Programming

Introduction
Department of Information System
SoICT, HUT

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eureka!
Algorithm
A set of instructions specifying
the steps required to
accomplish a task

Program

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What a computer can do?
Not much… Computers understand only numbers!
• Store and retrieve numbers (fast and accurate).
• Add, subtract, multiply and divide numbers (also,
fast and accurate).
• Compare numbers.
• Follow a list of instructions and jump around in the
list

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What else a computer can do?
• More complex calculations can be implemented
from a set of simple calculations
• Communicate with peripheral devices to
input/output data
• Input: mouse, keyboards, joystick.
• Output: graphic cards, printers
• Everything is doable with numbers

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Von Neumann Architecture

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What is a computer program?
• A sequence of instructions aims at solving a specific
task
• Instruction is carried out one after the other. No
instruction is carried out when the previous
instruction is not accomplished
• A program is represented by a programming
language.

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Programming languages
• Machine language is dependent to the computer
using machine instructions. Executable programs
must be in machine language
• High level language is independent to the computer
using human algorithm instructions

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Machine language
• is a language understandable by computer
• In our view, machine language is only a sequence of
0 and 1.
• There is no common machine language for
computer
• Each micro-processor has its own language
• Human cannot work directly with machine language
• However, computer cannot understand other
languages

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High level language
• Assembly – machine language
encoded as documents (not
convenient)
• Interpretation language (java, perl)
• A program is translated into
machine language during its
process
• Compile language (C, pascal)
• A program is compiled into
machine language once before
process

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The problem solving process
Rice cooking
Problem Wash rice (0,5kg)
Pour water (1liter) to a casserole
Analyze Boil the water
Describe the Put rice into the casserole
problem Turn down heat
Design Wait 15minutes, take the casserole
out
washrice(0,5);
Algorithm
pourwater (1);
Implement boilwater();
putintocasserole();
turndownheat();
Program takecasseroleout();

Translate
01001110101100101010101010010
10101010100110010101010101001
011010011101010101010010010111
Executed 010011110101010111110101010001
program 10100001101...

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Algorithm

• A sequence of instructions specifying the steps

required to accomplish some task
• Some examples:
• Cooking recipe
• The rules of how to play a game
• Directions for driving from A to B
• A car repair manual
• etc.

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 Rice cooking algorithm
• Prepare Input
• 0,5 kg rice, 1 liter of water
• Steps:
Processing
• Wash rice (0,5 kg)
• Pour (1 liter) water to a casserole
• Boil the water
• Put rice into the casserole
• Wait until the water is shallow
• Turn down heat Output
• Wait 15minutes, take the casserole out
• Result:
• A casserole that contains rice for 5 people
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Components of an algorithm
• Variables and values
• Instructions
• Sequences
• Selections
• Iterations
• Procedures

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Values

• Represent quantities, amounts or measurements

• May be numerical or alphabetical values: eg., a
people name, a people size, etc.
• Each value usually has an implicit measuring unit
• Example:
• Value for kg of rice, value for liter of water in the rice
cooking algorithm

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 Variables
• Containers or places to store values
• Example

Variable Values

10 candies
This container
can be used to 50 g sugar
store
3 cakes
etc.
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Type of variables
• Restricted to contain a specific type of value, e.g.,
only integer number.
• Example : kg (rice) or liter (water)

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Instruction
• Instructions should be:
• simple
• unambiguous
• the system knows the instruction in order to implement it

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 Guide about instructions
• Instructions should be simple and unambiguous
• For example:

Wash rice (0,5kg) and • Wash rice (0,5kg).

then pour water (1 • Pour water into a
liter) into a casserole casserole (1 liter)
and then boil it • Boil the water.
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Sequence structure
• is series of instructions to be carried out one after
the other
• Example:
• Wash rice (0,5 kg).
• Pour water into a casserole (1 liter)
• Boil the water.
• Put rice into the casserole
• Wait until the water is shallow
• Turn down heat
• Wait 15 minutes, take the casserole out

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Selection
• Is an instruction that decides which of two possible
sequences is executed
• It is based on a condition (true/false)
if …
then …
else …

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Example about rational number
input an integer input N
if (N  0)
selection condition
then
{
output 1/N
Carry out when the }
condition is true
else
{
output “infinitive"
Carry out when the
condition is false }

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 Question ?
Do these two algorithms give the same output?
Algorithm 1 Algorithm 2
input N input N
if (N  0)
if (N  0)
then
{ then
output 1/N {
} output 1/N
else }
{
output “infinitive"
} output “infinitive"

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Iteration
• Repeat an instruction (or a group of instructions)
while (or maybe until) some true or false condition
occurs.
• Two kinds of iteration:
• Test the condition each time before repeating the
instruction
• Test the condition each time after executing the
instruction

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 Example
Print the odd numbers from 1 to 100

Create variable num num = 1

with the initial value of 1
while (num <= 100)
The loop is carried out do
while the condition num
<=100 is true
{
output num
Output num with the num = num + 2
current value for each
loop and increase num }
by 2

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 Question ?
Do these two algorithms give the same output?
Algorithm 1 Algorithm 2
num = 1 num = 1
while (num <= 100) while (num <= 100)
do do
{ {
output num num = num + 2
num = num + 2 output num
} }

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 Example: Sum of a set of integer values

Find the differences between the two algorithms below:

Algorithm 1 Algorithm 2
a=0 sum = 0, a = 0
sum = 0
do
while (a > 0) do
{
{
input a
input a
sum = sum + a sum = sum + a
} } while (a <>0)
output sum output sum

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 Procedure
• Is a series of instructions with a name
• You can
• refer to it (by name)
• Procedure is used in structured programming to divide
a program into smaller parts with different names
• Procedure
• Function
• Sub-routine

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 Example
Procedure RiceCooking Procedure DinerPreparing
{ {
Wash rice (0,5 kg) RiceCooking
Pour (1 little) water to a Boiling vegetablesCalling procedure
casserole Frying meat
Boil the water
Setting the table
Put rice into the casserole
}
Wait until the water is shallow
Turn down heat
Wait 15minutes, take the
casserole out
} Declaring procedure

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Exercises
1. Write an algorithm to solve the following equation:
a*x + b = c.
2. Write an algorithm to:
• Input values for 3 variables a,b,c
• Print out the variable that has the highest value and the
variable that has the lowest value. Print out the value for
these two variables.
3. Write an algorithm to:
• Input a value for a variable n >=1
• Find all numbers <=n that satisfy the following condition
• Divide 3 remain 2 and divide 5 remain 3

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Summary
• The problem solving process
• Problem → Algorithm → Program
• Programming language
• High level language vs. machine language
• Components of an algorithm
• Variables and values
• Instructions:
• Sequences, selections, iterations, procedures

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Thank you
for your
attentions!