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WorksheetsSDD HSC questions
Total questions: 85
Worksheet time: 1hrs 26mins
In executing a program, two numbers are to be added. Where would the result of this addition be initially stored?
An address register
An accumulator
Random access memory
Read only memory
During which stage of the software development cycle would user documentation of the software solution be produced?
Defining and understanding the problem
Planning and design of software solutions
Implementation of software solutions
Testing and evaluation of software solutions
A real estate agent has been keeping information on rental properties in a spreadsheet. The real estate agency would now like to convert all of the data to a database system as quickly as possible. What would be the most appropriate system conversion method?
Direct conversion
Parallel conversion
Pilot conversion
Phased conversion
Under what circumstances is it necessary to create a prototype?
When only some of the system’s requirements are known
When only one copy of the program is created
When the program is not going to be updated
When the project team does not know where to start
Why would a systems analyst most likely use CASE tools?
To reduce the number of decisions
To allow the user to develop software
To speed up the production of the variable lists
To speed up the development of large systems
What would a programmer be likely to use in order to understand the links between the various modules of a system?
A structure diagram
A decision tree
A system flowchart
A decision table
A program that appears to be operating correctly fails to produce an expected result, and runs indefinitely. What is the most likely type of error?
Syntax error
Run-time error
Logical error
I/O error
Which modelling tool best represents the relationships between a system and the external entities?
A decision table
A data flow diagram
An IPO diagram
A storyboard
In order to access information on the Internet, a visually impaired person may use screen-reading software that converts text to sound. What should developers do to make a website inclusive of the visually impaired?
Choose web-safe colours
Supplement graphics with text
Have only text on each page
Avoid the use of JavaScript
A software designer has decided to include a button on each of the screens of a program to allow the user to navigate back to the main menu screen. It was decided that this button should always be located at the bottom left corner and be the same colour and shape. How are these design decisions best described?
Bad, because the programmers cannot demonstrate their skill
Bad, because the user will become bored with the screens
Good, because they demonstrate consistency of approach by the programmer
Good, because they reduce the need for choices by the user
A team has been engaged to design and develop software to control the manufacturing processes of a factory making spare parts for off-road vehicles. The team needs to understand and document the processes undertaken in the manufacture of the spare parts. Which documentation technique would be most appropriate?
A storyboard
A data dictionary
A system flowchart
A data flow diagram
Which of the following best describes the process of compilation?
The entire source code is translated into object code that may be executed at any time.
The entire source code is translated into object code, after which the code is immediately executed.
Each line or statement of a piece of source code is translated into object code and immediately executed before moving on to the next line.
Parts of the source code are translated into object code as a whole and parts are translated into object code one line at a time, and then executed immediately.
Which of the following is an example of plagiarism?
Using source code from your organisation’s program library
Referring to a user manual produced by another organisation
Photocopying data flow diagrams for review by a project team
Using source code obtained from the World Wide Web without acknowledging the author
Which of the following would be the major reason for a company’s dissatisfaction with a newly implemented system?
Online documentation is not available.
The graphical user interface is of poor quality.
The users do not have access to the project manager.
The system does not meet the predetermined requirements.
What is one disadvantage of CASE tools?
They do not generate test data.
They are an unproven technology.
They can inhibit the creativity of the designer.
They are poorly understood by most programmers.
Which of the following best describes why the laws of copyright exist for computer software?
To physically stop the copying of software
To protect the intellectual property of the software creator
To prevent software being installed on more than one computer
To increase the ability of the authorities to detect software piracy
A software developer produces database applications for small businesses operating in a changing environment. What is an appropriate software development approach they would use?
Structured approach
End-user development
Event-driven approach
Rapid applications development
What is the difference between a one-dimensional array and a record?
The fields of a record can be of different types but the elements of an array must be of the same type.
The fields of a record can be of the same type but the elements of an array must be of different types.
The fields of a record can be accessed directly but the elements of an array can only be accessed sequentially.
The elements of an array can be accessed directly but the fields of a record can only be accessed sequentially.
A professional photographer wishes to buy a new digital image-manipulation product. In choosing the product, which of the following statements made by the sales assistant would be the most important?
‘This product will process any digital image.’
‘This product is the most expensive in the store.’
‘A reputable supplier distributes and services this product.’
‘We have this digital image product in stock and available.’
An interactive video game has a large number of screens. Which of the following methods would be BEST to show the concept of the game?
Concept diagram
Content diagram
Storyboard
Systems analysis chart
At which stage in the software development cycle would the design of the user interface be first considered?
Defining and understanding
Implementation
Testing and evaluation
Maintenance
A school installed hardware and software in order to process students’ attendance data. The attendance system was tested using the data from one class and it appeared to work as expected. On the first day of actual use the system ran too slowly to be acceptable. What type of testing would have foreseen this problem?
Black box
Mixed transaction types
White box
Volume data
One approach to systems development uses well-defined phases with set tasks and deliverables from each phase. What is this approach called?
End-user development
Phased approach
Rapid application development
Structured approach
Napster was a peer-to-peer file sharing system that allowed computer users to download music (MP3) files. It was closed down after a court ruling in the USA. Which of the following BEST summarises the reason for the closure of Napster?
It had engaged in illegal outsourcing.
It had engaged in copyright infringement.
Peer-to-peer networking breached Beta-testing laws.
Peer-to-peer networking breached the Software Developers’ Code of Conduct.
An advantage of using an interpreter to translate source code is that
it uses less space in RAM.
the source code is protected.
syntax errors are located easily.
the machine code can be used by any CPU.
Which of the following is a major problem with prototyping?
Provision of feedback from users is simple.
Development time is increased unnecessarily.
The users of the system have a direct involvement in the development of the prototype.
The project team may be committed to a solution before there is a thorough understanding of the problem.
In which of the following documentation would you MOST LIKELY find specifications of the minimum hardware requirements for a software application?
Installation guide
Intrinsic documentation
Reference manual
Tutorial
Why does a project manager use a Gantt chart?
To assist in writing the computer code
To help with maintenance of the system
To assist with organising the project team
To help in maintaining the software when it is written
What type of documentation would an inexperienced user be most likely to access?
On-line
Project
System
User specification
You are a member of a team of programmers working on a large program. The module you are developing will depend on data passed to it by a module yet to be developed. Which of the following should you use to test your module?
Compilation
Flag
Instruction
Stub
You have been asked to make modifications to a software program you did not write. In addition to the source code, which would be the most useful documentation?
Data dictionary
Gantt chart
On-line tutorial
User manual
Which of the following does the process of quality assurance of software ensure?
Benchmarking
Interface structure
Modular structure
Reliability
Newer CASE tools have been developed that will automatically generate code for a project from design specifications. What will change as a result of this emerging technology?
The compilation process
The way code is interpreted
The packaging of software
The role of the software developer
Which name is given to the process of obtaining source code from object code?
Backward engineering
Compilation
Decompilation
Reverse engineering
At which level of testing would users of a new computer system most likely be involved?
Module testing
Program testing
System testing
Unit testing
Which of the following is a method of including standard or common routines after compilation?
# included code
Interpreted code
Compilation library
Dynamic link library
A software development project for a small company is being outsourced. The project has a restricted budget. Which of the following software development approaches would be the best to use in this situation?
End user development
Phased development
End User development
Rapid application development
During which phase of the software development cycle would program code be generated?
Defining and understanding the problem
Planning and design of software solutions
Implementation of software solutions
Testing and evaluation of software solutions
What documentation displays the relationship between processes identified in a system, and data that moves between those processes?
Critical path diagram
Data flow diagram
Gantt chart
System flowchart
The term quality assurance is used in relation to the development of software. Which of the following best describes quality assurance?
Ensuring the user can access the data
Ensuring the software is of high quality
Ensuring the system meets specifications
Ensuring the user can access the source code
Which of the following is an example of external documentation?
Appropriate names for modules
User manuals
Source code comments
Templates
During the execution of a program, two numbers are added together. In which component of the CPU is the answer stored?
Accumulator
Arithmetic Logic Unit
Program Counter
Program Counter
A project is running late and over budget. Which of the following would be most useful to the project manager in reviewing these problems?
Context diagram
Logbook
System flowchart
User documentation
In which part of the CPU do Boolean operations take place?
Register
Accumulator
Random Access Memory
Arithmetic Logic Unit
Which name is given to the documentation that introduces new users to the commonly used features of a software package?
Tutorials
Installation guides
Data dictionary
Systems documentation
A programmer is developing a database application that will calculate the number of fish caught by a local fishing company. The company needs to print out a report regularly on a special high-speed photocopier printer. Which of the following would need to be considered when looking at the hardware environment of this system?
CASE tools
Data dictionary
Appropriate drivers
User documentation
Email, Internet Relay Chat, Internet telephony and high-bandwidth peer-to-peer networks allow programmers to communicate instantly around the world, allowing collaboration and the sharing of source code. Which software technology most relies on these emerging communication methods?
USB drives
Graphics cards
Open source software
Off-the-shelf software
A software package is being developed for a large company using a structured approach. Upon completion of the installation of the software package it is discovered that the package does not meet the needs of the company. What is the most likely reason for this?
No internal documentation
Poor software maintenance
Inadequate program specifications
Incorrect programming language
A programming language requires programmers to declare the data type of variables prior to writing code. What is the most likely reason for this?
To ensure that code cannot be compiled
To ensure that the computer efficiently manages memory
To ensure that multiple data types are stored as Boolean variables
To ensure that the Central Processing Unit is working at maximum speed
Stephanie, a Year 12 student studying Software Design and Development, wants to program her personal computer to play simple ‘arcade-style’ games. Which combination of software development approaches would produce the game quickly?
Structured/End User
Prototyping/Structured
End User/Rapid Application Development
Rapid Application Development/Structured Walkthrough
Consider the following pseudocode.
IF final THEN
display winner
ENDIF
Which data type is final most likely to be?
Boolean
Integer
Real
String
An engineer created a spreadsheet to estimate the cost of her next project. Which software development approach was used to create the spreadsheet?
Agile
End user
Prototyping
Structured
A piece of software is to be developed for people to learn to play the piano. During which stage of the software development cycle should the boundaries of the software first be considered?
Defining and understanding
Planning and designing
Implementing
Testing and evaluating
Consider this algorithm.
BEGIN input x
FOR index = 0 TO 10 STEP 4
x = x + index
NEXT index
input y x = x – y
display x
END
What is the output of this algorithm if it is tested with data values of 3 and 14?
–7
1
15
25
At which level of testing would a software developer use a driver?
Acceptance
Module
Program
System
During which process would a software developer be most likely to use a metalanguage?
Creating source code
Developing a token stream
Conducting lexical analysis
Generating random test data
Which of the following best describes quality assurance?
Comparing the performance of similar technologies
Responding to user feedback to improve a software package
Implementing a documented process to ensure defined criteria are met
Evaluating a software product to ensure that the client’s needs are satisfied
Consider this statement.
Students(3).Age = 17
Which of the following best describes Students(3)?
Field
Index
Integer
Record
What is the purpose of dynamic link libraries (DLLs)?
To enable faster compilation of source code
To allow developers to re-use their programs
To allow appropriate system modules to be accessed at run time
To enable modules written in different higher-level languages to be incorporated
James is a programmer on the design team developing a financial system for a major bank. He needs to decide on an appropriate data structure to track and compare interest rates and dates for a number of financial institutions. Which would be the most appropriate data structure for James to use?
Array of records
Array of characters
One dimensional array of interest rates
Two dimensional array of interest rates and dates
Which of the following is increasingly used in software development?
Assembly languages
Internet-based applications
Non-processor applications
What translates source code to object code, and executes one line at a time?
A compiler
An editor
An inheritor
An interpreter
What is a stub?
A temporary piece of code that represents a subprogram
A temporary piece of code that translates source-code
A subroutine that links executables
A subroutine that links DLLs
A developer tests a program using very large values. During testing, she observes unexpected results in the output from a multiplication calculation. What would be the most likely cause?
Arithmetic overflow
Compilation error
Division by zero
Syntax error
A programmer defined a variable called IF. This caused an error during compilation. In which stage of the translation process would the error be detected?
Lexical analysis
Code generation
Token generation
Syntactical analysis
A software developer decides to include a call to a library routine. Which of the following must the developer consider?
The logic of the library routine
The space required to store the library routine
The language used to produce the library routine
The order of parameters to be passed to the library routine
Which of the following statements is true about error detection?
A variable can be used to check if certain conditions have been met.
A breakpoint identifies where a program stops due to a runtime error.
A stub requires programmer input before a program trace can continue.
A debugging output statement produces a message when a syntax error occurs.
A developer examines the functionality and interfaces of an existing software application with a view to developing their own enhanced version of the software. Which term best describes the developer’s actions?
Outsourcing
Customising
Decompilation
Reverse engineering
Which of the following is a valid reason to include comments in the source code?
To enable the code to work correctly
To show users how to effectively use the software
To assist other programmers in maintaining the code
To ensure that the source code is protected by copyright
The purpose of lexical analysis is to
parse a set of code elements.
convert a sequence of characters into a sequence of tokens.
confirm that the code conforms to the rules of the language.
determine the correct order of tokens prior to code generation
A programmer can make use of stubs to
reuse previously written and tested modules.
help clarify the operation of the software to the user.
improve the performance of the code by removing unnecessary detail.
test the logic of the mainline, without having to fully code all modules.
During which stages of the software development cycle is benchmarking relevant?
Implementing, testing and evaluating
Planning and designing, testing and evaluating
Defining and understanding the problem, implementing
Defining and understanding the problem, planning and designing
A software developer is concerned with compatibility issues. How can the software developer make sure that these concerns are adequately addressed?
Run the software using real-world data
Test the software in a range of possible situations
Compile the software for a variety of computer platforms
Compare the performance of the software with benchmark software
What is the purpose of a sentinel value?
To separate fields in a record
To mark the end of a set of input values
To mark the position of an element in an array
To indicate where the first data item is stored in memory
The translation of source code into object code involves a number of steps. Which of the following lists the steps in the correct order?
Syntactical analysis, lexical analysis, code generation
Syntactical analysis, code generation, lexical analysis
Lexical analysis, syntactical analysis, code generation
Lexical analysis, code generation, syntactical analysis
After the first pass of a sort, only the last two elements of an array have changed value. Which list identifies ALL the possible sort methods that could have been used?
Bubble, selection
Bubble, insertion
nsertion, selection
Bubble, selection, insertion
At what level of the testing process does acceptance testing occur?
Live
Module
Program
System
What is a program counter?
A register that holds the next machine code instruction to be executed
A variable that holds the next machine code instruction to be executed
A register that holds the address of the next machine code instruction to be executed
A variable that holds the address of the next machine code instruction to be executed
Consider the following code.
LOAD A, 32
ADD A, B
STORE B
What type of code is this?
Assembly
HTML
Machine
Visual Basic
Which process would you undertake during the ‘understanding’ phase of the development of a software solution to a complex problem?
Design of algorithms
Selection of software environment
Testing of program using sample data
Representing the system using diagrams
What allows the CPU and memory of a computer to communicate with each other?
Modem
Keyboard
System bus
Device driver
While developing a software solution the developer inserts a number of output statements to display changes in variable values as the code is executed. What software error detection technique is this?
Flags
Breakpoints
Program traces
Single line stepping
What document describes the responsibilities of a software developer when using software within an organisation?
Code of conduct
Code of response
Interface agreement
Reliability agreement
What tool would be used by a software developer to represent a system?
Font specifications
Ergonomic diagrams
Hardware specifications
Input Process Output diagrams
Which of the following is an advantage of programs written in assembler over programs written in higher level languages?
Assembler programs can execute faster.
Assembler programs are easier to read.
Assembler programs are more transportable.
Assembler programs can allow for the faster development of large software solutions.
