Introduction to Subroutines (AQA GCSE Computer Science): Revision Note

Introduction to Subroutines

What is a subroutine? 

• Subroutines are an out of line block of code that may be called by simply writing their name in a program     

• Subroutines are given a unique name so they can be called anywhere in a program

• There are many benefits to using subroutines, these include

  • Making bigger problems easier to break down (decompose) and code

  • Allows team members to be able to work on different parts of a problem

  • Makes the program easier to debug

  • Makes programs more efficient as code is not duplicated

• More detailed information about subroutines can be found in the 'Structured Programming' section

Meaningful Identifiers

What are meaningful identifiers?

• Meaningful identifiers are sensible names used for variables, constants or subroutines

• A meaningful identifier must be used to help aid the maintainability of a program

• An example would be a variable used for an input of a users' first name

Examples of using subroutines