C Programming Language Quickstart Guide: Simplified Guide for Beginners
Programming for Beginners
description
Transcript of Programming for Beginners
Programming for Programming for BeginnersBeginners
Martin Nelson
Elizabeth FitzGerald
Lecture 1: Introduction: Program Structure & Java Syntax
Aims & objectives of this course
Write your own programmes in a procedural language
Understand basic concepts such as procedural logic, variables, flow control, input and output principles
Identify important programming concepts
Course website
Course materials, exercises and useful web links can be found at:
www.maths.nottingham.ac.uk/~pmzmn/GSTPFB.html
Session 1 - aims & objectives
Appreciate how computer programs are constructed
Understand the differences between: Compiled and interpreted languages Procedural and object-oriented languages
Find out the basics of Java programming Write a few simple programs making use of
statements, comments and basic arithmetic
Computer programmes
Set of instructions for the CPU “Switch settings” Machine language
Assembly language Mnemonics representing binary code Assembler
3rd generation languages “High level” languages Compiled or interpreted (or both!)
High Level Languages (3GL)
Examples: Fortran COBOL Pascal C C++ C# Java
Program construction
Computers are 'stupid' Mathematical and logical instructions are executed very
quickly and accurately They obediently but stupidly do what you tell them to –
not necessarily what you want them to! Tiny errors in a program can cause major problems when
it is executed
Careful planning is essential Flow charts are a useful tool to represent program
flow visually
Algorithms
Algorithm = how you go about solving a puzzle; your solution to a task
Example: how do you make a cup of tea?
In programming, you should plan your algorithm before you start coding
1. Boil kettle2. Put tea in cup
3. Pour boiling water into cup
Tea-making program – 1
Is kettle full?
Boil kettle
Pour boiling water into cup
Fill kettleNo
Yes
Put tea in cup
Elements of tea-making program
Fill kettle
Open tap
Wait
Is kettle full?
Yes
No
Close tap
Place kettle under tap
Has kettle boiled?
Pour water into cup
Boil kettle
Switch kettle on
Wait
No
Yes
Plug kettle into electrical socket
Tea-making program – 2
Is kettle full?No
Yes
Put tea in cup Pour boiling water into cup
Now for some jargon…
(… but don’t worry about this too much )
Compiled vs interpreted languages
Handy hint:If you’re not sure what these and other words mean, look at the ‘Glossary’ section of the course website
Compiled languages
Data storage
CPU/memory
Source code
Compiler
Machine code
Program execution
Interpreted languages
Data storage
CPU/memory
Source code
Interpreter
Machine code
Program execution
Compiled vs interpreted
Compiled Development more
cumbersome
Easy to distribute Machine code
generated at compile timee.g. most high-level languages
Interpreted Easy to develop
Distribution of interpreter required
Machine code generated at runtime
e.g. BASIC, LISP, Perl
The Java model
Java is an object-oriented high level language "write once, run anywhere" It is both compiled and interpreted Java source code has .java extension Source code is compiled to produce a .class file
(bytecode) – not human-readable Bytecode is interpreted by the Java VM (virtual
machine)
How Java works
Source code myprogram.java
Compiler
Bytecode myprogram.class
Program execution
Interpreter
Machine code
Data storage
CPU/memory
A bit more jargon…
(… nearly finished though )
Procedural vs object-oriented programmes
What is all this object-oriented stuff about?
Does it matter?
Does it mean anything?
Procedural vs object-oriented
Procedural Early high-level
languages Contain functions
(or sub-routines) written and used inside the main program
Cannot use external functions easily
Object-oriented (OO) Later high-level
languages Contain methods
(or functions) and variables that can be written in main or external programs
Can call external functions or variables easily
Some examples
Procedural Fortran COBOL
(old versions) Pascal C Perl
Object-oriented (OO) COBOL (latest
version) Delphi C++ C# Java Visual Basic Perl
What’s Java all about then?
NOT the same as JavaScript Java SDK consists of 2 components:
Java VM (Virtual Machine) Java API (Application Programming Interface)
+ accompanying documentation
If you alter your code you need to re-compile it before you can run the program
ONLY use Java version 2 and above (Java 1.2/Java 1.3/Java 1.4 etc)
On with the code!
Quick intro to using Java
Then YOU start to code your first Java program!
Writing your first Java program
Use a text editor to write the source code Save it as a .java file Compile it using Java SDK on Granby
You need to have a Granby account before you can start writing your programs – if you haven't you will need to apply for one as soon as possible!
'Hello world' program in Java
class myprog{
public static void main(String[] args){
System.out.println(“Hello world!”);
}
}
Be careful what you type!
If you type something wrong, your code will either give you an error or won’t work properly.
If you get an error, check the following: Capital letters are different to lower case – don’t
mix them up. { }, ( ) and [ ] all do different things – have you
used the right one? Some lines need to end with a semi-colon – miss
them off and your code won’t work.
Code Presentation Tips – 1
Indent code inside curly braces Every time you open a pair of curly braces, indent the
next line by 1 tab or three/four spaces. When you close braces, unindent. You can then see straight away if you have a brace
missing.
class myprog{ Some code Some more code { New braces, so indent again. }
More code}
Code Presentation Tips – 2
You can add comments to your code to remind you (or someone else) how the code works.
Comments are ignored by the compiler. On a single line, anything after // will be ignored. Over many lines, anything between /* and */ will
be ignored./* This is my first java code * I really enjoyed writing it – I hope you like it */
class myprog{ public static void main(String[] args) { // The following line will say hello System.out.println(“Hello!”); }}
Code Presentation Tips – 3
Comments should be brief and helpful.
No need to add comments which state the obvious.
Blank lines help to make the code readable – use them to separate each of the code’s tasks.
Coming up in Session 2...
Using variables to store information.
An introduction to the range of data types available.