Variables and arrays
Syntax Explanation of syntax Example
SET Variable TO <value> Assigns a value to a SET Counter TO 0
variable. SET MyString TO ‘Hello world’
SET Variable TO <expression> Computes the value of an SET Sum TO Score + 10
expression and assigns to SET Size to LENGTH(Word)
a variable.
SET Array[index] TO <value> Assigns a value to an SET ArrayClass[1] TO ‘Ann’
element of a SET ArrayMarks[3]TO 56
one-dimensional array.
SET Array TO [<value>, …] Initialises a SET ArrayValues TO [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
one-dimensional array with
a set of values.
SET Array [RowIndex, Assigns a value to an SET ArrayClassMarks[2,4] TO 92
ColumnIndex] TO <value> element of a
two-dimensional array.
Selection
Syntax Explanation of syntax Example
IF <expression> THEN If <expression> is true IF Answer = 10 THEN
<command> then command is SET Score TO Score + 1
END IF executed. END IF
IF <expression> THEN If <expression> is true IF Answer = ‘correct’ THEN
<command> then first SEND ‘Well done’ TO DISPLAY
ELSE <command> is executed, ELSE
<command> otherwise second SEND ‘Try again’ TO DISPLAY
END IF <command> is executed. END IF
Repetition
Syntax Explanation of syntax Example
WHILE <condition> DO Pre-conditioned loop. WHILE Flag = 0 DO
<command> Executes SEND ‘All well’ TO DISPLAY
END WHILE END WHILE
<command> whilst
<condition> is true.
Pearson Edexcel International GCSE in Computer Science – Specification 1
Issue 1 – November 2016 © Pearson Education Limited 2016
REPEAT Post-conditioned loop. REPEAT
<command> Executes SET Go TO Go + 1
UNTIL <expression> UNTIL Go = 10
<command> until
<condition> is true. The
loop must execute at least
once.
REPEAT <expression> TIMES Count controlled loop. The REPEAT 100-Number TIMES
<command> number of times SEND ‘*’ TO DISPLAY
END REPEAT <command> is executed is END REPEAT
determined by the
expression.
FOR <id> FROM <expression> Count controlled loop. FOR Index FROM 1 TO 10 DO
TO Executes SEND ArrayNumbers[Index] TO
<expression> DO DISPLAY
<command> a fixed
<command> END FOR
number of times.
END FOR
FOR <id> FROM <expression> Count controlled loop using FOR Index FROM 1 TO 500 STEP
TO a step. 25 DO
<expression> STEP SEND Index TO DISPLAY
<expression> DO END FOR
<command>
END FOR
FOR EACH <id> FROM Count controlled loop. SET WordsArray TO [‘The’, ‘Sky’,
<expression> DO Executes for each element ‘is’, ‘grey’]
<command> of an array. SET Sentence to ‘‘
END FOREACH FOR EACH Word FROM
WordsUArray DO
SET Sentence TO Sentence &
Word & ‘ ‘
END FOREACH
Input/output
Syntax Explanation of syntax Example
SEND <expression> TO Sends output to the SEND ‘Have a good day.’ TO
DISPLAY screen. DISPLAY
RECEIVE <identifier> FROM Reads input of specified RECEIVE Name FROM (STRING)
(type) type. KEYBOARD
<device>
RECEIVE LengthOfJourney FROM
(INTEGER) CARD_READER
RECEIVE YesNo FROM
(CHARACTER) CARD_READER
File handling
2 Pearson Edexcel International GCSE in Computer Science – Specification
Issue 1 – November 2016 © Pearson Education Limited 2016
Syntax Explanation of syntax Example
READ <File> <record> Reads in a record from a READ MyFile.doc Record
<file> and assigns to a
<variable>.
Each READ statement
reads a record from the
file.
WRITE <File> <record> Writes a record to a file. WRITE MyFile.doc Answer1,
Answer2, ‘xyz 01’
Each WRITE statement
writes a record to the file.
Subprograms
Syntax Explanation of syntax Example
PROCEDURE <id> Defines a procedure. PROCEDURE CalculateAverage
(<parameter>, …) (Mark1, Mark2, Mark3)
BEGIN PROCEDURE BEGIN PROCEDURE
<command> SET Avg to (Mark1 + Mark2 +
END PROCEDURE Mark3)/3
END PROCEDURE
Subprograms
Syntax Explanation of syntax Example
FUNCTION <id> Defines a function. FUNCTION AddMarks (Mark1,
(<parameter>, Mark2, Mark3)
…) BEGIN BEGIN FUNCTION
FUNCTION SET Total to (Mark1 + Mark2 +
<command> Mark3)/3
RETURN <expression> RETURN Total
END FUNCTION END FUNCTION
<id> (<parameter>, …) Calls a procedure or a Add (FirstMark, SecondMark)
function.
Pearson Edexcel International GCSE in Computer Science – Specification 3
Issue 1 – November 2016 © Pearson Education Limited 2016
