Unit 2.3 Robust Programs

Unit 2.3 Robust Programs

1. Key Words and Phrases on Robustness

   • Authentication - A coding method that checks that the user really is who they say they are. It can also be physical.
   • Maintainability - Code must be maintainable. We can use comments and indentation to provide information to future users and programmers that may be required to maintain the code.
   • Comments - Help explain the code and its function Using the hash symbol.
   • Indentation - Used to help group together a function
   • Anticipating Misuse - We predict how someone could abuse the program and the plan for these issues
   • Data Sanitisation - Cleaning up inputted data so it is ready for apps or the program to use.
   • Data Validation - Makes sure that data entered is reasonable. Comes in many forms.
     • Check Digit - The last one or two digits in a code are used to check the other digits are correct
     • Format Check - Checks inputs are in the right format
     • Length Check - Checks it isn't too long/short
     • Lookup Table - Looks up acceptable values in a table
     • Presence Check - Checks if data has been entered into a field
     • Range Check - Checks that the value falls in the specified range
     • Spell Check - Looks up spellings in the dictionary
   • Data Verification - Makes sure that data entered is accurate through either dual entry or double checking.

2. Different types of Test Data

   • Normal - Data in the range
   • Extreme - Data lying on the edge of the range (Min/Max)
   • Erroneous - Data outside of the range
   • Null Value - Nothing is entered
   • Invalid - Wrong type of data inputted

3. Key Terms on Testing

   • Iterative Testing - Testing as you go along. Done line by line or section by section
   • Final Testing - Carried out at the ending, when it's fully written
   • Syntax Errors - Mistakes in the way the code is written
   • Logic Errors - A bug in the program that makes it run incorrectly
   • Bugs - These cause programs to run incorrectly and are often caused by erroneous code