Programming for Computing 07 - 08

Chapter: Why do we do...
Module Admin   Contents, Index   Schedule  
1: Intro to VB    2: First Program and Projects    3: Variables, assignment, Strings    4: Type Conversion, InputBox, Constants    5:Built-in Functions    6: If - decisions    7: Loops - while, for    Example - find smallest    8: Scopes: local, global    9: Writing Procedures.Parameters, Functions   
10: Objects    11: Design    12: Testing    13: Graphics    14: Controls and events    15: Listboxes    16: Arrays    17: Files    18: The Command Line   

Appendices(links etc)   Additional Lectures    Tutorials (not in printed notes)     Selected solutions (not in printed notes)     Assignments    Additions and Errata   

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The  schedule page has info on what we will do each week.

All programs are made up of

  • data (e.g variables, lists, collections... )
  • control structures - sequence, selection (if), loops (while, for)
  • procedures - named sections of program
  • input/output - e.g message boxes, console I/O, radio buttons, checkboxes...
All languages have these facilities, though provided in a slightly different way.

In addition, we must think about the big picture of a program, and its typical life-cycle in industry. (The role of 'software engineering' is to study these issues in more detail than we do here.)

  • Large programs have a major design phase, prior to coding. We will practice this on smaller programs.
  • Programs are written once, but modifed many times in their life. It is worth making this future modification easier.
  • all programs must be tested thoroughly - not just with correct input data. This can take more time than it takes to code the program!

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