Module 7.1- Introduction to Programming

Question 1

What is Programming?

Answer 1

• process of creating instructions that a computer follows to perform tasks
• these instructions are written in a specific language that computers can interpret and execute
• programming is what makes everything from websites to mobile apps work
• whether it’s calculating data, playing videos, or managing your email, programming tells the computer what to do and how to do it

Question 2

Key Concepts in Programming

Answer 2

• Code- written instructions that tell the computer how to perform specific tasks
• code is written in programming languages like Python, Java, or C++
• Programs- a collection of code that executes a specific task e.g. Microsoft Word or Google Chrome are programs built using code
• Algorithms- step-by-step instructions for solving a problem or completing tasks
• in programming, algorithms define the logic behind the code

Question 3

DRY (Coding Principle)

Answer 3

(Don’t Repeat Yourself)

• this principle encourages programmers to avoid writing the same code multiple times
• instead, you can create reusable functions or modules that can be used throughout your program
• this makes your code cleaner and reduces errors

Question 4

KISS (Coding Principle)

Answer 4

Keep It Simple, Stupid)

• this principle suggests keeping code as simple as possible
• complex code is harder to maintain and more prone to bugs
• by keeping things simple, you make your code more readable and easier to troubleshoot

Question 5

Readability (Coding Principle)

Answer 5

• well-written code should be easy for other programmers (and your future self) to read and understand
• this means using meaningful names for variables and functions, writing comments to explain what your code does, and organising your code logically

Question 6

Naming Conventions

Answer 6

• Descriptive Names- variables and functions should have meaningful names that describe their purpose
• instead of naming a variable x, call it totalPrice or UserName to clearly indicate what it stores
• CamelCase- in many languages, variables and function names follow the camelCase convention, where the first word is lowercase, and each subsequent word starts with a capital letter e.g. userName or calculateTotal
• Avoiding Reserved Words- programming languages have certain reserved words (like if, else, for) that you can’t use as variable or function names
• always avoid using these in your code

Question 7

Methodologies: Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)

Answer 7

• Objects- these are instances of classes and represent entities in a program
  e.g. a car (object) in a driving simulation could have properties like color, speed, and fuel level, as well as actions (methods) like accelerate and brake
• Classes- a class is like a blueprint for creating objects
  e.g. a car class would define the structure for all car objects, including their properties and methods
• Inheritance- OOP allows for inheritance, where one class (like SportsCar) can inherit properties and methods from another class (like Car), adding its own unique features
• OOP makes code more modular, easier to maintain, and reusable across different parts of a program

Question 8

Importance of Code Documentation

Answer 8

• Comments- add comments within your code to explain complex logic or why certain decisions were made
• comments should be brief and placed where they add the most value
• Readme Files- for larger projects, a Readme file provides an overview of the program, including how to install, run, and use it
• Function and Class Descriptions- when writing functions or classes, include a description of what they do, their inputs (parameters), and their outputs
• e.g. if you write a function that calculates a discount, adding a comment like # this function calculates a 10% discount on the total price helps future developers (or yourself) understand its purpose at a glance