Quill & QuotientGlossary
Glossary
The words, defined plainly
Short definitions of the terms that come up in tutorials, coursework briefs and exams. Each entry points to the terms it sits next to.
Every term, A to Z
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Big-O notation
noun/big-OH/
A way of describing how the work an algorithm does grows as its input gets larger. It names the shape of that growth, not a number of seconds.
See also:Hash table, Recursion
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Breakpoint
noun/BRAYK-point/
A marker where the debugger stops the program so you can inspect values. Nothing runs past it until you continue.
See also:Debugger, Frame
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Compiler
noun/kum-PY-ler/
A program that translates source code into instructions before anything runs. It reports some faults before a single line executes.
See also:Exception, Traceback
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Debugger
noun/dee-BUG-er/
A tool that pauses a running program so you can inspect the values at that point. It lets you watch state change instead of guessing.
See also:Breakpoint, Frame
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Exception
noun/ik-SEP-shun/
An event raised while a program runs when it cannot continue as written, such as dividing by zero. It travels up the call stack until something handles it.
See also:Traceback, Frame
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Frame
noun/fraym/
One entry on the call stack holding the local variables of a function while it runs. A traceback lists frames from the innermost call outward.
See also:Traceback, Exception
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Hash table
noun/hash TAY-bul/
A structure that stores keys and values so a lookup takes roughly the same time whatever the size. Performance falls when many keys land in the same slot.
See also:Big-O notation
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Recursion
noun/ri-KUR-zhun/
A function that calls itself on a smaller version of the same problem, with a base case that stops the calls. Without a base case it never returns.
See also:Frame, Traceback
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Traceback
noun/TRAYSS-bak/
The report printed when an error escapes, listing the calls that led to the failing line. Read it from the bottom up.
See also:Exception, Frame
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Unit test
noun/YOO-nit test/
A short piece of code that checks one behaviour and reports pass or fail. Written before a fix, it proves the fault was real.
See also:Debugger, Exception