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

Translating code into something that the computer understands

The code that a programmer writes is called source code. As we saw in Chapter 1, Introduction to Computer Programs this code must be translated into machine code so that the computer can understand it. There are two main principles of how this translation is done. We will first explore these two concepts and look at their pros and cons before we look at a combination of these two concepts.

Interpreting

One way to carry out this translation is by using an interpreter. An interpreter will look at a single line of source code, translate it into machine code, let the computer execute this line, and then move on to the next line of code. The way the interpreter works is a bit like how a simultaneous translator works with human languages. A simultaneous translator will, for example, work for the UN. In the UN, everyone is entitled to speak in their native language. A group of translators listens to the talk, and as they...