Book Image

Computer Programming for Absolute Beginners

By : Joakim Wassberg
4 (1)
Book Image

Computer Programming for Absolute Beginners

4 (1)
By: Joakim Wassberg

Overview of this book

Learning how to code has many advantages, and gaining the right programming skills can have a massive impact on what you can do with your current skill set and the way you advance in your career. This book will be your guide to learning computer programming easily, helping you overcome the difficulties in understanding the major constructs in any mainstream programming language. Computer Programming for Absolute Beginners starts by taking you through the building blocks of any programming language with thorough explanations and relevant examples in pseudocode. You'll understand the relationship between computer programs and programming languages and how code is executed on the computer. The book then focuses on the different types of applications that you can create with your programming knowledge. You'll delve into programming constructs, learning all about statements, operators, variables, and data types. As you advance, you'll see how to control the flow of your programs using control structures and reuse your code using functions. Finally, you'll explore best practices that will help you write code like a pro. By the end of this book, you'll be prepared to learn any programming language and take control of your career by adding coding to your skill set.
Table of Contents (19 chapters)
1
Section 1: Introduction to Computer Programs and Computer Programming
6
Section 2: Constructs of a Programming Language
7
Chapter 5: Sequence – The Basic Building Block of a Computer Program
14
Section 3: Best Practices for Writing High-Quality Code
Appendix B: Dictionary
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
R
S
T
U
V
W

Software development process methodologies

Since the 1960s, different methodologies have been developed to help system developers be more productive, on target, and create higher quality code. Here, we will look at some of the more essential methodologies – some that are in use today and some that have been superseded by newer and more flexible ones.

Waterfall development

The waterfall development model is one that almost everyone loves to hate. We will look at it anyway, as many newer methodologies have been developed as a reaction to it.

The reason it is hated, is that it will not take changing requirements into account.

In the waterfall model, several defined steps are completed, one preceding the next. An example of these steps can be seen in the following diagram:

Figure 11.11 – The steps in the waterfall model

Figure 11.11 – The steps in the waterfall model

This is how the model works:

  1. First, we gather all the requirements needed for this application.
  2. After...