Programming Fundamentals

What is Programming?

Programming is writing computer code to create a program to solve a problem. Programs are created to implement algorithms. Algorithms can be represented as pseudocode or a flow chart, and programming is the translation of these into a computer program.

To tell a computer to do something, a program must be written to tell it exactly what to do and how to do it. If an algorithm has been designed, the computer program will follow this algorithm, step-by-step, which will tell the computer exactly what it should do.

Variables and Data Types

Variables are used to store data that can be used and manipulated throughout a program. Each variable has a specific data type that defines the kind of data it can hold. Common data types include:

  • Integer: Whole numbers (e.g., -1, 0, 1, 2).

  • Float: Decimal numbers (e.g., 3.14, -0.001).

  • String: A sequence of characters (e.g., “Hello, World!”).

  • Boolean: Represents true or false values.

Naming Conventions

Consistent naming conventions improve code readability and maintainability. Here are some common practices:

  • Variables: Use meaningful names (e.g., totalCount instead of x).

  • Constants: Use uppercase letters with underscores (e.g., MAX_SIZE).

  • Functions: Use verbs and camelCase (e.g., calculateTotal()).

  • Classes: Use nouns and PascalCase (e.g., ShoppingCart).

Types of Programming Languages

Programming languages can be grouped into several paradigms, each emphasizing different ways of structuring logic and solving problems.

  1. Imperative Programming

    • Focuses on describing how a program operates.

    • Uses statements to change a program’s state.

    • Examples: C, C++, Java , Python, Ruby, etc.

  2. Declarative Programming

    • Focuses on what the program should accomplish without specifying how.

    • Examples: SQL, HTML, CSS, etc.

  3. Functional Programming

    • Treats computation as the evaluation of mathematical functions.

    • Avoids changing-state and mutable data.

    • Examples: Haskell, Lisp, Scala, SML, F#, etc.

  4. Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)

    • Organizes code into “objects” that contain data and methods.

    • Promotes code reusability and modularity.

    • Examples: Python, Ruby, Java, C++, C#, Visual Basic .NET, etc.

  5. Procedural Programming

    • Based on the concept of procedure calls.

    • Structures the program as a sequence of procedures or routines.

    • Examples: Pascal, C, Fortran, C#, etc.

  6. Scripting Programming Languages

    • Designed for automating tasks and manipulating data.

    • Often interpreted rather than compiled.

    • Examples: JavaScript, PHP, Perl, Ruby, etc.

  7. Logic Programming Languages

    • Based on formal logic.

    • Programs consist of a set of sentences in logical form, expressing facts and rules about some problem domain.

    • Examples: PROLOG, Datalog, Absys, ALF, etc.