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A-LevelComputer ScienceSoftware development9618/22 · Oct/Nov 2024 · Q19 Marks

Refer to the insert for the list of pseudocode functions and operators. A program has been developed and released for general use. After a few months of use an error is detected where under certain circumstances it outputs an unexpected value.

  1. (a)The error in the program needs to be corrected. Identify the stage of the program development life cycle that this correction is made in.[1]
  2. (b)The program contains a function Lookup(). After investigation, it is found that this is the function that sometimes returns an incorrect value. An Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is used to help locate the error. The IDE features of watch window, single stepping and breakpoint will be used. Explain these features including the order that they will be used in to locate the error in Lookup().[3]
  3. (c)To solve the error a programmer decides to create a new module. The design of the new module has been completed and the module is being coded. Identify two features of an IDE that will help during the coding of this new module. 1 2[2]
  4. (d)The new module referred to in part (c) introduces three new variables. Complete the following table by giving the appropriate data type for each. | Variable name | Used to store | Data type | |---------------|--------------------------------------|-----------| | Name | A customer name. | | | Index | An array index. | | | Result | The result of the division of any two non-zero numbers. | |[3]

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Oct/Nov 2024). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

  1. [1] (Corrective) Maintenance
  2. [1] Set a breakpoint at the start of / within Lookup, to stop execution at a given statement
  3. [1] then use single stepping to execute one statement / instruction at a time
  4. [1] to display the value of variables using a watch window
  5. [1] Editor
  6. [1] Auto- (syntax) complete / auto correction // identify undeclared variables(s)
  7. [1] Prettyprint / auto-indentation / auto (structure) highlighter
  8. [1] Dynamic syntax checking
  9. [1] Expand / collapse code blocks
  10. [1] Context sensitive prompts
  11. [1] Name: STRING (for a customer name)
  12. [1] Index: INTEGER (for an array index)
  13. [1] Result: REAL (for the result of the division of any two non-zero numbers)

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About this question

Topic
Software development, A-Level Computer Science (syllabus 9618). Structured question, 9 marks.
Source
A-Level Computer Science, Oct/Nov 2024 Paper 2 Variant 2, question 1.

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