in a data packet
node - stages in a network that can receive and transmit data packets; routers are nodes in communication
networks
packet switching - a method of transmission in which a message is broken into many data packets which can
then be sent along pathways independently of each other
router - a device that enables data packets to be moved between different networks, for example to join a LAN
to a WAN
real time streaming - the transmission of data over a network for live events where the data is sent as soon as
it is received or generated
hopping/hop number - a number in a data packet header used to stop data packets that never reach their
destination from ‘clogging up’ the data paths/routes
simplex - data that can be sent on one direction only
half-duplex - data that can be sent in both directions but not at the same time
full-duplex - data that can be sent in both directions at the same time (simultaneously)
serial data transmission - sending data down one channel/wire one bit at a time
parallel data transmission - sending data down several channels/wires several bits at a time (usually 1 byte)
skewed (data) - data that arrives at the destination with the bits no longer synchronised
universal serial bus (USB) - a type of serial data transmission which has become the industry standard for
connecting computers to devices via a USB port
parity check - a method used to check if data has been transferred correctly; it makes use of even parity (an
even number of 1-bits] or odd parity (an odd number of 1-bits)
parity bit - a bit (either 0 or 1) added to a byte of data in the most significant bit position; this ensures that the
byte follows the correct even parity or odd parity protocol
parity block - a horizontal and vertical parity check on a block of data being transmitted
parity byte - an extra byte of data sent at the end of a parity block; it is composed of the parity bits generated
from a vertical parity check of the data block
checksum - a verification method used to check if data transferred has been altered or corrupted; calculated
from the block of data of data being sent; the checksum value is sent after each data block
automatic repeat request (ARQ) - a method of checking transmitted data for errors; it makes use of
acknowledgement and timeout to automatically request re-sending of data if the time interval before positive
acknowledgement is too long
acknowledgement - a message sent to the receiver indicating that data has been received correctly (used in the
ARQ error detection method)
timeout - the time interval allowed to elapse before an acknowledgement is received (in the ARQ error detection
method)
echo check - a method used to check if data has been transferred correctly; data is sent to a receiver and then
immediately sent back to the sender; the sender then checks if the received data matches the sent data

Key words & definitions IGCSE Computer Science Page 2 of 14

check digit - an additional digit appended to a number to check if the entered number is error-free; check digit
is a data entry check and not a data transmission check
eavesdropper - another name for a hacker who intercepts data being transmitted on a wired or wireless network
encryption - the process of making data meaningless using encryption keys; without the correct decryption key
the data cannot be decoded (unscrambled)
plaintext - the original text/message before it is put through an encryption algorithm
ciphertext - encrypted data that is the result of putting a plaintext message through an encryption algorithm
encryption algorithm - a complex piece of software that takes plaintext and generates an encrypted string
known as ciphertext
symmetric encryption - a type of encryption in which the same encryption key is used both to encrypt and
decrypt a message
asymmetric encryption - a type of encryption that uses public keys and private keys to ensure data is secure
public key - a type of encryption key that is known to all users
private key - a type of encryption key which is known only to the single computer/user
quantum computer - a computer that can perform very fast calculations; it can perform calculations that are
based on probability rather than simple 0 or 1 values; this gives a quantum computer the potential to process
considerably more data than existing computers

3. Hardware
central processing unit (CPU) - responsible for the execution or processing of all the instructions and data in a
computer
integrated circuit - usually a chip made from a semiconductor material which carries out the same tasks as a
larger circuit made from individual components
von Neumann architecture - a type of computer architecture which introduced the concept of the stored
program in the 1940s
Arithmetic & Logic Unit (ALU) - the component of the CPU that carries out all arithmetic and logical operations
accumulator (ACC) - temporary general-purpose register that stores numerical values at any part of a given
operation
memory address register (MAR) - a register that stores the address of the memory location currently being read
from or written to
current instruction register (CIR) - a register that stores the current instruction being decoded and executed
memory data register (MDR) - a register that stores data that has just been read from memory or data that is
about to be written to memory
program counter (PC) - a register that stores the address where the next instruction to be read can be found
control unit - the component of a computer’s CPU that ensures synchronisation of data flow and programs
throughout the computer by sending out control signals along the control bus
system clock - produces timing signals on the control bus to ensure synchronisation takes place
clock cycle - clock speeds are measured in terms of GHz; this is the vibrational frequency of the system clock
which sends out pulses along the control bus; for example, a 3.5GHZ clock cycle means 3.5 billion clock cycles a
second
immediate access store (IAS) - memory that holds all data and programs needed to be accessed by the control
unit
backing store - a secondary storage device [such as HDD or SSD) used to store data permanently even when the
computer is powered down
cache - is temporary memory using static RAM to hold frequently used data/instructions by the CPU thereby
increasing CPU performance. More generally, cache means any area of storage used to quickly access
frequently-used data - other examples include web cache, database cache, DNS cache
register - a temporary component in the CPU which can be general or specific in its use; it holds data or
instructions as part of the Fetch-Decode-Execute cycle
address - a label for a memory location used by the CPU to track data
memory location - a numbered place in memory where values can be stored
system buses - a connection between major components in a computer that can carry data, addresses or control
signals
address bus - the system bus that carries the addresses throughout the computer system

Key words & definitions IGCSE Computer Science Page 3 of 14

data bus - the system bus that allows data to be carried from CPU to memory (and vice versa) or to and from
input/output devices
control bus - the system bus that carries signals from control unit to all other computer components
unidirectional - can travel in one direction only; used to describe data
bidirectional - can travel in both directions; used to describe data
word - a group of bits used by a computer to represent a single unit; for example, modern computers often use
64-bit word lengths
overclocking - changing the clock speed of a system clock to a value higher than the factory/recommended
setting
core - a unit on a CPU made up of an ALU, control unit and registers; a CPU may contain a number of cores
dual core - a CPU containing two cores
quad core - a CPU containing four cores
Fetch-Execute-Decode - a cycle in which instructions and data are fetched from memory, decoded and finally
executed
Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) - a suite of programs on firmware that are used to perform the initialisation
of a computer system during the boot-up process
opcode - part of a machine code instruction that identifies what action the CPU has to perform
operand - part of a machine code instruction that identifies what data is to be used
instruction set - the complete set of machine code instructions used a particular microprocessor
embedded system - a combination of hardware and software designed to carry out a specific set of functions
barcode - a series of dark and light lines of varying thickness used to represent data; the code has to be scanned
using laser or LED light source
key field - the field that uniquely identifies a record in a file
quick response (QR) code - a matrix of dark and light squares which represent data; the pattern can be read and
interpreted using a smartphone camera and QR app
frame QR code - a type of QR code that includes a space for advertising
DAC (digital to analogue converter) - device that converts digital data into electric currents that can drive
motors, actuators and relays, for example
ADC (analogue to digital converter) - a device that converts analogue data (for example, data read from sensors)
into a form understood by a computer
charge couple device (CCD) - a light sensitive cell made up of millions of tiny sensors acting as photodiodes
virtual keyboard - an onscreen keyboard which uses the features of the touch screen to emulate a physical
keyboard
touch screen - a screen that allows the user to select or manipulate a screen image using the touch of a finger
or stylus; touch screens most frequently use capacitive, infrared or resistive technology
repetitive strain injury (RSI) - pain felt in the muscles, nerves and tendons caused by a repetitive action (for
example, excessive clicking of a mouse button over a period of time)
optical mouse - a pointing device that uses a red LED to track the movement of the device and then relays its
coordinates a computer
pointing device - an input device that allows the user to control the movement of an onscreen cursor or to allow
onscreen selection by clicking a button on the device
complementary metal oxide semi-conductor (CMOS) – a chip that generates an electric current (or pulses)
when light falls on its surface
digital signal processor (DSP) - a processor that calculates, for example, the coordinates of a pointing device
based on the pulses of electricity received
optical character recognition - technology that can convert hard copy text or images into a digital format to be
stored in a computer memory
computer sided design (CAD) - software used to create drawings [for example, to send to a 3D printer or to
produce blue-prints of a microprocessor design)
computed tomographic (CT) scanner - technology that can create a 3D image of a solid object by slicing up the
object into thin layers (tomography)
capacitive touch screen - a type of touch screen that uses the change in the screen’s capacitance (the ability to
store an electrical charge) when it is touched by a finger or stylus
infra-red touch screen - a type of touch screen that uses infra-red beams and sensors to detect where the screen
has been touched

Key words & definitions IGCSE Computer Science Page 4 of 14

resistive touch screen - a type of touch screen that uses two conductive layers which make contact where the
screen has been touched
actuator - an output device that converts electrical energy into mechanical movement
digital micromirror device (DMD) - a chip that uses millions of tiny mirrors on its surface to create a video display
thermal bubble - inkjet printer technology whereby tiny resistors create heat and form an ink bubble which is
ejected onto paper in an inkjet printer
piezoelectric crystal - a crystal located in an ink reservoir within an inkjet printer; the crystal vibrates and forces
ink out onto paper
direct3D printing - a 3D printing technique in which the print head moves in the x, y and z directions
binder3D printing - a 3D printing method that uses a two-stage pass; the first stage uses dry powder and second
stage uses a binding agent
cathode - a negative electrode
anode - a positive electrode
organic LED (OLED) - a light-emitting diode that uses the movement of electrons between a cathode and an
anode to produce an on-screen image; it generates its own light so no backlighting is required
loudspeaker - an output device that converts electric current into sound
memory - the devices within the computer that are directly accessible by the CPU; there are two types of
memory - RAM and ROM; memory is different to hard disk drives, for example, which are known as storage
devices
random access memory (RAM) - primary memory that can be written to or read from
read only memory (ROM) - primary memory that cannot be written to (changed) and can only be read
dynamic RAM (DRAM) - a type of RAM chip that needs to be constantly refreshed
static RAM (SRAM) - a type of RAM chip that uses flip flops and doesn’t need to be constantly refreshed
volatile - describes memory that loses its contents when the power is turned off
refresh - recharge every few seconds in order to maintain charge; for example, with a device such as a capacitor
flip flop - electronic circuit with only two stable conditions
latency - the lag in a system; for example, the time it takes to find a track on a hard disk, which depends on the
time it takes for the disk to rotate around to its read write head
SSD endurance - the total guaranteed number of times data can be written to or read from a solid state drive
(SSD) in its usable life cycle
optical storage - a type of storage that uses laser light to read and write data, and includes CDs, DVDs and Blu -
ray discs
dual layering - using two recording layers in storage media such as DVDs and some Blu-rays
virtual memory - a memory management system that makes use of secondary storage and software to enable
a computer to compensate for the shortage of actual physical RAM memory
disk thrashing (HDD) - a problem in a hard disk drive (HDD) caused by excessive swapping in and out of data
causing a high rate of head movements during virtual memory operations
thrash point - the point at which the execution of a program comes to a halt because the system is so busy
moving data in and out of memory rather than actually executing the program
data redundancy - the unnecessary storing of the same data on several storage devices at the same time
cloud storage - a method of data storage where data is stored on offsite servers; the physical storage may be on
hundreds of servers in many locations
network interface card (NIC) - a hardware component (circuit board or chip) that is required to allow a device
to connect to a network, such as the internet
router - a device that enables data packets to be moved between different networks, for example, to join a LAN
to a WAN
static IP address - an IP address that doesn’t change
MAC address - a unique identifier which acts as a network address for a device; it takes the form NN-NN-NN-
D D-DD-DD, where NN is the manufacturer code and DD is the device code
dynamic IP address - a temporary |P address assigned to a device each time it logs onto a network
dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) - a server that automatically provides and assigns an IP address

Key words & definitions IGCSE Computer Science Page 5 of 14

4. Types of programming language, translators and integrated development environments (IDEs)
utility programs (utilities) - part of an operating system which carries out certain functions such as virus
checking, defragmentation and screensaver
malware - programs [such as viruses, worms and Trojan horses) that are installed on a user’s computer with the
aim of deleting, corrupting or manipulating data illegally
anti-virus software - software that quarantines and deletes files or programs infected by a computer virus; the
software can run in the background or be initiated by the user
heuristic checking - checking software for behaviour that could indicate a possible virus
quarantine - to isolate (in order to later delete) a file or program identified by anti-virus software as being
infected by a virus
defragmentation - a process that reorganises sectors on an HDD by rearranging blocks of data so that they are
contiguous
contiguous - next to each other
back-up - make copies of files onto another storage media in case the original file becomes corrupted or is
deleted
screensaver - software that supplies a still or moving image on a monitor if a computer has been inactive for a
period of time
device driver - software that communicates with the operating system and translates data into a format
understood by the device
descriptor - a collection of information about a device plugged into a USB port; this can be vendor ID (VID),
product ID (PID) or serial number
operating system - software that provides an environment in which applications can run and also provides an
interface between computer and human operator
boot up/bootstrap loader - a small program that is used to load other programs to correctly ‘start-up’ a
computer system
EEPROM - stands for electronically erasable programmable ROM
human computer interface (HCI) - an interface supplied by the operating system to ‘hide’ the complexities of
the software and hardware from the human user
command line interface (CLI) - an interface which allows communication with the computer by typing in
commands using a keyboard
graphical user interface (GUI) - an interface that uses icons to represent apps and tasks which the user can
select/launch by clicking on a mouse or using a touch screen
windows icons menu and pointing device (WIMP) – an interface that uses a pointing device such as a mouse to
select options from screen icons or a menu
post-WIMP - a modern touch screen interface system that allows actions such as pinching and rotating
memory management - the part of an operating system that controls main memory
security management - the part of an operating system that ensures the integrity, confidentiality and availability
of data
hardware management - the part of an operating system that controls all input and output devices; it is made
up of sub-systems such as printer management
buffer - a memory area used to store data temporarily file management - part of an operating system that
manages files in a computer [for example, the ability to create, delete, copy, open, close and rename files)
interrupt - a signal sent from a device or software to a microprocessor requesting its attention; the
microprocessor suspends all operations until the interrupt has been serviced

Key words & definitions IGCSE Computer Science Page 6 of 14

5. SOFTWARE
multitasking - a function that allows a computer to process more than one task/process at a time
administrator - a person responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of a computer system that involves multi-
user function
user account - an agreement that allows an individual to use a computer; the user needs a user name and
password to enter the user’s area
error handling routine - a routine in a program or operating system that recognises and recovers a system from
abnormal inputs or hardware faults [for example, recovery from an attempt to divide by zero)
firmware - a program that provides low level control for devices
interrupt priority - the priority assigned to an interrupt are given a priority so that the microprocessor knows
which one needs to be serviced first and which interrupts are to be dealt with quickly
service (an interrupt) - when an interrupt is received, some action needs to be taken by the processor depending
on what caused the interrupt; until this is resolved [that is, it is serviced), the interrupt cannot be removed to
allow the processor to continue
interrupt service routine (ISR) - software that handles interrupt requests (for example, when the printer out of
paper) and sends a request to the CPU for processing
machine code - a binary programming language, a program written in machine code can be loaded and executed
without translation
high-level language (HLL) - a programming language that is independent of computer hardware, a program
written in a HLL needs to be translated into machine code before it is executed.
low-level language (LLL) - a programming language that is dependent on computer hardware, both machine
code and assembly language are LLLs
assembly language - a programming language that is dependent on computer hardware, a program written in
an assembly language program needs to be translated into machine code before it is executed
assembler - a computer program that translates programming code written in assembly language into machine
code
compiler - a computer program that translates a source program written in a high-level language to machine
code
translator - converts a program written in a high-level language program into machine code
interpreter - a computer program that analyses and executes a program written in a high-level language line by
line
Integrated Development Environment (IDE) - a suite of programs used to write and test a computer program
written in a high-level language
debugging - finding errors in a computer program by running or tracing the program
pretty printing - displaying source code using different colours and formatting, which make the code easier to
read and understand
report window - a separate window in the runtime environment of an IDE that shows the contents of variables
during the execution of a program

6. THE INTERNET AND ITS USES

internet - the world-wide interconnection of networks; the internet makes use of TCP and IP protocols
World Wide Web - a massive collection of web pages and is based on hypertext transfer protocols [http and
https)
(web) browser - software that connects to a domain name server [DNS) to locate IP addresses; a browser
interprets HTML web pages sent to a user’s computer so that the user can read documents and watch
multimedia
hypertext mark-up language (HTML) - the language used to design, display and format web pages, and to write
http(s) protocols
uniform resource locator (URL) - a text-based address for a web page
hypertext transfer protocol secure (https) - http with extra security (such as SSL) applied
hyperlink - highlighted text or an image that is activated by clicking and links to further text, images, a web page
or a website

Key words & definitions IGCSE Computer Science Page 7 of 14

domain name server (DNS) - a server that looks up domain names for websites (for example,
www.hoddereducation.com) in order to find the IP addresses that a computer needs to locate the web servers
(for example, 107.162.140.19)
cookie - a text file sent from a website to a user’s browser; it is used to remember user preferences each time
they visit the website
user preferences - settings or options stored in cookies that can remember customised web pages or indicate
browsing history to target adverts
session cookie - a cookie that is stored temporarily on a computer; it is deleted when the browser is closed or
the website session ends
persistent cookies - a cookie that is stored on the user’s hard drive and only deleted when the expiry date is
reached or the cookie is deleted by the user
virtual shopping basket - an area of memory in a website where items a user wishes to purchase are temporarily
stored; items remain in the basket until payment is made or the session has ended
digital currency - currency (a system of money) that exists in electronic form only; it has no physical form and is
essentially data on a database
cryptocurrency - a form of digital currency that uses a chain of decentralised computers to control and monitor
transactions
cryptography - the protection of data/information by use of coding; it usually involves encryption and decryption
blockchain - a decentralised database where all transactions are stored; it consists of a number of
interconnected computers but not a central server
timestamp - a digital record of the date and time that a data block is created in blockchain networks
proof-of-work - the algorithm used in blockchain networks to confirm a transaction and to produce new blocks
to add to the chain; special users called miners complete and monitor transactions on the network for a reward
brute force attack - a ‘trial and error’ method used by cybercriminals to crack passwords by finding all possible
combinations of letters, numbers and symbols until the password is found
word list - a text file containing a collection of words used in a brute force attack
data interception - an attempt to eavesdrop on a wired or wireless network transmission; cybercriminal often
use packet sniffing or access point mapping / wardriving to intercept data
packet sniffing - a method used by a cybercriminal to examine data packets being sent over a network and to
find the contents of a data packet, which are sent back to the cybercriminal
wardriving - using a laptop, antenna, GPS device and software to intercept Wi-Fi signals and illegally obtain data;
sometimes called Access Point Mapping wired equivalency privacy (WEP) encryption protocol
security - an algorithm for wireless networks to protect them against data interception
denial of service (DoS) attack - a cyberattack in which cybercriminals seek to disrupt the normal operation of a
website by flooding it with requests; also used to clog up a user's mailbox by sending out thousands of spam
emails
distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack - a denial of service (DoS) attack in which the fake requests come
from many different computers, which makes it harder to stop
spam - unsolicited emails sent to a user’s mailbox hacking - the act of gaining illegal access to a computer system
without the owner’s permission
malware - programs [such as viruses, worms and Trojan horses] installed on a user’s computer with the aim of
deleting, corrupting or manipulating data illegally
virus - a program or program code that replicates itself with the intention of deleting or corrupting files or by
causing the computer system to malfunction
active host - functioning software that a virus can affect by attaching itself to the code or by altering the code to
allow the virus to carry out its attack
worm - a stand-alone type of malware that can self-replicate; unlike viruses, worms don’t need an active host;
they can spread throughout a network without the need for any action by an end-user
Trojan horse - a type of malware that is designed to look like legitimate software but contains malicious code
that can cause damage to a computer system
spyware - a type of malware that gathers information by monitoring a user’s activities on a compute and sends
the gathered information back to the cybercriminal who sent out the spyware
adware - a type of malware that attempts to flood the end user with unwanted advertising
ransomware - a type of malware that encrypts data on a user’s computer and ‘holds the data hostage’ until a
ransom is paid.

Key words & definitions IGCSE Computer Science Page 8 of 14

phishing - sending out legitimate-looking emails designed to trick the recipients into giving their personal details
to the sender of the email
spear phishing - similar to phishing but targeting specific people or organisations rather than carrying out a
blanket attack
pharming - redirecting a user to a fake website in order to illegally obtain personal data about the user without
their knowledge; unlike phishing, pharming is initiated without needing any action by the user
DNS cache poisoning - altering IP addresses on a domain name server (DNS) with the intention of redirecting a
user’s browser to a fake website; carried out by a pharmer [see pharming) or hacker (see hacking)
social engineering - manipulating people into breaking normal security procedures [such as giving away their
password) in order to gain illegal access to computer systems or to place malware on their computer
access levels - different levels of access in a computer system allowing a hierarchy of access levels depending
on user’s level of security
anti-spyware - software that detects and removes spyware programs installed on a system; the software is
based on typical spyware rules or known file structures.
authentication - the process of proving a user’s identity by using something they know, something they have or
something unique to them
biometrics - type of authentication that uses a unique human characteristic, such as fingerprints, voice or retina
blood vessel pattern
two-step verification - a type of authentication that requires two methods of verification to prove the identity
of a user
patch - an update for software that is developed to improve the software and/or to remove any bugs
typo squatting - the use by cybercriminals of subtle spelling errors in website addresses used to trick users into
visiting their fake websites
firewall - software or hardware that sits between a computer and an external network (for example, the
internet); the firewall monitors and filters all incoming and outgoing traffic
proxy server - a server that acts as an intermediary server through which internet requests are processed; it
often makes use of cache memory to speed up web page access
privacy settings - controls available on social networking and other websites which allow users to limit who can
access their profile or what they are allowed to see
secure sockets layer (SSL) - a security protocol used when sending data over a network (such as the internet)
SSL certificate - a form of digital certificate which is used to authenticate a website; providing the SSL certificate
can be authenticated, any communication or data exchange between browser and website is secure

7. AUTOMATED AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

automated system - a combination of software and hardware designed and programmed to work automatically
without the need for any human intervention
distributed control system (DCS) - a powerful computer system programmed to monitor and control a complex
process without the need for human interaction
adaptive cruise control - the use of sensors, actuators and microprocessors to ensure that a vehicle keeps a safe
distance behind another vehicle
accelerometer - a sensor that measures acceleration and deceleration and that can detect, for example, the
orientation of a device
robotics - the branch of (computer) science that encompasses the design, construction and operation of robots
robot - a mechanical device that can carry out tasks normally done by humans
autonomous - able to operate independently without any human input
controller - a microprocessor that is in control of a process
WebCrawler/search bot - a software robot that roams the internet scanning websites and categorising them;
often used by search engines
chatbots - a pop-up robot on a website that appears to enter into a meaningful conversation with a web user
end-effector - an attachment to a robot arm that allows it to carry out a specific task, such as spray painting
LiDaR - a contraction of light detection and ranging; the use of lasers to build up a 3D image of the surroundings
drone - a flying robot that can be autonomous or operated using remote control; a drone can be used for
reconnaissance or deliveries
phenotyping - the process of observing the physical characteristics of a plant to assess its health and growth

Key words & definitions IGCSE Computer Science Page 9 of 14

cognitive - relating to the mental processes of the human brain involved in acquiring knowledge and
understanding through thought, experiences and input from the five senses
artificial intelligence (Al) - a collection of rules and data which gives a computer system the ability to reason,
learn and adapt to external stimuli
expert system - a form of Al that has been developed to mimic a human's knowledge and expertise
explanation system - part of an expert system which informs the user of the reasoning behind its conclusions
and recommendations
inference engine - a kind of search engine used in an expert system which examines the knowledge base for
information that matches the queries
inference rules - rules used by the inference engine and in expert systems to draw conclusions using IF
statements
knowledge base - a repository of facts which is a collection of objects and attributes
object - an item stored in the knowledge base
attribute - something that defines the objects stored in a knowledge base
rules base - a collection of inference rules used to draw conclusions
machine learning - a sub-set of Al in which algorithms are trained and learn from past experiences and examples
web scraping - a method of obtaining data from websites

8, ALGORITHM DESIGN AND PROBLEM SOLVING

analysis - part of the program development life cycle; a process of investigation, leading to the specification of
what a program is required to do
design - part of the program development life cycle; uses the program specification from the analysis stage to
show to how the program should be developed
coding - part of the program development life cycle; the writing of the program or suite of programs
testing - part of the program development life cycle; systematic checks done on a program to make sure that it
works under all conditions
abstraction - a method used in the analysis stage of the program development life cycle; the key elements,
required for the solution to the problem are kept and any unnecessary details and information that are not
required are discarded
decomposition - a method used in the analysis stage of the program development life cycle; a complex problem
is broken down into smaller parts, which can then be sub divided into even smaller parts that can be solved
more easily
top-down design - the breaking down of a computer system into a set of sub-systems, then breaking each
subsystem down into a set of smaller sub-systems, until each sub-system just performs a single action
inputs - the data used by the system that needs to be entered while the system is active
processes - the tasks that need to be performed by a program using the input data and any other previously
stored data
output - information that needs to be displayed or printed for the users of the system
storage - data that needs to be stored in files on an appropriate media for use in the future
structure diagram - a diagram that shows the design of a computer system in a hierarchical way, with each level
giving a more detailed breakdown of the system into subsystems
flowchart - a diagram that shows the steps required for a task [sub-system) and the order in which the steps are
to be performed
algorithm - an ordered set of steps to solve a problem
pseudocode - a simple method of showing an algorithm; it describes what the algorithm does by using English
key words that are very similar to those used in a high-level programming language but without the strict syntax
rules
linear search - an algorithm that inspects each item in a list in turn to see if the item matches the value searched
for
bubble sort - an algorithm that makes multiple passes through a list comparing each element with the next
element and swapping them. This continues until there is a pass where no more swaps are made
validation - automated checks carried out by a program that data is reasonable before it is accepted into a
computer system

Key words & definitions IGCSE Computer Science Page 10 of 14

verification - checking that data has been accurately copied from another source and input into a computer or
transferred from one part of a computer system to another
set of test data - all the items of data required to work through a solution
normal data - data that is accepted by a program
abnormal data - data that is rejected by a program
extreme data - the largest/smallest data value that is accepted by a program
boundary data - the largest/smallest data value that is accepted by a program and the corresponding smallest/
largest rejected data value
range check - a check that the value of a number is between an upper value and a lower value
length check - a method used to check that the data entered is a specific number of characters long or that the
number of characters is between an upper value and a lower value
type check - a check that the data entered is of a specific type
presence check - a check that a data item has been entered
format check - a check that the characters entered conform to a pre-defined pattern
check digit - an additional digit appended to a number to check if the entered number is error-free; check digit
is a data entry check and not a data transmission check
9. PROGRAMMING
variable - a named data store that contains a value that may change during the execution of a program
constant - a named data store that contains a value that does not change during the execution of a program
declare - define the value and data type of a variable or constant
integer - a positive or negative whole number that can be used with mathematical operators.
real number - a positive or negative number with a fractional part; Real numbers can be used with mathematical
operators
char - a variable or constant that is a single character
string - a variable or constant that is several characters in length. Strings vary in length and may even have no
characters (an empty string); the characters can be letters and/or digits and/or any other printable symbol
sequence - the order in which the steps in a program are executed
selection - allowing the selection of different paths through the steps of a program
iteration - a section of programming code that can be repeated under certain conditions
counting - keeping track of the number of times an action is performed
totalling - keeping a total that values are added to
operator - a special character or word in a programming language that identifies an action to be performed
arithmetic operator - an operator that is used to perform calculations
logical operator - an operator that is used to decide the path to take through a program if the expression formed
is true or false
Boolean operator - an operator that is used with logical operators to form more complex expressions
nesting - the inclusion of one type of code construct inside another
procedure - a set of programming statements grouped together under a single name that can be called to
perform a task in a program, rather than including a copy of the code every time the task is performed
function - a set of programming statements grouped together under a single name which can be called to
perform a task in a program, rather than including a copy of the code every time; just like a procedure except a
function will return a value back to the main program
parameters - the variables in a procedure or function declaration that store the values of the arguments passed
from the main program to a procedure or function
MOD - an arithmetic operator that returns the remainder of a division; different languages use different symbols
for this operation
DIV - an arithmetic operator that returns the quotient (whole number part) of a division; different languages use
different symbols for this operation
ROUND - a library routine that rounds a value to a given number of decimal places
RANDOM - a library routine that generates a random number
array - a data structure containing several elements of the same data type; these elements can be accessed
using the same identifier name
index - identifies the position of an element in an array
file - a collection of data stored by a computer program to be used again

Key words & definitions IGCSE Computer Science Page 11 of 14

10. Databases
database - a persistent structured collection of data that allows people to extract information in a way that
meets their needs
single-table database - a database contains only one table
table - a collection of related records in a database
record - a collection of fields that describe one item
field - a database table
data type - a classification of how data is stored and displayed, and of which operations that can be performed
on the stored value
primary key - a field in a database that uniquely identifies a record
Structured Query Language (SQL) - the standard query language for writing scripts to obtain useful information
from a relational database.
SQL scripts - a list of SQL commands that perform a given task, often stored in a file so the script can be reused
SELECT - an SQL command that fetches specified fields (columns] from a table
FROM - an SQL command that identifies the table to use
WHERE - an SQL command to include only those records (rows) in a query that match a given condition
ORDER BY- an SQL command that sorts the results from a query by a given column either alphabetically or
numerically
SUM - an SQL command that returns the sum of all the values in a field [column]; used with SELECT
COUNT - an SQL command that counts the number of records (rows) in which the field (column] matches a
specified condition; used with SELECT

Key words & definitions IGCSE Computer Science Page 12 of 14

Sensors
Sensor Description of sensor Example applications
Temperature measures temperature of the • Control of a central heating system
surroundings by sending signals; • control/monitor a chemical process
these signals will change as the • control/monitor temperature in a greenhouse
temperature changes
Moisture measures water levels in, for • control/monitor moisture levels in soil in a
example, soil greenhouse
• monitor the moisture levels in a food
processing factory
Humidity this is slightly different to moisture; • monitor humidity levels in a building
this measures the amount of water • monitor humidity levels in a factory
vapour in, for example, a sample of manufacturing microchips
air [based on the fact that the • monitor/control humidity levels in the air in a
conductivity of air will change greenhouse
depending the amount of water
present]
Light these use photoelectric cells that • switching street lights on or off depending on
produce an output (in the form of an light levels
electric current) depending on the • switch on car headlights automatically when it
brightness of the light gets dark
Infrared (active) these use an invisible beam of • turn on car windscreen wipers automatically
infrared radiation picked up by a when it detects rain on the windscreen
detector; if the beam is broken, then • security alarm system [intruder breaks the
there will be a change in the amount infra-red beam]
of infrared radiation reaching the
detector (sensor)
Infrared these sensors measure the heat • security alarm system [detects body heat]
(passive) radiation given off by an object, for • monitor the temperature inside an industrial
example, the temperature of an freezer or chiller unit
intruder or the temperature in a
refrigerator
Pressure a pressure sensor is a transducer and • weighing of lorries at a weighing station
generates different electric currents • measure the gas pressure in a nuclear reactor
depending on the pressure applied
Acoustic/sound These are basically microphones that • pick up the noise of footsteps in a security
convert detected sound into electric system
signals/pulses • detect the sound of liquids dripping at a faulty
pipe joint
Gas Most common ones are oxygen or • monitor pollution levels in the air at an airport
carbon dioxide sensors; they use • monito oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in a
various methods to detect the gas greenhouse
being monitored and produce • monitor oxygen levels in a car exhaust
outputs that vary with the oxygen or
carbon dioxide levels present
pH These measure acidity through • monitor/control acidity levels in the soil in a
changes in voltages in, for example, greenhouse
soil • control acidity levels in a chemical process
Magnetic Field These sensors measure changes in • detect magnetic field changes [for example, in
magnetic fields – the signal output mobile phones and CD players]
will depend on how the magnetic • used in anti-lock braking systems in cars
field changes
Accelerometer These are sensors that measure • used in cards to measure rapid deceleration
acceleration and motion of an and apply air bags in a crash

Key words & definitions IGCSE Computer Science Page 13 of 14

 application, i.e, the change in velocity • used by mobile phones to change between
(a piezoelectric cell is used whose portrait and landscape mode
output varies according to the change
in velocity)
Proximity These sensors detect the presence of • detect when a face is close to a mobile phone
a nearby object screen and switches off screen when held to
the ear
Flow (rate) These sensors measure the flow rate • used in respiratory devices and inhalers in
of a moving liquid or gas and produce hospitals
an output based on the amount of • measure gas flows in pipes [for example,
liquid or gas passing over the sensor natural gas]
Level These sensors use ultrasonics (to • monitor levels in a petrol tank in a car
detect changing liquid levels in, for • in a pharmaceutical process where powder
example, a tank) or capacitance / levels in tablet production need to be
conductivity [to measure static levels monitored
(for example, height of water in a • leak detection in refrigerant (air conditioner)
river)
Levels sensors can also be optical or
mechanical in nature

Key words & definitions IGCSE Computer Science Page 14 of 14