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

Syntax and the building blocks of a programming language

Just as human languages have grammar to dictate the rules of the language, a programming language has syntax. The syntax is the rules for how we write a program using a language. There is one big difference between grammar and syntax and that is about forgiveness for errors. If you meet someone who speaks your native language but makes some errors here and there, you will still be able to understand what that person is trying to communicate to you. That is not the case for the syntax of a programming language. It does not forgive at all, and you will need to get it spot on:

Figure 2.7: Humans understand each other even if the grammar is wrong

Figure 2.7: Humans understand each other even if the grammar is wrong

As we discussed earlier, the code we write will be translated by either a compiler or an interpreter, and for that translation to work, the syntax must be flawless.

Each programming language has its own syntax rules, but as we saw in the family tree earlier...