Computer Programming with C++

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 Chapter one
Introduction
 Computer Architecture Basics
 Hardware and Software
 Program Development
 Algorithms and flow chart

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 What is a Computer?
• Computer
– Device capable of performing computations and making
logical decisions
• Hardware
– Various devices comprising computer Keyboard, screen,
mouse, disks, memory, CD-ROM, processing units, …
• Software
– Instructions to command computer to perform actions and
make decisions
• Computer programs
– Sets of instructions that control computer’s processing of data
– instructions that tells the computer what to do.
• Computer programming
– is the process of writing, testing, debugging/troubleshooting,
and maintaining the source code of computer programs. 3
 Computer Architecture Basics

Six logical units of computer

1. Input unit
• “Receiving” section
• Obtains information from input devices
– Keyboard, mouse, microphone, scanner……
2. Output unit
• “Shipping” section
• Takes information processed by computer
• Places information on output devices
– Screen, printer…
– Information used to control other devices
3. Memory unit
• Rapid access, relatively low capacity “warehouse” section
• Retains information from input unit
– Immediately available for processing
• Retains processed information
– Until placed on output devices
• Memory, primary memory 4
4. Arithmetic and logic unit (ALU)
• “Manufacturing” section
• Performs arithmetic calculations and logic decisions
5. Central processing unit (CPU)
• “Administrative” section
• Supervises and coordinates other sections of computer
6. Secondary storage unit
• Long-term, high-capacity “warehouse” section
• Storage
– Inactive programs or data
• Secondary storage devices
– Disks
• Longer to access than primary memory
• Less expensive per unit than primary memory

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Programming language
• is an artificial language that can be used to control the behavior of
a machine, particularly a computer.

 computers do exactly what they are told to do, and cannot

understand the code the programmer "intended" to write.

Programming languages can be divided in to two major categories:

• low-level languages
• Machine Languages
• Assembly Languages
• high-level languages.

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1. Machine language
• Only language computer directly understands
• “Natural language” of computer i.e computer easily understood
these programs
• Defined by hardware design
Machine-dependent
• Generally, consist of strings of numbers: Ultimately 0s and 1s
• Instruct computers to perform elementary operations One at a
time
• Cumbersome for humans
Example:
+1300042774
+1400593419

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2. Assembly languages
• English-like abbreviations representing elementary computer
operations
• Clearer to humans
• Incomprehensible to computers i.e not able to be understood
by computers
• Translator programs (assemblers) Convert to machine
language
Example:
LOAD BASEPAY
ADD OVERPAY
STORE GROSSPAY
ADD A, B – adds two numbers in memory location A and B

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3. High-level languages
• Similar to everyday English, use common mathematical
notations
• Single statements accomplish substantial tasks
• Assembly language requires many instructions to
accomplish simple tasks
• Translator programs (compilers)
• Convert to machine language
• Interpreter programs
• Directly execute high-level language programs
• Example:
grossPay = basePay + overTimePay

FORTRAN (FORmula TRANslator), BASIC (Beginner's All-purpose

Symbolic Instruction Code), PASCAL, C, C++, Java are some
examples of high-level languages.

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Programming languages: by programming paradigm (programmer's view of
code execution ) can be categorized into three most influential
paradigms(Chronological order)
• Procedural Programming Languages
• Structural Programming Languages
• Object-oriented Programming Languages
1. Procedural Programming Languages
• specifies a list of operations that the program must complete to reach the
desired state.
• Each program has a starting state, a list of operations to complete, and an
ending point.
• Procedures, also known as functions, subroutines, or methods, are small
sections of code that perform a particular function . 10
2. Structured Programming Languages
• Disciplined approach to writing programs
• Clear, easy to test and debug, and easy to modify
• is a special type of procedural programming.
• requires that programmers break program structure into small pieces
of code that are easily understood.
• One of the well-known features of structural programming is that it
does not allow the use of the GOTO statement.
• It is often associated with a "top-down" approach to design.

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3. Object-Oriented Programming Languages
• is one the newest and most powerful paradigms
• the designer specifies both the data structures and the types of
operations that can be applied to those data structures.
• This pairing of a piece of data with the operations that can be
performed on it is known as an object.
• A program thus becomes a collection of cooperating objects, rather
than a list of instructions.
• Objects can store state information and interact with other objects, but
generally each object has a distinct, limited role.
• More understandable, better organized and easier to maintain

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Problem solving Techniques

In computer programming two facts are given more weight:

• The first part focuses on defining the problem and logical
procedures to follow in solving it.
• The second introduces the means by which programmers
communicate those procedures to the computer system so that it
can be executed.
• The procedure, or solution, selected is referred to as an algorithm.
• An algorithm is defined as a step-by-step sequence of instructions
that must terminate and describe how the data is to be processed to
produce the desired outputs.
• There are three commonly used tools to help to document program
logic (the algorithm). These are :
• Pseudo code.
• Structured chart, and
• Flowcharts
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Pseudocode

Pseudocode (derived from pseudo and code) is a compact and informal

high-level description of a computer algorithm that uses the structural
conventions of programming languages, but typically omits details such
as subroutines, variables declarations and system-specific syntax.

Example:
Original Program Specification:

Write a program that obtains two integer numbers from the user. It
will print out the sum of those numbers.
Pseudocode:
Prompt the user to enter the first integer
Prompt the user to enter a second integer
Compute the sum of the two user inputs
Display an output prompt that explains the answer as the sum
Display the result 14
Structured Charts
• Structured chart depicts the logical functions to the solution of the
problem using a chart.
• It provides an overview that confirms the solution to the problem
without excessive consideration to detail. It is high-level in nature.
Example: Write a program that asks the user to enter a temperature
reading in centigrade and then prints the equivalent Fahrenheit value.
Input Process Output

Centigrade  Prompt for centigrade value Fahrenheit

 Read centigrade value

 Compute Fahrenheit value
 Display Fahrenheit value

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Flowchart
• is a schematic representation of an algorithm or a process.
• it doesn’t depend on any particular programming language, so that it
can use, to translate an algorithm to more than one programming
language.
• uses different symbols (geometrical shapes) to represent different
processes. The following table shows some of the common symbols.

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Example 1: - Draw flow chart of an algorithm to add
•The flow chart is
two numbers and display their result.
Start
Algorithm description
Read A,B
• Read the rules of the two numbers (A and B)
• Add A and B C=A+B
• Assign the sum of A and B to C
• Print C
Display the result ( c)
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End
 Example 2: Write an algorithm description and draw a flow chart to
check a number is negative or not.

Algorithm description.

1/ Read a number x
2/ If x is less than zero write a message negative
else write a message not negative
Start

Read X

Write not X<0 Print message

negative Write negative

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Stop
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