D278 Scripting and Programming Foundations - Set 5 - Part 1

Correct Answer: A reusable named block of code that performs a task

A function groups statements under a name so the logic can be invoked repeatedly from different places, promoting reuse and reducing duplication.

Correct Answer: A named input the function receives when called

A parameter is a named variable in the function definition that receives a value, called an argument, when the function is invoked.

Correct Answer: The result a function sends back to its caller

A return value is the result a function passes back to the code that called it, allowing the caller to use the computed outcome.

Correct Answer: It typically returns a default value such as null or none

A function without an explicit return usually returns a default empty value such as null, none, or undefined, depending on the language.

Correct Answer: Improved readability, reuse, and easier testing

Breaking a program into functions makes each piece easier to understand, reuse, and test independently, and localizes changes when requirements evolve.

Correct Answer: A function calling itself to solve smaller instances of a problem

Recursion solves a problem by having a function call itself on progressively smaller inputs until reaching a base case that returns directly.

Correct Answer: A base case that stops further recursive calls

A base case defines the condition under which the function returns without recursing further. Without it, recursion continues until the call stack overflows.

Correct Answer: An ordered collection of elements accessed by index

An array stores multiple values of typically the same type in an ordered structure, with each element accessible by its numeric index position.

Correct Answer: data[2]

With zero-based indexing the first element is at index 0, so the third element is at index 2.

Correct Answer: Accessing a position outside the array's valid range

An out of bounds error occurs when code accesses an index below zero or at or beyond the array length, typically causing a runtime exception.

Correct Answer: A grid or table of rows and columns

A two-dimensional array stores data in rows and columns, naturally representing grids, matrices, tables, or game boards.

Correct Answer: Using a loop from the first index to the last

A loop that runs from index 0 through length minus one visits each element in turn, allowing uniform processing of the whole collection.

Correct Answer: A collection that can grow or shrink during execution

A dynamic array or list can change size at runtime as elements are added or removed, unlike a fixed-size array declared with a set capacity.

Correct Answer: The number of characters it contains

The length of a string is the count of characters it contains, commonly used for validation and for controlling iteration over the string.

Correct Answer: Extracts a portion of a string

A substring operation returns a specified portion of a string, typically defined by a starting position and a length or ending position.

Correct Answer: Reference comparison may test identity rather than content

In some languages the equality operator compares object references rather than character content, so two separate strings with identical text could compare as unequal.

Correct Answer: A string's contents cannot be changed after creation

In languages with immutable strings, operations that appear to modify a string actually create a new string, leaving the original unchanged.

Correct Answer: Checking each element in sequence until the target is found

A linear search examines elements one at a time from the beginning until it finds the target or exhausts the collection, working on unsorted data.

Correct Answer: The collection must already be sorted

Binary search repeatedly halves the search range by comparing against the middle element, which only works correctly if the data is sorted.

Correct Answer: It eliminates half the remaining elements with each comparison

Binary search discards half the remaining candidates each step, giving logarithmic time complexity compared with the linear time of sequential search.