INTRODUCTION TO PROGRAMMING FOR BEGINNERS
If you are a beginner for programming, you should understand that writing code is not the first step of programming. Writing code is a later step . First you have to plan all the things that you want to do through your program. Planning is the most important step. When you are planning a program, you have to consider about all the requirements . After planning your program you can write all those things on a paper.
When you are writing your program, breaking it into sub parts will be a comfort to you guys. In programming, it is introduced as “Decompositon”. You have to come up with a suitable algorithm for a class of problems. Though it is somewhat difficult task, if you can write an appropriate algorithm, you will easily code your program.
After devising a proper program, you can translate it to a code using any programming language. (Ex:-Python, C, C++, Java)After translating your algorithm into a code, next you should test whether it is working according to your requirements or not. This step helps you to understand the sustainability of program. You can identify errors of your program from testing it. It is not good to think that your program is successful from only one testing. You have to test it again and again for various inputs .Then you can understand that how much you are successful.
If your program does not work correctly, you can follow debugging step. Debugging is the step that removes the existing errors of a program. That errors will be implementing problems or algorithmic problems. If it is an algorithmic problem, you have to check your algorithm step by step to find the error. To find an implementing problem, you have to check your code step by step. Then you will be able to correct the errors and come up with a successful program. Sometimes to get the correct program, you have to debug it many times. But remember that testing and debugging your program many times, will remove the errors and increase the reliability of your program.
Therefore if you are a beginner for programming, pls remember that a good programmer follow writing code as a later step.
- Plan your program
- Write your program(algorithm)
- Code your program
- Test your program
- If there is any error, debug your program
Sathsara Soysa, Computer Engineering Undergraduate of Faculty of Engineering, University of Ruhuna
