COMPUTER PROGRAMMING Week 2

Basics Of Computer Programming For

Beginners

What Is Computer Programming?

Computer Programming is a set of instructions that helps the developer to perform certain
tasks that return the desired output for the valid inputs.
Given below is a Mathematical Expression.
Z = X + Y, where X, Y, and Z are the variables in a programming language.
If X = 550 and Y = 450, the value of X and Y are the input values that are called literals.
We ask the computer to calculate the value of X+Y, which results in Z, i.e. the expected
output.

How Do Computers Work?

A computer is a machine that processes information and this information can be any data
that is provided by the user through devices such as keyboards, mouse, scanners, digital
cameras, joysticks, and microphones. These devices are called Input Devices and the
information provided is called input.
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The computer requires storage to store this information and the storage is called Memory.
Computer Storage or Memory is of Two Types.
 Primary Memory or RAM (Random Access Memory): This is the internal storage
that is used in the computers and is located on the motherboard. RAM can be
accessed or modified quickly in any order or randomly. The information that is stored
in RAM is lost when the computer is turned off.
 Secondary Memory or ROM (Read-Only Memory): Information (data) stored in
ROM is read-only, and is stored permanently. The ROM stored instruction is
required to start a computer.

Processing: Operations done on this information (input data) is called Processing. The
Processing of input is done in the Central Processing Unit which is popularly known
as CPU.

Output Devices: These are the computer hardware devices that help in converting
information into human-readable form. Some of the output devices include Visual Display
Units (VDU) such as a Monitor, Printer, Graphics Output devices, Plotters, Speakers, etc.

A developer can analyze the problem and come up with simple steps to achieve a solution
to this problem, for which he/she uses a programming algorithm. This can be compared to a
recipe for a food item, where ingredients are inputs and finished delicacy is the output
required by the client.
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In the development environment, the products, software, and solutions can be designed as
scenarios, use cases, and data flow diagrams.

Based on the client’s requirements, the solution required could be desktop, web or mobile-
based.