Here are definitions of some important terms that professional computer scientists need to know. Some of the terms are common across the industry and some are specific to C++.
- binary: a way to represent numbers using only 1s and 0s.
- bit: the smallest denomination of information -- either a 1 or a 0; it is a portmanteau of binary and digit.
- (von Neumann) bottleneck: the connection between the CPU and the memory.
- byte: a grouping of 8 bits.
- compiler: The tool that converts from high- to low-level languages.
- compiling: The process of invoking the compiler to translate between high- and low-level programming languages.
- compiling (as a step of the compilation process): A phase of the compilation process that translates preprocessed source code into object code.
- computer program: A set of instructions a computer follows in order to perform a task.
- linking: A phase of the compilation process that combines object code (produced by the compiler and from the system) into an executable.
- object code: instructions executable by the CPU.
- object file: a file containing object code.
- preprocessing: A phase of the compilation process that modifies the program's source code in accordance with preprocessor directives.
- programming language: the detailed rules that define the format and meaning of instructions used to specify computation.
- runtime library: A library of prewritten code for performing low-level, hardware-specific tasks or for performing common, but sometimes intricate, calculations (e.g., mathematical operations, sorting operations, etc.).
- statement: Complete instructions that define a computation.