VCE Software Development U3O1 Definitions Worksheet: Searching and sorting algorithms and Errors and debugging (Modules 156–166)
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Key terms
Write what each term means, in your own words.
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algorithm efficiency
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algorithm
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logic error
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runtime error
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OverflowError
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IndexError
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TypeError
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ZeroDivisionError
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Traceback (most recent call last):
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print("total =", total)
Answer Key
VCE Software Development U3O1 · Modules 156–166 · Student wording will vary for definitions
1algorithm efficiency — How many steps an algorithm takes as data grows, and what it needs (e.g. sorted data for binary search). Compare it to choose between linear or binary search, selection or quick sort.
2algorithm — A step-by-step method for solving a problem, like search or sort. Choose one by matching its input and output to your data, then wrap it in a function to reuse it.
3logic error — A mistake that lets a program run with no error message but give the wrong result, caused by a wrong condition, operator (> or >=), range() off by one, or steps in the wrong order.
4runtime error — An error that stops a program while it runs, shown as a named error like NameError, ValueError or ZeroDivisionError. Read the message to find the problem.
5OverflowError — An error raised when a calculation gives a number too big for its data type to hold, such as a Python float going past its maximum, e.g. 2.0 ** 10000.
6IndexError — A runtime error raised when code uses an index that is not in the list, such as items[5] in a 5-item list. The last valid index is len(items) - 1.
7TypeError — A runtime error when an operation gets the wrong data types, like '5' + 3 (string plus integer). Fix it by converting with int() or str(), e.g. int(input()).
8ZeroDivisionError — A Python runtime error raised when a number is divided by 0, or a remainder is taken with % 0. Guard against it with an if check or try/except.
9Traceback (most recent call last): — The start of Python's error report. It names the error type (like NameError) and the line number where it happened, so you know where to start looking for the bug.
10print("total =", total) — A debug print. Add a line like this to show a variable's value while the program runs, so you can spot where it goes wrong. Put one inside a loop to watch it change, then remove it once fixed.