BSEB Inter Computer Science flashcards
BSEB Inter Computer Science · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Data and information
- Data are raw, unprocessed facts such as numbers or symbols; information is data processed into a meaningful form useful for decisions.
- CPU
- The central processing unit executes instructions and controls the computer; it contains the arithmetic logic unit, control unit, and registers.
- Primary memory
- Primary memory is directly accessible by the CPU and holds currently running programs and data; examples are RAM and ROM.
- Computer generation
- Computer generations classify hardware by technology: first vacuum tubes, second transistors, third integrated circuits, fourth microprocessors, and later very-large-scale integration.
- Binary number system
- A base-2 positional number system using only digits 0 and 1; each place value is a power of 2, such as 1, 2, 4, 8.
- Two's complement
- A signed binary representation formed by inverting all bits of a positive number and adding 1; it represents negative numbers and simplifies subtraction in digital circuits.
- De Morgan's laws
- Boolean identities stating that the complement of A AND B equals NOT A OR NOT B, and the complement of A OR B equals NOT A AND NOT B.
- Universal gates
- NAND and NOR gates are universal because each can be wired to perform NOT, AND, OR, and any other Boolean function without using other gate types.
- Von Neumann architecture
- A stored-program design in which instructions and data share the same memory; the CPU fetches, decodes, and executes instructions sequentially.
- Cache memory
- A small, fast memory between the CPU and main memory that stores frequently used instructions and data to reduce average access time.
- RAM and ROM
- RAM is volatile read-write memory holding active programs and data; ROM is non-volatile memory whose stored firmware remains when power is off.
- System software
- Software that manages hardware and provides a platform for applications; examples include operating systems, device drivers, and utility programs.
- Process state
- A process moves through states such as new, ready, running, waiting, and terminated as it competes for CPU time and waits for events.
- Deadlock conditions
- Deadlock requires mutual exclusion, hold and wait, no preemption, and circular wait; all four conditions must hold simultaneously for a deadlock to occur.
- Windows File Explorer
- The Windows file management tool used to browse drives and folders, copy or move files, rename items, and view file properties and extensions.
- Virtual memory
- A memory-management technique that uses secondary storage to extend apparent main memory, swapping pages between RAM and disk as needed.
- C format specifier
- A conversion code in printf or scanf that tells the function the data type, such as %d for int, %f for float, %c for char, and %s for string.
- C control structures
- Statements that alter sequential flow: selection uses if, if-else, or switch; iteration uses for, while, or do-while; jump uses break, continue, goto, or return.
- C function prototype
- A declaration before use that specifies a function's return type, name, and parameter types, allowing the compiler to check calls.
- C file modes
- Text modes r, w, a and binary modes rb, wb, ab control reading, writing, or appending; adding + allows both reading and writing.
- Stack
- A linear data structure following last-in-first-out order; insertion and deletion occur at one end called the top, using push and pop operations.
- Queue
- A linear data structure following first-in-first-out order; insertion occurs at the rear and deletion at the front, as in a ticket line.
- Linked list node
- A self-referential structure containing data and a pointer to the next node; nodes are linked dynamically and need not occupy contiguous memory.
- Primary key
- A column or minimal set of columns whose values uniquely identify each row in a table; it cannot contain null values.
- SQL SELECT
- The SQL statement that retrieves rows from tables; clauses include SELECT for columns, FROM for tables, WHERE for filtering, and ORDER BY for sorting.
- Foreign key
- A column or set of columns in one table that references a primary key in another table, enforcing referential integrity between related records.
- OSI reference model
- A seven-layer networking model: physical, data link, network, transport, session, presentation, and application; each layer defines specific communication functions.
- IP address
- A numeric identifier assigned to a device on an IP network; IPv4 uses 32 bits written as four decimal octets, while IPv6 uses 128 bits.
- DNS
- The Domain Name System translates human-readable domain names such as example.com into IP addresses used by networked computers.
- HTML element
- A building block of HTML written with a start tag, content, and end tag; attributes inside the start tag provide extra information.
- Phishing
- A cyberattack that tricks users into revealing passwords or financial data through fake emails, messages, or websites that imitate trusted organizations.
- HTTPS
- Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure encrypts HTTP traffic using TLS, protecting data in transit and helping verify the website's identity.