Lecture1:

Introduction to Programming and

Problem Solving

Daniel Chen
Topics
1. Computer Operations
2. What is programming?
3. What are the steps of program
development?
4. What is structured programming
5. Data and data structures
Six Basic Computer Operations
1. A computer can receive (input) data
2. A computer can store data in memory
3. A computer can perform arithmetic and manipulate
text strings
4. A computer can compare the contents of two
memory locations and select one of two
alternatives
5. A computer can repeat a group of operations
6. A computer can output information (processed
data)

Computer Operations

What is Programming
Program a very specific set of instructions (or
command lines) that making a computer do what
you want it to do

Programming the process of creating a program
the development of a solution to an identified program,
and setting up of a related series of instructions which,
when directed through computer hardware, will
produce the desired results
Steps in program development
1. Define the problem
2. Outline the solution
3. Develop the outline into an algorithm
4. Test the algorithm for correctness
5. Code the algorithm into a specific
programming language
6. Run the program on the computer
7. Document and maintain the program
Define the Problem
Divide the problem into three components
(called IPO):
Inputs what do you have?
Outputs what do you want to have?
Processing
how do you go from inputs to outputs?
A defining diagram is recommended

Outline the Solution
The major processing steps involved
The major subtasks (if any)
The major control structures (e.g. repetition loops)
The major variables and record structures
The mainline logic

Develop the Outline into an
Algorithm
Algorithm is a set of precise steps that
describe exactly the tasks to be performed,
and the order in which they are to be carried
out
Pseudocode (a form of structured English)
is used to represent the solution algorithm
Test the Algorithm for
Correctness
The main purpose of desk checking the algorithm
is to identify major logic errors early, so that they
may be easily corrected
Test data needs to be walked through each step in
the algorithm, to check that the instructions
described in the algorithm will actually do what
they are supposed to

Code the Algorithm into a
Specific Programming Language
Only after all design considerations have been met
should you actually start to code the program into
your chosen programming language (e.g. Visual
Basic, Java, C++)

Run the Program on the
Computer
This step uses a program compiler and
programmer-designed test data to machine test the
code for syntax errors
Program complier translate high-level languages
(e.g. VB) to low-level machine language before
execution
Document and Maintain the
Program
Not the last step in the program development
process
An ongoing task from the initial definition of the
problem to the final test result
Involves both external documentation (such as
hierarchy charts) and internal documentation that
may have been coded in the program
Example 1: Circle
Calculate the circumference and area
IPO
I: radius
P: calculate circumference and area as
circumference = 2 * P I* radius
area=PI * radius ^ 2
O: radius, circumference, area
Circle (Pseudocode)
Begin program
get radius, PI
circumference = 2 * P I* radius
area=PI * radius * radius
display circumference, area
End program

Example 2: Payroll Problem
I: time cards, pay rate, deductions
P: calculate gross pay, calculate net pay
hours worked = end time start time
gross pay = hours worked * pay rate
net pay = gross pay - deductions
O: payroll records (gross pay, deductions
net pay)
Payroll problem (cont.)
Subtasks
Deductions include required (taxes) and optional (staff benefits)
Gross pay may include vacation time, sick time, personal time.
Major control structures
Repeat payroll processing for all employees
Major variables
Employee {pretty much} static data
Name, address, department,
Employee non-static historical data
Year to date earnings,
Employee current data
Hours worked, vacation hours, sick hours,
Global data
Tax tables [federal & state] , tax cutoffs
Payroll Problem Pseudocode
(assuming deductions are given)

Begin program
Read Start_time, End_time, Pay_rate, Deductions
Hours_worked = End_time Start_time
Gross_pay = Hours_worked * Pay_rate
Net_Pay = Gross_pay Deductions
Display Gross_pay, Deductions, Net_pay
End program

Structured Programming
Top-Down
outline a general solution to the problem first
start coding at the beginning of the problem and work
systematically through each step until reaching the end
Modular
keep things together that belong together
e.g. calculating sales tax or printing report headings
Three control structures
Sequence (one after another)
Selection (making decisions/choices)
Repetition (doing things over and over)
Sequence
The straightforward execution of one processing
step after another
pseudocode statements
statement a
statement b
statement c
Example of Sequence in VB
Private Sub CmdTotlasales_Click()

Numbercontracts = CInt(TxtTotalContracts.Text)
Pricecontracts = CCur(TxtContractPrice.Text)
Totalrevenue = Numbercontracts * Pricecontracts
TxtTotalSales.Text =
FormatCurrency(Totalrevenue, 2)

End Sub
Selection
Pseudocode statements:
IF condition p is true THEN
statement(s) in true case
ELSE
statement(s) in false case
ENDIF
If condition p is true then the statement or
statements in the true case will be executed, and
the statements in the false case will be skipped
Example of Selection in VB
If strGrade = A then
sngGradePoint = 4.0
Elseif strGrade = B then
sngGradePoint = 3.0
Elseif strGrade = C then
sngGradePoint = 2.0
Elseif strGrade = D then
sngGradePoint = 1.0
Else
sngGradePoint = 0.0
End If

Repetition
A set of instructions to be performed repeatedly,
as long as a condition is true
Pseudocode statements:
DOWHILE condition p is true
statement block
ENDDO


Example of Repetition
Add up all odds between 1 to 20
1 + 3 + 5 + 7 + 9 + + 19 = ?
Humans way
1 + 3 =4
4 + 5 = 9
9 + 7 = 16

81 + 19 = 100
Example of Repetition (Cont)
Computers way
Private Sub CmdCalcSum_Click()
intSum = 0
intCounter = 1
Do while intCounter <= 20
intSum = intSum + intCounter
intCounter = intCounter + 2
Loop
End sub
Data
Variable
the name given to a collection of memory cells,
designed to store a particular data item
the value stored in that variable may change or vary as
the program executes
Constant
a data item with a name and a value that remain the
same during the execution of the program (e.g. 8, 10)
Literal
a constant whose name is the written representation of
its value (e.g. 8, 10)
Data type
Integers
whole numbers
Real
Numbers with a decimal point
Two choices in VB: single and double
Character
Boolean
True or False
Data Structures
(also called data aggregates)
Record
One set of related data
A time card; an invoice
File
A set of related records
Array
A collection of data that have same data type
String
An array of characters
Hello Daniel Chen