VCE Applied Computing U1O2 Programming: Requirements and design tools Hangman

The 20 key terms

1The solution must

Starts a functional requirement: one thing a digital solution must do. It says what the solution does, not how, and covers one action. Example: The solution must show the score.

2Non-functional requirement

A quality describing how well a system performs, such as speed, security, or reliability, rather than what it does

3measurable non-functional requirement

A quality of a solution, such as speed, security or usability, written with a testable target, like a page loads in under 2 seconds, so you can check whether it is met.

4constraint

A limit on how a solution can be made, such as time, cost, skills, devices or software. A constraint is not a feature; it limits what you can build.

5scope

The boundary of what a solution will and will not include. Features inside the boundary are in scope. Features left out, or saved for later, are out of scope.

6algorithm

A set of clear steps, in order, that solves a problem or completes a task, like a recipe or morning routine. Each step must be precise so a person or computer can follow it.

7IPO chart

A three-column table listing a solution's inputs (data entered), the processes applied to that data, and the outputs it produces, such as a total or report.

9flowchart sequence

A line of rectangles joined by arrows from the Start oval to the End oval, with one arrow in and one arrow out of each step. Each step is a short action phrase.

10parallelogram

The flowchart shape for an input or output step, like getting a name from the user or showing a result. Write the action and variable inside, e.g. Input age.

11decision diamond

A diamond shape in a flowchart that holds a yes/no question. One arrow labelled Yes and one labelled No lead to different steps, and the paths can join up again later.

12flowchart loop

An arrow that goes back to an earlier shape, usually from a decision diamond, so the steps repeat until the exit condition is met and the exit arrow is followed.

13pseudocode

A way of writing algorithms using plain English and common symbols without the rules of any specific programming language, used to plan logic before coding begins

15input

A VCAA pseudocode keyword that accepts a value from the user and stores it in a named variable. Example: input age stores the user's entered value in the variable age

16print

A VCAA pseudocode keyword that outputs a value, variable or expression as a result. Example: print area displays the current value stored in the variable area

17IF-THEN-ELSE

A selection structure that runs one set of instructions if a condition is true, and a different set if it is false

18FOR i FROM 1 TO n

A loop that repeats its instructions a fixed number of times, counting the variable i from 1 up to n

19WHILE condition DO

A loop that repeats its instructions for as long as the given condition remains true, checked before each repetition

20Mock-up

A static visual representation of a solution's interface, showing layout and design before development begins

21annotation

A short note on a design that says what an element does or what happens when it is used, like a label on a button or an arrow showing which screen opens next.

22Interpreting a design

Reading a design's IPO chart, annotations, mock-ups and query designs together to work out what must be built, and checking it matches the requirements.