The syllabus does not prescribe a single coding language for implementation of programs
but advocates a range of high level languages.
Students are required to be proficient in using at least one of the currently approved
languages but will not be asked to interpret or produce code as part of the external
assessment.
The languages chosen for inclusion in the approved list are ones which are generally
available and support structured programming concepts.
General language requirements
The programming language chosen must allow the students to:
• use numeric (integer and real), character and string data;
• use record and array data types including multi-dimensional arrays and arrays of records;
• use simple variables of type CHARACTER, REAL, INTEGER and STRING;
• use meaningful identifiers;
• use parentheses in creating expressions
• use the arithmetic operators of ADDITION, SUBTRACTION, MULTIPLICATION and
DIVISION;
• use string handling operations to extract characters from a string
• use the logical operators of AND, OR and NOT;
• use relational operators which provide the equivalents of the following functions:
EQUAL TO NOT EQUAL TO
GREATER THAN GREATER THAN OR EQUAL TO
LESS THAN LESS THAN OR EQUAL TO;
• use and create procedures (subprograms, subroutines) which may require parameters;
• input data from the keyboard and/or a data file;
• write output to the screen and/or a data file;
• use selection statements equivalent to:
(i) IF <condition TRUE > THEN
<statement sequence 1>
ELSE
<statement sequence 2>
ENDIF
(ii) CASE <control expression> OF
<case value list>
ENDCASE
• use repetition statements equivalent to:
(iii) REPEAT
<statement sequence>
UNTIL <condition TRUE>
(iv) WHILE <condition TRUE> DO
<statement sequence>
ENDWHILE
(v) FOR <control variable> taking <initial value> TO <final value> BY steps of 1 DO
<statement sequence>
ENDFOR
• include COMMENTS (REMARKS) in the code to document the program;
• include the use of a debugging facility such as single instruction stepping, trace and
breakpoints;
• allow the reading and writing of sequential and random files
• experience the use of both a compiler and an interpreter.
Appropriate Languages:
• Pascal, a structured version of BASIC.
