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Learn about the purpose of professional bodies and IT industry certification. Based on the 2016 OCR Cambridge Technicals Level 3 IT specification. 4.6 & 4.7 - Bodies & Certification Exam Board: OCR Specification: 2016 - Unit 1 What is a professional body? A professional body is an organisation that seeks to develop and support workers in a certain profession. Professional bodies will share best practice , help people starting in the profession and support any role-related learning . In the UK a popular professional body is the British Computer Society (BCS) - also known as the Chartered Institute for IT - with over 65,000 members. What is industry certification? Professional bodies exist to provide trainees with industry certification . Industry certifications are qualifications in different areas of expertise so applicants are trained with up-to-date knowledge and skills . Two popular organisations that administer industry certifications in America are Cisco and CompTia . Cisco's website claims that they provide "certifications for all experience levels covering topics in networking , security , collaboration , and more. Cisco's certification program can meet you where you are on your learning journey and take you to where you want to go." Advantages of Industry Certification Disadvantages of Industry Certification Develop IT skills: Trainees develop experience and competency in areas relevant to actual jobs. Access resources: Trainees are part of a network of like-minded professionals with access to help from experts . P rofessional development opportunities: Trainees are invited to special events and seminars to ensure skills remain up-to-date . Cost: Training for industry certification can cost hundreds or even thousands of pounds and is often self-funded . No guarantees: Earning a certificate doesn't guarantee you a better job or more money. Time and dedication: Like other qualifications, classroom activities or online learning must be completed. Exams must be passed at the end of the course. Many organisations now require IT employees to have earned relevant industry certifications . This is so that the organisation can be confident that the employee has been appropriately trained and will have gained experience at the required level for the certification. The employee should be able to demonstrate technical knowledge as a result of gaining the certification. Q uesto's Q uestions 4.6 & 4.7 - Bodies & Certification: 1a. What is a professional body ? [1 ] 1b. State 3 roles of a professional body . [3 ] 2. What are industry certifications ? [2 ] 3. Describe 3 advantages and 3 disadvantages of an IT worker earning industry certifications . [2 each ] 4. Why do many IT organisations require its employees to have earned industry certifications ? [4 ] 4.5 - Job Roles Topic List 5.1 - Ethical Issues

Learn about why testing is needed, types of testing, types of test data and types of error. Based on the J277 OCR GCSE Computer Science specification (first taught from 2020 onwards). 3.2: Testing Exam Board: OCR Specification: J277 Watch on YouTube : Purpose of Testing Types of Error Test Data The main purpose of testing is to ensure that a program works correctly no matter what input has been entered by the user. Other reasons to test a program include ensuring the user requirements have been met , errors have been removed and the program doesn't crash while running . Types of Testing Iterative Testing Iterative testing takes place during program development . The programmer develops a module , tests it and repeats this process until the module works as expected . Final Testing Final testing, also known as terminal testing , takes place after development and before the program is released to the end user. This testing takes place once all modules have been individually tested to ensure the whole program works as originally expected. Programming Errors Syntax Error Logical Error A syntax error is a mistake in the grammatical rules of the programming language , such as an incorrect spelling of a command word. A syntax error will prevent the program from being compiled and executed . Examples: Incorrect Spelling: pront ( "hello" ) Incorrect punctuation: print ( "hello" ( A logic error is a mistake made by the programmer - the program runs without crashing but will display the wrong output . Examples: Incorrect calculation: total = num1 - num2 print (total) Incorrect variable printed: age = 16 name = "Steve" print ( "Nice to meet you" , age) Test Data Test data is used to test whether a program is functioning correctly . It should cover a range of possible and incorrect inputs , each designed to prove a program works or to highlight any flaws . Four types of test data are: Normal data - Sensible data that the program should accept and be able to process . Boundary data - Data at the extreme boundary of any data ranges. Invalid data - Data of the correct data type that does not meet the validation rules (e.g. outside of the range). It should not be accepted . Erroneous data - Data of the wrong data type that the program cannot process and should not accept . Q uesto's Q uestions 3.2 - Testing: 1. Give 3 reasons why programs are tested . [ 3 ] 2. What is the difference between iterative and final testing ? [ 2 ] 3a. What is a syntax error ? Give an example . [ 2 ] 3b. What is a logical error ? Give an example . [ 2 ] 4. State and describe the four types of test data . [ 6 ] 3.1 - Defensive Design Theory Topics 4.1 - Boolean Logic

Learn about the purpose of Green IT, the benefits for an organisation following its practice and methods of use. Based on the 2016 OCR Cambridge Technicals Level 3 IT specification for Unit 2 (Global Information). 4.3 - Green IT Exam Board: OCR Specification: 2016 - Unit 2 What is 'Green IT'? ‘Green IT ’ is to use computers and IT resources in an efficient and environmentally responsible way to reduce an organisation’s carbon footprint . To 'reduce carbon footprint ' means to decrease the amount of pollution (such as CO2 ) produced by an organisation and to engage in more eco-friendly practice. Examples of Green IT Practice Global Requirements of Green IT United Nations Climate Change conferences occur every year and are attended by leaders of each country in the United Nations. The conferences establish obligations for countries to work towards reducing their carbon footprints and emissions of greenhouse gases . Whilst Green IT is not specifically mentioned in these talks, IT is a hugely important sector with large annual emissions that need to be reduced to meet the climate change limitations, such as the Paris Agreement. In the UK, the Greening Government ICT Strategy (running between 2011 and 2015) was an annual report that investigated how IT use could become 'greener' within the government . Positive consequences of this strategy included: Using more cloud storage technology , enabling fewer individual storage devices to be purchased, reducing emissions . Using social media more widely to contact voters - saving money by posting fewer letters and leaflets. Increasing the use of teleconferencing and video calls - reducing the need for unnecessary travel to meetings and avoiding the generation of heavy pollution. Q uesto's Q uestions 4.3 - Green IT: 1. What is meant by the term 'Green IT '. [3 ] 2a. Explain four ways that an organisation can follow good green IT practice . [4 ] 2b. Describe two reasons why it is beneficial to a company of following Green IT . [4 ] 3a. Why are the United Nations Climate Change conferences important ? [2 ] 3b. Describe two ways that the UK government have used Green IT . [4 ] Turn off computers , monitors and other connected devices when not in use . Adjust power options to help minimise power consumption. Use cloud storage or virtualisation to reduce the number of physical devices being bought, powered and maintained. Repair older devices rather than throwing them away. Consider if it is necessary to print a document before doing so and print only what is required . Recycle ink cartridges and paper . Donate older equipment to charities or schools for reuse . Why use Green IT? It is in an organisation's best interests to use Green IT practices for the following reasons: To become more sustainable by reducing the company's carbon footprint and positively impacting the environment . Reducing energy costs (e.g. by turning equipment off when not in use) and saving money . Improving the public image of the organisation as people are increasingly environmentally conscious and will prefer to do business with a company that follows environmentally-friendly policies. 4.2 - Global Legislation Topic List 5.1 - Data Types & Sources

Learn about the six programming errors - syntax, runtime (execution), linking, logical, rounding and truncation. Based on the 2020 Eduqas (WJEC) GCSE specification. 10.3: Programming Errors Exam Board: Eduqas / WJEC Specification: 2020 + Syntax Error A syntax error is a mistake in the grammar or spelling of the program. A syntax error will prevent the program from being compiled . Examples: Incorrect Spelling: pront ( "hello" ) Incorrect punctuation: print ( "hello" ( Execution (Runtime) Error An execution error is when the program unexpectedly stops as a result of an operation during execution . Examples: Dividing by zero: 400 / 0 Reading too far in a file: #There are 50 lines in the file line = file.readlines( ) print ( line [100] ) Logical Error Linking Error A logical error is a mistake made by the programmer - the program still works but displays the wrong output . Examples: Truncation Error Rounding Error A linking error occurs when a compiler can’t find a sub procedure (e.g. the random library in Python) that has been used. The programmer might have declared it incorrectly or forgotten to link (import) it . Examples: Spelling an import command incorrectly: import ramdon number = random.randint(1,10) Requesting a function without linking: number = random.randint(1,10) Incorrect calculation: total = num1 - num2 print (total) Incorrect variable printed: age = 16 name = "Steve" print ( "Nice to meet you" , age) A rounding error is when the program rounds a real number to a fixed number of decimal places. This results in losing some value as the number becomes less accurate . Examples: Rounding up: 80.87 = 80.9 (Inaccurate by 0.03) Rounding down: 63.4 = 63 (Inaccurate by 0.4) A truncation error is when the program truncates a real number to a fixed number of decimal places . This results in losing some value as the number becomes less accurate . Examples: Truncation to 2 decimal places: 92.13787 = 92.13 (Inaccurate by 0.00787) Truncation to 1 decimal place: 25.199876 = 25.1 (Inaccurate by 0.099876) Q uesto's Q uestions 10.3 - Programming Errors: 1. Describe and give an example of each type of error: a. Syntax Error [ 3 ] b. Execution (Runtime) Error [ 3 ] c. Logical Error [ 3 ] d. Linking Error [ 3 ] e. Rounding Error [ 3 ] f. Truncation Error [ 3 ] 2. State the error that will occur for each scenario: [1 each ] a. A command word (such as for or print) has been misspelt. b. The average speed is 120.3856 but only 120.3 is displayed. c. The cost of a meal is £47 but £40 is displayed. d. A program uses a subroutine that has not been imported. e. The height of a dog is 33.38cm but 33.4cm is displayed. f. The user wants to read line 9 of a file that only has 6 lines. g. The user's age is printed instead of their name. h. The programmer has typed print("hello"( i. A number is divided by 0. j. The program is asked to generate a random number but 'import random' has not be written. 10.2 - Stages of Compilation Theory Topics 11.1 - Impacts of Technology

Learn how to comment in Python. Try practice tasks and learn through text and images. Perfect for students learning GCSE Computer Science in UK schools. top Python 1b - Commenting Writing Comments To annotate your work, you can write a comment using the # symbol. Comments are ignored when you run the program and they are not printed . #This is a comment! print ( "Welcome to Python!" ) #The code above prints a nice greeting = Welcome to Python! Programmers use comments to explain to other people (and themselves) what different sections of code do . With massive programs, comments are vital; otherwise, it would be too confusing, especially after returning from a few weeks or months on a different project. If you are creating a Python project for school (or A-Level Computer Science coursework), you will need comments to explain your code and prove you have written it yourself. Comments over Multiple Lines Have a lot to say in one comment? Use three apostrophes ( ”’ ) at the start and three more at the end of your comment like below: '''This is a comment that I have spread out over more than one line''' print ( "Hello! How are you?" ) Top Tip: Use multi-line comments when testing a program to ‘blank out’ sections that you know work fine and only focus on one part at a time. Commenting Task 1 (Day of the Week & Weather) On line 1 write a single-line comment ( use # ) to state that your program will print the day of the week. On line 2 print the current day of the week. On lines 3, 4 and 5 write a multi-line comment (use ''' ) about the weather today. Remember comments won't be printed so only the day of the week should be output. Example solution: Wednesday ⬅ 1a - Pri nting 1c - Crea ting Variables ➡

Learn about the tools of an integrated development environment (IDE) including the editor, error diagnostics and run-time environment. Based on the J277 OCR GCSE Computer Science specification (first taught from 2020 onwards). Exam Board: OCR Specification: J277 5.2: Integrated Development Environment Watch on YouTube : IDE Tools An IDE (Integrated Development Environment ) provides programmers with the following facilities (tools ) to help create programs : Editor The editor is software that allows a programmer to enter and edit source code . Editor features may include: Automatic formatting (e.g. automatic indentation). Automatic line numbering (this helps to identify exactly where an error has occurred). Automatic colour coding (e.g. Python IDLE turns loop commands orange and print commands purple). Statement completion (e.g. offering to auto-complete a command as the user is typing.) Error Diagnostics & Debugger Break point The programmer selects a specific line and the program displays the variable values at that point . The code can then be executed one line at a time to find exactly where the error occurs. This process is called single-stepping . Variable Watch / Watch Window cost Displays the current value of a selected variable . A variable can be watched line-by-line to see how the value changes . Trace Logs the values of variables and outputs of the program a s the code is executed line by line . Both tools are used to display information about an error when it occurs, such as the line it occurred on and the error type (e.g. syntax ). These tools may also suggest solutions to help the programmer to find and fix the error . Compilers & Interpreters Both tools convert the source code written by a programmer into machine code to be executed by the CPU. A compiler converts the entire source code into executable machine code at once . After compilation, the program can be run again without having to recompile each time. An interpreter converts source code into machine code line by line . An interpreter must reinterpret the code each time the program is required to run . See 5.1 for both types of translators. A runtime environment allows a program to run on a computer system. It checks for runtime errors and allows users to test the program . A runtime error occurs as the program is being executed , such as dividing a number by zero . A commonly used example is the Java Runtime Environment . This allows programmers to design a program on one platform ( using the programming language Java ) which allows the finished program to then be run on many others systems . A runtime environment enables the tools above such as a trace and breakpoint to be used. Run Time Environment Q uesto's Q uestions 5.2 - Integrated Development Environment: 1. Describe the purpose of each type of IDE tool : a. Editor b. Interpreter c. Compiler d. Error Diagnostics / Debugger e. Break point f. Variable Watch / Watch Window g. Trace h. Runtime Environment [ 2 each ] 5.1 - Languages & Translators Theory Topics

Learn about the motherboard and the components that are connected to this important piece of computer hardware. The Motherboard What is a motherboard? The motherboard is the main circuit board of a computer that links all other components together. Components can communicate by sending signals and data across pathways called buses . Some components, like the CPU and RAM , are directly installed in special sockets on the motherboard . There are expansion slots for further components like a graphics card . What is connected to the motherboard? Central Processing Unit Random Access Memory Graphics Processing Unit Read Only Memory Cache Memory Sound Card Hard Disk Drive Power Supply Unit What is a motherboard's form factor? Form factor relates to the motherboard's size , shape and how many components it can fit . The three most common form factors are compared below: ATX Micro ATX Mini ITX Standard Small Very Small 32 GB 64 GB 128 GB 7 4 1 Size Max RAM Expansion Card Slots GB stands for gigabytes What ports does a motherboard have? The motherboard contains several ports on the back panel , allowing cables to be connected to input or output data . Below are some of the common ports : USB (Type-A) Connects input devices like keyboards and mice or storage devices like a USB memory stick. USB (Type-C) A newer type of USB that is faster and commonly used to charge devices or transfer data. Ethernet Allows a device to connect to a wired network, most commonly to a router, for internet access. HDMI Connects to a monitor or TV to show the computer's audio and visual output. KS3 Home

The third part of a quick guide to the basics of Python aimed at Key Stage 3 students. Learn about creating and using inputs. Python - #3 - Inputs 1. Asking Questions Input means to enter data into a program. Use the input command to ask a question. You must save the answer into a suitably named variable using the = symbol. Task 1 - Create a new Python program and save the file as 3-Inputs.py Use the picture to help you ask what someone's name is. Run the program and type your name. When you run the program (F5) you can type your answer on any question line in the Python Shell . 2. Asking more Questions There is no limit to how many questions you can ask in Python. It is the most important way to interact with the user of your program. Task 2 - Ask two more questions on topics of your choice. 3. Using Variables in a Sentence When we have printed the answers so far, they have not been very informative! You can print variables together with sentences so that they mean more. Use a comma ( , ) between variables and sentences . Task 3 - Use the pictures to help you add commas and sentences to your program to be more informative. BONUS: After I took the screenshot of my code I added in print lines in the two blanks spaces that print a line of dashes. Try to do the same to make your program easier to read. 4. Using Integers An integer is a whole number . When you are asking a question that you know will have a number for an answer , you need to add int ( before your input. Don't forget to add double close brackets at the end of the question line ! Task 4 - Underneath your previous questions (don't delete anything) ask 2 questions that will have numbers for answers. You must use int ( - see the image for help. Challenge Programs Use everything that you have learned on this page to help you create these programs... Challenge Task 1 - Funny Food Create a new Python program. Save it as ' 3-FunnyFood.py ' Add a comment at the top with your name and the date. Create a program that asks two questions, one for their favourite colour and one for their favourite food. Print a funny sentence using both of their answers. BONUS : Try to use only one print line. Remember: Break up variables in a print line by using commas. When you run it, it could look something like this: Challenge Task 2 - Trivia Question Create a new Python program. Save is as ' 3-Trivia.py ' Add a comment at the top with your name and the date. Create a program that asks the user a trivia question of your choice. Print the correct answer AND their answer. BONUS : Use only one print line. BONUS : Try to use only two lines in total . Remember: Break up variables in a print line by using commas. When you run it, it could look something like this: Challenge Task 3 - Getting to School Create a new Python program. Save it as ' 3-School.py ' Add a comment at the top with your name and the date. Create a program that asks two questions, one for how they get to school and one for how long it takes. Don't forget - use int( and then double close brackets for a number! Print an appropriate response that uses both of their answers. BONUS : Use two separate input lines. BONUS : Try to use only one print line . Remember: Break up variables in a print line by using commas. When you run it, it could look something like this: <<< #2 Variables #4 Calculations >>>

Learn about legislation that covers a wider geographic area including the UNCRPD. Based on the 2016 OCR Cambridge Technicals Level 3 IT specification for Unit 2 (Global Information). 4.2 - Global Legislation Exam Board: OCR Specification: 2016 - Unit 2 Data Protection Outside of the UK Personal data should not be transferred outside of the UK unless the country receiving the data has adequate data protection laws that match the Data Protection Act (2018) / GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation ). GDPR was introduced in all European Union (EU ) countries in 2018. This set of regulations ensure that personal data is protected and can be sent between EU countries. However, many other countries only have partially adequate data protection laws (such as the USA and Canada) whilst many nations have inadequate or no laws regarding data protection. Click the map button to visit CNIL's website and see exactly which countries have adequate, inadequate and no data protection laws. UNCRPD UNCRPD stands for United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities . This is a United Nations human right that states disabled people should be able to 'access information systems' (article 9) and 'use digital means to express their opinion' (article 21). Methods of complying with this convention include: Personal data can be sent between European countries (such as the UK) and the United States because of a protection scheme which was known as the 'Safe Harbour ' scheme (between 2000 and 2015) and the 'EU-US Privacy Shield ' (between 2015 and 2020). This provided protection to European data in the US and required both companies engaged in data transaction to sign up to the scheme before personal data could be transferred. The companies must have been assessed as responsible for the security of the data. The scheme was stopped in July 2020 because the European Court of Justice argued it did not adequately protect the personal data of Europeans from government access. Using < alt> text on images so that text-to-speech software can describe the image aloud, for the visually impaired . The tag can be added to the HTML code of an image on a website and will be audibly spoken by specialist reading software. This image contains alt text that can't be seen by a typical viewer but will be read aloud by screen reading software. Accessibility settings . Websites could allow users to change the font size and style or change the background colour to make text easier to read . Wikipedia presents some articles to be listened to if the user is unable to read them. Example Text Example Text Example Text Example Text Q uesto's Q uestions 4.2 - Global Legislation: 1a. What is the problem with transferring data outside of the UK ? [2 ] 1b. Why can personal data be transferred between European countries ? [2 ] 2. Open the CNIL map (use the link on this page and click on a specific country to see its name) and state: Four countries in the EU Two countries with partially adequate protection Two countries with an authority and law (dark purple) Two countries with laws only (light purple) Four countries with no data protection laws [7 ] 3a. What is UNCRPD and why is it important ? [3 ] 3b. Describe what alt text is used for. [2 ] 3c. State three accessibility settings that could affect how easy text is to read . [3 ] EU-US Privacy Shield 4.1 - UK Legislation Topic List 4.3 - Green IT

Learn how to create variables in Python. Try practice tasks and learn through text and images. Perfect for students learning GCSE Computer Science in UK schools. top Python 1c - Creating Variables What is a Variable? A variable represents a value that can change as a program is running . The two parts of a variable are the name (e.g. sweets) and the value (e.g. 8). sweets = 8 print (sweets) = 8 amount of sweets = 8 8sweets = 8 sweets A variable can't contain spaces , it must start with a letter , and you must declare its value before you can use or print it. You always need to print the variable name (e.g. biscuits), not the value (20) as the value can change. Important – When writing variable names, we do not need speech marks. (e.g. type biscuits , not “biscuits”) We use variables because the value of something might change as the program is executed. For example, if someone eats a sweet then the value of our variable changes: sweets = 8 print (sweets) sweets = 7 print (sweets) = 8 7 sweets = 8 print ( Sweets) You must be consistent with capital letters when writing variable names. sweets and Sweets are treated as two different variables. Creating Variables Task 1 ( Age & Pets) Make a variable named age and set it to your current age. On the next line print age . Make another variable named pets and set it to how many pets you have. On the next line print pets . Example solution: 14 2 Variables with Strings (Text) In programming, a collection of alphanumeric characters (letters, numbers and punctuation) is called a string . "Pikachu" is a string. In the example below, pokemon is the variable name that represents the variable value "Pikachu" . pokemon = "Pikachu" print (pokemon) = Pikachu To create a string, we use "speech marks" . Numbers by themselves and variable names do not use speech marks. Each variable can only have one value at a time, but it can change throughout the program. pokemon = "Pikachu" print (pokemon) pokemon = "Squirtle" print (pokemon) = Pikachu Squirtle Creating Variables Task 2 ( Superhero & Colour ) Make a variable named superhero and set it to any of your choice, such as "Spider-Man" . Print the superhero variable on the next line. Make another variable named colour and set it to the colour related to your chosen superhero. Print the colour variable on the next line. Example solutions: Spider-Man Red The Hulk Green ⬅ 1b - Co mmenting 1d - Using Variables ➡

Learn about project planning tools such as the Arrow diagram, Critical Path Analysis (CPA)/Critical Path Method (CPM), Flowcharts, Gantt charts, PERT charts and SWOT (Strengths / Weaknesses / Opportunities / Threats) analysis. Based on Unit F160 (Fundamentals of Application Development) for the OCR Cambridge Advanced National in Computing (H029 / H129) (AAQ - Alternative Academic Qualification). Qualification: Cambridge Advanced National in Computing (AAQ) Unit: F160: Fundamentals of Application Development Certificate: Computing: Application Development (H029 / H129) 3.2 - Project Planning Tools Watch on YouTube : Project planning tools Arrow diagram Critical path analysis Flowcharts Gantt charts PERT charts SWOT analysis Project Planning Tools Project planning tools help to visualise the project by clearly showing tasks , timelines and dependencies . They also break down complex work into smaller , manageable steps and can be used to track progress and identify delays . Each tool suits different project needs and has its own advantages and disadvantages . Choosing the right tool makes planning more accurate , efficient and successful . Arrow Diagram The arrow diagram method is a project planning tool that represents tasks as arrows connected in sequence to show their order and dependencies . It helps identify the critical path . This is the longest sequence of dependent tasks that determines the project’s minimum completion time . This method is useful for visualising task relationships , spotting bottlenecks and showing the order of activities . Critical Path Analysis Critical path analysis ( CPA ), also known as the critical path method ( CPM ), is a project planning tool used to identify the critical path . This is the sequence of tasks that determines the shortest possible project duration . It highlights tasks that cannot be delayed without affecting the overall timeline . Critical path analysis helps prioritise resources , manage dependencies and minimise project delays . Flowcharts A flowchart is a diagram that represents a process or workflow using standard symbols and arrows to show the sequence of steps . It helps visualise decision points and actions and clearly highlights the flow of information or tasks . Flowcharts make complex processes easier to understand , communicate ideas to clients and troubleshoot potential problems . Gantt Charts A Gantt chart is a visual project management tool that displays tasks along a timeline , showing their start and end dates . It helps track task dependencies , overlaps and progress at a glance . Gantt charts are useful for coordinating work , meeting deadlines and ensuring all project stages are completed in order . PERT Charts A PERT ( program evaluation and review technique ) chart is a project planning tool that maps tasks , their dependencies and timelines in a network diagram . It uses three time estimates ( optimistic , most likely and pessimistic ) to calculate expected completion times for each task . PERT charts are especially useful for scheduling complex projects and identifying the critical path to meet deadlines . SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis is a strategic planning tool used to identify a project’s strengths , weaknesses , opportunities and threats . Strengths and weaknesses focus on internal factors ( controllable by the organisation ), while opportunities and threats look at external influences ( outside of the organisation's control ). It helps guide decision-making by highlighting advantages , weaknesses to address and potential risks or openings in the wider environment . Q uesto's Q uestions 3.2 - Project Planning Tools: 1. Define the term 'critical path ' and explain why it is calculated . [3 ] 2. Explain the S , W , O and T in SWOT analysis (not just what they stand for). [4 ] 3. Choose three project planning tools and describe the advantages and disadvantages of each . [ 12 ] Henry Gantt , an American engineer , created the Gantt chart in the 1910s . It has been used as a planning tool in many major projects , including building the Hoover Dam . D id Y ou K now? 3.1 - Planning Projects Topic List 4.1 - Gathering Client Requirements

Learn how to use App Inventor 2 to create simple programs. Try to complete the final task (7) on this page. Perfect for Key Stage 3 students to experiment with block coding, objects and properties. App Inventor Task 7 - Pop-up Blob The previous apps have been preparing you to make a longer and more complicated app. Now we will put together all of the skills you have learned to create a fun game. Check the video: Open App Inventor 2 (use the button below) and create a new project. You will need to log in with a Google account. App Inventor 2 Ready for a challenge? This is what the program looks like in Designer layout. To the left are the components with all their Properties correct. To the right are the Components names. Put the three labels and button inside a HorizontalArrangement from the Layout section of Palette . The Text for ScoreLabel is 'Score: 0'. The Text for TimeRemainingLabel is 'Time Remaining:'. The Text for SecondsLabel is '20'. Place an ImageSprite inside a Canvas (both from the Drawing and Animation section of Palette ). Download the blob image from the Basics page here and upload it as the Picture for the ImageSprite . Change to Blocks layout and drag a initialize global to block from Variables . Type 'Score' in the empty space to create a variable that we will use to track how many times the blob has been touched. Attach a 0 block from Math to start the score at 0. This big block of code uses some of the concepts which you have used before. Whenever the Blob is touched the variable Score is increased by 1. The X and Y coordinates of the Blob are changed by random numbers so it will appear in a random location on the screen. The bottom blocks change the ScoreLabel to show the current score. Every second that the timer ticks we want to check if the score is more than 1 (to check it hasn't reached 0). If it is more than 1 second then the time will count down by 1. In the else part you need to add the following: Set Blob Enabled to false . Set Blob Visible both to false . Set TimeRemainingLabel Visible to false . Set SecondsLabel Visible to false . When the Reset Button is clicked the score variable is changed to 0 and the Seconds label is rewritten to 0. Make sure you use the " " block from Text and not a block from Math. Inside the when ResetButton Click block you need to reverse the code you have added for the else block when the timer ticks: Set Blob Enabled to true . Set Blob Visible both to true . Set TimeRemainingLabel Visible to true . Set SecondsLabel Visible to true . Extra Step: Challenges 1. Large score display . If you watch the video at the top of the page again, you will see that when the time runs out (is less than 1) some of the labels turn invisible and the TextColour and FontSize of the ScoreLabel changes. Try to do the same in your app. Remember to reverse what you have done in the code for the reset button; otherwise, the labels will still be invisible! 2. Customise your game . Change the background of the Canvas to an image, change the blob to a different image and add a sound when the character is 'popped'. 3. *HARDER Challenge* Add a High Score Label . Follow these hints carefully and use the colours to help you. You need to initialize a new Variable called HighScore and set it to 0 . You also need to add a new HighScoreLabel and put it in your Horizontal Arrangement in Designer layout. Add an if then block in the else part of the When Timer Timer block you already have. If Score > HighScore then HighScore = Score . This will change the value of HighScore to the current Score if it is higher than the current high score. Remember to make the HighScoreLabel display the new HighScore . KS3 Home