BSL Glossary - Computing Science curriculum terms

Winner of "Data for Good Initiative of the Year" 2023 Award (British Data Awards)

A to Z

Subject categories

Computing Science Computer Programming Agile methodologies Waterfall Iteration / Iterative development Structure diagram Flowchart Pseudocode Refinements Inputs Outputs Process Boundaries Scope OUT OF SCOPE Functional requirements End-user / End-user requirements User-interface DATA Data type Data structures Variable Integer Float Real Character Boolean String 1-D Array Implementation Assignment CODE CODING Selection construct Conditional statement Operators < Operators > Operators ≤ Operators ≥ Operators = Operators ≠ Concatenation Logical operators (AND, OR, NOT) Logical operators AND Logical operators OR Logical operators NOT Conditional loop Fixed loop Indentation Data flow Local variable Global variable Parameter passing Sub-programs Pre-defined functions (with parameters) Random Algorithm Linear search Meaningful identifiers Internal commentary White space Normal test data Exceptional test data Extreme test data Execution error Logic error Syntax error Dry run Trace table Breakpoints Watchpoints TESTING EVALUATION Usability Maintainability Robustness bug debug
File File size Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) Processor Registers Central processing unit (CPU) Control unit Chip Random Access Memory (RAM) Read Only Memory (ROM) Cache memory Data bus Address bus Control bus Memory location Clock speed Compiler Interpreter Fetch-execute cycle Computer architecture HARDWARE SOFTWARE Binary Denary Graphic representation Bit-mapped graphic Vector graphics Pixel Resolution Two's complement Float / Floating point representation Mantissa Exponent
Website Website structure Wireframe Cascading style sheets (CSS) Compression HTML HTML Elements HTML tags Anchor <a> Body <body> DIV <div> Head <head> Heading <h> IMG <img> List <li> Ordered list <ol> Unordered list <ul> Title <title> Paragraph <p> Form element <form> Navigation <nav> Javascript Selectors Descendant selectors Float (HTML) Margin Padding Usability Hyperlink Browser Absolute addressing Relative addressing
Database Relational databases Primary key Foreign key Compound key One-to-one One-to-many Many-to-many Fields Field length Record Entity Attribute Entity-relationship diagram Entity-occurrence diagram Data dictionary Validation Presence check Range check Length check Restricted choice Accuracy of output Referential integrity SQL statement SQL query DELETE statement GROUP BY clause INSERT statement ORDER BY clause SELECT statement UPDATE statement WHERE clause Aliases Wildcard
micro:bit MakeCode micro:bit action MakeCode advanced language

A to Z of Computer Science Signs

Absolute addressing Accuracy of output Address bus Agile methodologies Algorithm Aliases Anchor <a> Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) Assignment Attribute
Binary Bit-mapped graphic Body <body> Boolean Boundaries Breakpoints Browser bug
Cache memory Cascading style sheets (CSS) Central processing unit (CPU) Character Chip Clock speed CODE CODING Compiler Compound key Compression Computer Computer architecture Computing Science Concatenation Conditional loop Conditional statement Control bus Control unit
DATA Database Data bus Data dictionary Data flow Data structures Data type debug DELETE statement Denary Descendant selectors DIV <div> Dry run
End-user / End-user requirements Entity Entity-occurrence diagram Entity-relationship diagram EVALUATION Exceptional test data Execution error Exponent Extreme test data
Fetch-execute cycle Field length Fields File File size Fixed loop Float Float (HTML) Float / Floating point representation Flowchart Foreign key Form element <form> Functional requirements
Global variable Graphic representation GROUP BY clause
HARDWARE Head <head> Heading <h> HTML HTML Elements HTML tags Hyperlink
IMG <img> Implementation Indentation Inputs INSERT statement Integer Internal commentary Interpreter Iteration / Iterative development
Javascript
Length check Linear search List <li> Local variable Logical operators (AND, OR, NOT) Logical operators AND Logical operators NOT Logical operators OR Logic error
Maintainability MakeCode MakeCode advanced language Mantissa Many-to-many Margin Meaningful identifiers Memory location micro:bit micro:bit action
Navigation <nav> Normal test data
1-D Array One-to-many One-to-one Operators = Operators < Operators ≤ Operators > Operators ≥ Operators ≠ ORDER BY clause Ordered list <ol> OUT OF SCOPE Outputs
Padding Paragraph <p> Parameter passing Pixel Pre-defined functions (with parameters) Presence check Primary key Process Processor Programming Pseudocode
Random Access Memory (RAM) Random Range check Read Only Memory (ROM) Real Record Referential integrity Refinements Registers Relational databases Relative addressing Resolution Restricted choice Robustness
Scope Selection construct Selectors SELECT statement SOFTWARE SQL query SQL statement String Structure diagram Sub-programs Syntax error
TESTING Title <title> Trace table Two's complement
Unordered list <ul> UPDATE statement Usability User-interface
Validation Variable Vector graphics
Watchpoints Waterfall Website Website structure WHERE clause White space Wildcard Wireframe

Media coverage

"Introducing new sign language terms for 'micro:bit' and 'MakeCode'" micro:bit Educational Foundation, 18th September 2026.