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EnglandComputer Science

Component 1: Programming and System Development

6 dot points across 6 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How are logic gates, truth tables and Boolean algebra used to design and simplify digital logic?

Logical operations: the logic gates (AND, OR, NOT, NAND, NOR, XOR) and their truth tables, building and reading truth tables for expressions, the laws of Boolean algebra and De Morgan's laws, and simplifying expressions with Karnaugh maps.
An Eduqas Component 1 answer on logical operations: the six logic gates and their truth tables, building truth tables for expressions, simplifying with the laws of Boolean algebra and De Morgan's laws, and using Karnaugh maps to minimise a Boolean expression.
14 min answer →

What are the primitive data types, and how do the three programming constructs build any algorithm?

Programming principles: primitive and composite data types, variables and constants, scope and lifetime, and the three programming constructs of sequence, selection and iteration used to build structured programs.
An Eduqas Component 1 answer on programming principles: the primitive data types, variables versus constants, local versus global scope and lifetime, type conversion, and the three programming constructs sequence, selection and iteration.
13 min answer →

What tools and structures help build a well-organised program, and how is code kept readable and maintainable?

Program construction: the features of an integrated development environment (IDE), modular and structured program design, the use of libraries, and writing maintainable code with sensible naming, comments and indentation.
An Eduqas Component 1 answer on program construction: the features of an integrated development environment (editor, debugger, error diagnostics), modular and structured design, using libraries, and the conventions that make code readable and maintainable.
13 min answer →

How do procedures and the object-oriented features of classes, inheritance and polymorphism structure larger programs?

Procedural and object-oriented programming: subroutines (procedures and functions) with parameters and return values, and the object-oriented concepts of classes and objects, encapsulation, inheritance and polymorphism.
An Eduqas Component 1 answer on programming paradigms: procedures and functions with parameters passed by value or reference, and the object-oriented concepts of classes, objects, encapsulation, inheritance and polymorphism, with their benefits for large programs.
14 min answer →

How are programs tested for correctness, what kinds of error occur, and how are they tracked down?

Testing and correctness: the types of program error (syntax, runtime and logic), test strategies and test data (normal, boundary and erroneous), trace tables and dry runs, and validation and verification of input data.
An Eduqas Component 1 answer on testing and correctness: syntax, runtime and logic errors, choosing normal, boundary and erroneous test data, dry runs with trace tables, and the difference between validation and verification of input.
13 min answer →

How is source code turned into something the processor can run, and what does a compiler do at each stage?

Program construction and translators: compilers, interpreters and assemblers and their differences, the distinction between source, object and executable code, and the stages of compilation (lexical analysis, syntax analysis, semantic analysis, code generation and optimisation).
An Eduqas Component 1 answer on translators: how compilers, interpreters and assemblers differ, the distinction between source, object and executable code, and the stages of compilation from lexical analysis through syntax and semantic analysis to code generation and optimisation.
13 min answer →