Computing KS3 Vocab

Year 7

HTML Vocabulary List

HTML

Hyper Text Markup Language; the code that tells the browser how to create the webpage.

Browser

The software that reads the HTML and outputs the website e.g. Google Chrome, Microsoft edge, Mozilla Firefox etc.

Tag

The code in <> brackets that forms instructions.

Format

To change the appearance of content e.g. format the title as bold Arial size 14.

File extension

The (often) 3 letters after the dot in a file name, which shows what kind of file it is e.g. a picture could be a jpg, a png, a gif etc.

Primary colours

Colours that can be mixed to make other colours; frequently mistaken for red, blue and yellow. Primary colours of light (additive colours) are red, green and blue. Primary colours of paint (subtractive colours) are cyan, magenta and yellow.

Hexadecimal

A system of counting in a base of 16, rather than a base of 10 (which known as decimal or denary).

Link

Content that when clicked on will take the user to another page. Visited links are links for which the address/file has already been accessed and stored on the browser history. An active link is a link you are currently clicking on.

Table

An array of columns and rows used to hold content in the correct layout on the page.

Marquee

A form of dynamic HTML, a marquee will move the text across the screen.

Year 8

Representing Images & Sound Vocabulary List

Pixel

A coloured dot, usually a square, that makes up an image.

Binary

A system of counting using only 1s and 0s. Each pixel will have a binary number denoting the RGB values, and hence its colour.

Primary colours

Colours that can be mixed to make other colours; frequently mistaken for red, blue and yellow. Primary colours of light (additive colours) are red, green and blue. Primary colours of paint (subtractive colours) are cyan, magenta and yellow.

Colour Depth

The number of bits (1s and 0s) representing each pixel. The higher the colour depth, the more colours are available, but the larger the file size.

Pixilation

When individual pixels become visible when an image is altered e.g. resized.

Lossy compression

A system of compressing an image (making the file size smaller) that involves permanently deleting parts of the file. E.g. reducing the colour depth.

Lossless compression

A system of compressing an image (making the file size smaller) that does not involve permanently deleting parts of the file. E.g run length encoding.

Sample rate

The number of samples taken from the original sound wave when converting an analogue sound to a digital format. Higher sample rates give better quality but increase file size.

Bit rate

The number of bits (1s and 0s) used to represent each sample. Higher bit rates give better quality but increase file size.

Metadata

Data stored about the file e.g. author, date created, file size etc.

Year 9

Ethical, Legal, Cultural & Environmental Vocabulary List

Ethics

An agreed set of principles seen as a “moral standard” by society.

Digital Divide

An umbrella term for the gap between those who have access to technology and those who don’t.

Open Source software

Often free software, for which the source code is viewable and changeable.

Proprietary software

Software which is “owned”, and therefore the code is not viewable or changeable. Almost always has to be bought.

Search history

A log of web sites visited by a particular user or computer.

Artificial Intelligence

Computer systems able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence.

Privacy settings

Settings on a social media account controlling/restricting access to certain information.

Legislation

Another term for laws.

Intellectual Property

An individual or organisation’s property that is the result of their creativity.

Sanctions

Punishments imposed for certain offences.

Coding Vocabulary List

Variable

A named storage location to hold data, often an input from the user.

If

The first condition of a decision-making process. There is only one of these.

Elseif

All subsequent parts of the decision making process. There can be as many of these as required, but are not compulsory.

Else

The final part of the decision-making process. Anything not specified with the if/elseif statements will be covered here. Not compulsory but usually recommended, so that there is always an output, regardless of user input.

End If

The closing statement for the decision making process.

While

A method of repeating code while a condition (usually involving a variable) is true. Ends with an End While statement

Do Until

A method of repeating code until a condition (usually involving a variable) is true. Ends with the statement Loop.

Array

A numbered list of items. Numbering starts at 0, not 1.

For

A method of repeating code a set number of times. Ends with the statement Next. Always uses a variable within the loop; in this example the variable is i. The default is to go up in 1s.

For i = 0 to 4

Console.WriteLine(i)

Next

Will print the numbers 0 to 4

Random

relating to elements of equal chance. A random number generated between 1 and 6 has an equal chance of being any one of the numbers between 1 and 6.