VCE Software Development key terms

A statement describing what a system must do, such as a specific behaviour, calculation, or output the software must produce for its users.

A constraint on how a system performs its work, covering qualities such as speed, security, usability, reliability, or portability rather than a particular feature or function.

A document that records agreed functional and non-functional requirements, along with constraints and assumptions, so developers and clients share one clear reference point.

A description of a goal-oriented interaction between an external actor and a system, listing the steps and alternate paths that lead to a successful outcome.

A short, plain-language statement of a feature written from the user's perspective, usually naming the user, the desired action, and the benefit gained.

An early, often incomplete version of an interface or system built to test ideas and gather feedback before full development begins.

An approach that builds software in repeated short cycles, each producing a working increment that is reviewed and refined based on feedback.

The design principle of dividing a system into separate, self-contained parts that can be developed, tested, and changed with limited impact on other parts.

A measure of how closely related the responsibilities inside a single module are; high cohesion means a module does one well-defined job.

A measure of how much one module depends on another; low coupling makes modules easier to replace, test, and reuse independently.

A finite, ordered set of unambiguous steps that transforms given inputs into a required output and always terminates.

A structured, human-readable notation using programming-like keywords and indentation to describe an algorithm without the strict syntax of a real language.

A diagram that represents an algorithm using standard symbols such as rectangles for processes, diamonds for decisions, and arrows for control flow.

A control structure that chooses between alternative paths by evaluating a condition, as in if-then-else statements.

A control structure that repeats a block of instructions while a condition holds or for a set number of times.

A loop placed inside the body of another loop, so the inner loop completes all its repetitions for each single repetition of the outer loop.

An expression that evaluates to either true or false, typically combining comparisons with logical operators such as AND, OR, and NOT.

A description of how the running time of an algorithm grows as input size increases, commonly expressed using big-O notation.

An algorithm that checks each element of a list in turn until the target is found or the list ends.

A search algorithm that repeatedly halves a sorted list, comparing the target with the middle element to discard half the remaining data each time.

A procedure that arranges the elements of a collection into a defined order, such as ascending numeric or alphabetical sequence.

Values chosen to exercise a program, including normal, boundary, and invalid cases, so that expected and actual behaviour can be compared.

A test input at or just beyond the edge of an accepted range, where errors are especially likely to occur.

The process of locating, diagnosing, and correcting errors in a program by tracing execution, inspecting values, and reasoning about the code.

A mistake in the spelling or grammar of code that prevents the program from being translated or compiled successfully.

A flaw in a program's reasoning that lets it run without crashing but produce incorrect results or behaviour.

A classification that determines what kind of values a variable may hold and which operations are valid on those values, such as integer, string, or Boolean.

Automated checking that input meets defined rules, such as a range check or type check, before the data is accepted and stored.

The accuracy, consistency, and completeness of stored data throughout its lifecycle, maintained through validation, constraints, and controlled access.

A collection of data organised into tables of rows and columns, linked through shared key values so related information can be combined.

A field or combination of fields whose values uniquely identify each record in a table and cannot be duplicated or left empty.

A field in one table that holds a primary key value from another table, creating a link between the two sets of records.

A rule ensuring that every foreign key value matches an existing primary key value, so records cannot point to nonexistent related records.

The process of structuring tables to reduce duplicated data and update anomalies by separating information into related tables linked by keys.

A statement written in Structured Query Language that retrieves, inserts, updates, or deletes data in a relational database.

A statement of what a project will and will not deliver, including features, boundaries, and acceptance criteria agreed with the client.

A horizontal bar chart showing project tasks against a timeline, revealing durations, overlaps, and dependencies between activities.

The longest sequence of dependent tasks through a project schedule, which determines the shortest possible completion time.

A significant, clearly identifiable point in a project schedule marking the completion of a major phase or deliverable.

A system that records changes to files over time, allowing developers to review history, revert to earlier versions, and merge work from multiple contributors.

Re-running previously passed tests after changes are made to confirm that existing working features have not been broken.