Study guides · Stuff Every Programming Scout Should Know
Practice facts for the Programming merit badge. Not an official Scouting America credential. Grab a snack: this guide is the friendly version, with the answers explained and a groan-worthy joke waiting at the end of most cards.
Knowing Programming Scout saves you money, time and the occasional embarrassment.
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Short answer: A program
A program is a sequence of instructions a computer follows to perform tasks.
Groan of the day: This program has great follow-through, it never skips a step.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: A step-by-step specification of a procedure
An algorithm is a step-by-step specification of a procedure that programming implements.
Groan of the day: That algorithm really knows the steps to success.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: High-level programming language
High-level languages are more easily intelligible to humans than machine code.
Groan of the day: High-level languages are easy on the eyes.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: Investigating and fixing problems
Debugging is investigating and fixing problems in a program.
Groan of the day: Debugging is the art of un-bugging a program.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: Attempting to reproduce the problem
Normally the first step in debugging is to attempt to reproduce the problem.
Groan of the day: Reproduce the bug first, then you can squash it.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: How often the results are correct
Reliability measures how often a program's results are correct.
Groan of the day: A reliable program is one you can count on.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: How well it anticipates problems due to errors
Robustness is how well a program anticipates problems due to errors.
Groan of the day: A robust program can roll with the punches.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: The ease with which a person can use the program
Usability is the ease with which a person can use the program for its purpose.
Groan of the day: Usability makes a program easy to use and easy to amuse.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: The range of platforms where the code can run
Portability is the range of hardware and operating system platforms where code can run.
Groan of the day: Portable code travels well across platforms.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: The ease of modifying a program later
Maintainability is the ease with which a program can be modified by present or future developers.
Groan of the day: Maintainable code is easy to keep up with.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: The system resources it consumes
Efficiency measures system resources a program consumes, like processor time and memory.
Groan of the day: Efficient code wastes no time and no memory.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: The ease with which a human can comprehend the code
Readability is the ease with which a human reader can comprehend the purpose and flow of code.
Groan of the day: Readable code is an open book.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: They spend most time reading and modifying existing code
Programmers spend most of their time reading, understanding, and modifying existing source code.
Groan of the day: Readable code saves time, and time is read-ily saved.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: Requirements analysis
Requirements analysis is the first step in most formal software development processes.
Groan of the day: Requirements analysis makes sure you build the right thing.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: Short cycles that integrate development stages
Agile integrates development stages into short cycles taking a few weeks rather than years.
Groan of the day: Agile teams are quick on their feet.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: UML
The Unified Modeling Language, or UML, is a notation used for both OOAD and MDA.
Groan of the day: UML helps model ideas in a unified way.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: Database design
Entity-Relationship Modeling is a technique used for database design.
Groan of the day: ER modeling relates entities to each other.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: COBOL
COBOL is still prevalent in corporate data centers often on large mainframe computers.
Groan of the day: COBOL still has a mainframe of reference.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: Fortran
Fortran is described as used in engineering applications.
Groan of the day: Fortran engineers a solid solution.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: C
C is described as used in embedded software.
Groan of the day: C is embedded in many devices, it gets around.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: Object-orientation
C++ adds object-orientation to C.
Groan of the day: C++ adds a plus to C, one feature at a time.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: Memory management and bytecode
Java adds memory management and bytecode to C++.
Groan of the day: Java manages memory so you do not have to.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: The A-0 System
The A-0 System was developed in 1952 by Grace Hopper, who also coined the term compiler.
Groan of the day: Grace Hopper compiled a great career.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: FORTRAN
FORTRAN came out in 1957 as the first widely used high-level language with a functional implementation.
Groan of the day: FORTRAN was a forward-thinking language.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: COBOL
COBOL was aimed at commercial data processing.
Groan of the day: COBOL means business when it comes to data.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: Lisp
Lisp was developed for computer research.
Groan of the day: Lisp gives research a list of possibilities.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: Meaningful names
Assembly languages used meaningful names for memory addresses.
Groan of the day: Assembly language gives memory a meaningful name.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: Ada Lovelace
Ada Lovelace published an algorithm in 1843 intended for Babbage's Analytical Engine.
Groan of the day: Ada Lovelace had a lot of good algorithm in her.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: Storing data in machine-readable form
Herman Hollerith invented the concept of storing data in machine-readable form.
Groan of the day: Hollerith made data readable by machines.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: Programs and data stored the same way in memory
With the stored-program concept, both programs and data were stored and manipulated the same way in memory.
Groan of the day: Stored programs keep their instructions in memory.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: Checks for conditions and runs the appropriate statements
Conditional execution checks for certain conditions and executes the appropriate sequence of statements.
Groan of the day: Conditional execution decides if the condition is right.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: Performs an action repeatedly
Repetition performs some action repeatedly, usually with some variation.
Groan of the day: Repetition repeats, that is its whole point.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: Gathering data from a keyboard, file, or device
Input gathers data from the keyboard, a file, or some other device.
Groan of the day: Input puts data in, that is its job.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: Displaying or sending data
Output displays data on the screen or sends data to a file or other device.
Groan of the day: Output sends data out, that is its output.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: Hello, World
Many early primers started with a program known as Hello, World.
Groan of the day: Hello, World says hello to programming.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: Help for coding in one place
IDEs aim to integrate all such help for programmers in one place.
Groan of the day: An IDE integrates tools so you do not have to juggle.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: Some possible problems in code
A static code analysis tool can help detect some possible problems.
Groan of the day: Static analysis catches problems before they run.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: Targets varying machine instruction sets
Compiled languages make it easy to target varying machine instruction sets via compilation.
Groan of the day: A compiler translates your code into machine speak.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: A command line
Standalone debuggers like GDB often use a command line.
Groan of the day: GDB gives you a line on your bugs.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: Indents, line breaks, and color highlighting
Presentation aspects like indents, line breaks, and color highlighting are often handled by the source code editor.
Groan of the day: A good editor highlights the highlights.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: Readability
Techniques like code refactoring can enhance readability.
Groan of the day: Refactoring gives code a fresh read.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: Counting job advertisements that mention it
Popularity can be measured by counting job advertisements that mention the language.
Groan of the day: Job ads are a popular way to measure popularity.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: Textual, graphical, and sometimes hardware elements
Usability involves textual, graphical, and sometimes hardware elements that improve clarity.
Groan of the day: Usability makes a program user friendly.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: Arithmetic
Arithmetic performs basic operations like addition and multiplication.
Groan of the day: Arithmetic is the sum of all basic skills.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: Minimizing programming mistakes
Reliability depends on conceptual correctness and minimizing mistakes like logic errors.
Groan of the day: Reliable code keeps its promises.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: Division by zero
Division by zero and off-by-one errors are given as examples of logic errors.
Groan of the day: Dividing by zero is a recipe for nothing.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: Incorrect or corrupt data
Robustness covers situations like incorrect, inappropriate, or corrupt data.
Groan of the day: Robust code bends without breaking.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: Differences in programming facilities
Portability depends on differences in programming facilities provided by platforms.
Groan of the day: Portable code packs light for any platform.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: Fix bugs and adapt to new environments
Maintainability is the ease of modifying a program to fix bugs and adapt it.
Groan of the day: Maintainable code is easy to keep up with.
Sources: Computer programming
Short answer: A programmable drum machine
Al-Jazari invented a programmable drum machine using pegs and cams.
Groan of the day: Al-Jazari drummed up a programmable machine.
Sources: Computer programming
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Think of your answer first, then peek.
A program. A program is a sequence of instructions a computer follows to perform tasks.
The system resources it consumes. Efficiency measures system resources a program consumes, like processor time and memory.
Object-orientation. C++ adds object-orientation to C.
Checks for conditions and runs the appropriate statements. Conditional execution checks for certain conditions and executes the appropriate sequence of statements.
Readability. Techniques like code refactoring can enhance readability.
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