This is a 6 credit internal external
This achievement standard involves using complex programming techniques to develop a computer program.
The programming language chosen must support the required data types, control structures, complex programming techniques, and have good commenting facilities
Click here to access the NZQA Digital Technology Achievement Standards page.
Achievement
Use complex programming techniques to develop a computer program
This involves you: | You can show this by: |
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writing code for a program that performs a specified task | |
using complex techniques in a suitable programming language | |
setting out the program code clearly and documenting the program with comments | |
testing and debugging the program to ensure that it works on a sample of expected cases |
Examples of complex programming techniques include:
Complex programming technique | Example / Explanation |
---|---|
programming or writing code for a graphical user interface (GUI) | |
reading from, or writing to, files or other persistent storage | |
object-oriented programming using class(es) and objects defined by the student | |
using types defined by the student | |
using third party or non-core API, library or framework | |
using complex data structures (e.g. stacks, queues, trees) |
Achievement with Merit
Use complex programming techniques to develop an informed computer program
This involves you: | You can show this by: |
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documenting the program with appropriate variable/module names and organised comments that describe code function and behaviour | |
following conventions for the chosen programming language | |
testing and debugging the program in an organised way to ensure that it works on a sample of both expected cases and relevant boundary cases |
Achievement with Excellence
Use complex programming techniques to develop a refined computer program
This involves you: | You can show this by: |
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ensuring that the program is a well-structured, logical response to the task | |
making the program flexible and robust | |
comprehensively testing and debugging the program |
Example ways of making a program flexible and robust include (but are not limited to):
Flexible and robust evidence | Example / Explanation |
---|---|
using actions, conditions, control structures and, methods, functions or procedures effectively | |
checking input data for validity | |
correctly handling expected, boundary and invalid cases | |
using constants, variables and derived values in place of literals |