C++ Glossary

Algorithm
---------------
A procedure or a series of steps for solving a particular problem. The
word derives from the name of the mathematician, Mohammed ibn-Musa
Al-Khowarizmi, a famous mathematician who lived between 780-850.
Algorithms can be written in English or higher-level programming
languages like C++.

Array
---------
A multi-slot variable that can store more than one value. Each value can
be manipulated independantly.

Assembler
-----------------
A piece of software that translates a specific assembly language into
machine language for a specific processor.

Assembly Language
--------------------------------
A set of instructions that a programmer can use to create a program for
use on a specific processor. Assembly language is translated into
machine language by a piece of software called an assembler.

Bit
----
The smallest possible unit of memory. A bit can store only two different
values (0 or 1). The term for a group of eight bits is called a byte.

Byte
--------
A small unit of memory. A byte is composed of eight bits. One bit can
store two different combinations (0 or 1), two bits can store four different
combinations (00, 01, 10, 11), three bits can store eight different
combinations (000, 001, 010, 011, 100, 101, 110, 111); following the
pattern, eight bits, or one byte, can store 256 different values.

Call by reference
---------------------------
Declaring a function argument type to be a reference, thus passing a
reference (name for an object or a function) rather than a value to the
called function.

Call by value
---------------------
Passing a "copy" of an argument to the called function.

Casting
------------
The act of viewing (and often converting) the information contained in a
variable of a certain data type as if that information was of another type.

Class
---------
A container of objects used only in object oriented programming (OOP).
Classes can store data and custom functions for a number of objects that
share certain charactersitics orproperties. A class called "Shape" could
store the objects "circle", 'square", "rectangle" and "triangle".

Comment
---------------
Used to help the programmer to describe source code. They are placed
in the program's code to explain each specific function. This is helpful
when programmers are working in teams or when a programmer
continues work on an ageing program after they might have forgotten
why they used the functionsthat they did. When source code is
compiled into
assembly language, all commentsare removed.

Compiler
--------------
A piece of software that takes your code and translates it into a specific
assembly code. Compilers can be quite complicated pieces of software.
They are used to create wrapped-up, finished files (for example,
executables or dll's)

Cout
--------
In the C++ language, this is the name given to the standard output
stream. Characters that are sent to this stream are outputed to the user.

Debug
-----------
To find and remove errors or logical mistakes in a program.

Execute
--------------
The act of running a certain program. This involves loading the program
from disk into main memory, reserving memory space for the program to
work with, and executing the steps of the program as outlined by the
programmer.

Function
--------------
A block of code that performs a specific operation or task. Most
programming languages come
with a set of functions; however, you can also write your own functions.

Garbage
--------------
Variable values that are undefined, or bad input into a program.

Instruction Set
-----------------------
A set of commands that a specific processor understands. These
instructions are wired into the logic of the CPU.

Keyword
--------------
A word that the programming language uses to perform predfined
commands or functions. For example, "break" or "int".

Machine Language
-------------------------------
A processor specific set of binary codes that correspond to actions to be
taken by the processor of a machine.

Main
--------
In C++, this is the first function that is called when a program is executed.
When a program reaches the end of main(), the program terminates.
Every program in C++ must have a main() function.

Object
-----------
Any item that can be individually selected and manipulated using its
predefined data or functions.

Operator
--------------
A symbol that represents a specific action. For example, a plus sign is an
operator that represents addition.

Parameter
-----------------
A piece of data that is passed into a program, subroutine, or function call.

Path
--------
A path is used to specify where certain files can be found in a directory
tree on disk.

Portable
--------------
The easiness to take a piece of code written in a programming language
and rewriting it in another.

Pseudo-Code
----------------------
A high-level abstraction of code, usually used to outline the general steps
in an algorithm without having to write actual code. Pseudo-code is
useful in the design stage where the basic structure of the program is
drawn.

Record Structure
----------------------------
A structure that can store multiple data types, as branches of a main
variable. For example, the variable "Face" could have member data
variables "nose", "eye", mouth", etc...Manipulating the variable "nose"
wouldbe done as follows: "face.nose".

Return Type
--------------------
Specifies the type of data that is returned from a function call.

Data Type
-----------------
Describes what sort of information a variable stores, as well as how much
space that information takes up.

Variable
-------------
A label, given by a programmer, to represent a piece of data within a
certain program. This name is then used to refer to that piece of data.