Programming Principles Quiz

Learning Objectives

• Understand differences between structured, object-oriented, aspect-oriented, and adaptive software development
• Identify and describe activities involved in the program development life cycle (PDLC)
• Understand good program design and list tools used by computer professionals
• Explain three basic control structures and their use in controlling program flow
• Discuss debugging activities for ensuring proper program design and writing
• List tools for speeding up or facilitating program development
• Describe programming languages and their key features

Overview

• Chapter covers common program design and development approaches
• Includes phases of the program development life cycle (PDLC)
• Discusses tools for design and development
• Covers program design techniques and error types
• Outlines popular programming languages

Approaches to Program Design and Development

• Procedural Programming:

  • Separates programs into small, reusable modules
  • Modules are called by the main program or another module when needed
  • Procedures (or modules/subprograms) perform specific tasks
  • Allows for repeated use of code, eliminating redundancy

• Structured Programming:

  • Breaks programs further into small modules using top-down design

• Variables:

  • Named memory locations used to store data within a program

• Object-Oriented Programming (OOP):

  • Programs are collections of interconnected objects
  • Objects include relevant data and methods used with that data
  • Class: Group of objects with common properties
  • Instance: Individual object in a class that inherits attributes and methods
  • Attributes: Describe the object's data

• Methods:

  • Actions objects can perform
  • Allow objects to be used by multiple programs
  • Class Libraries: Collections of pre-written objects

• Aspect-Oriented Programming (AOP):

  • Separates program components allowing for individual development/modification

• Adaptive Software Development:

  • Focuses on adapting a program as it is being written for quicker and more efficient development

• Agile Software Development:

  • Emphasizes quick software creation through teams of programmers, managers, business experts, and customers

The Program Development Life Cycle (PDLC)

• Problem Analysis:

  • Analyzing the problem to determine program specifications
  • Specifications will be reviewed by the systems analyst and programmer
  • Understands software functions required for the program
  • Document programs specifications

• Program Design:

  • Expands program specifications into a complete program design
  • Develops the algorithm for the program
  • Program Design Tools:
    • Diagrams, charts, tables, and models for program creation
      • Structure Charts (hierarchy charts): Depicts a program's organization

• Flowcharts: Illustrates the program's step-by-step process using specific symbols and relational operators

• Wireframes: Visual representation of app or website logic.

• Pseudocode:

  • Outlines program logic as English-like statements instead of graphical symbols

• Unified Modeling Language (UML):

  • Standard notations for creating business models
  • Classes and case diagrams are included in UML

• Control Structures:

  • Sequence: Series of statements executed one after another
  • Selection: Multiple paths with directions dependent on conditions (If-then-else, case)
  • Repetition: A series of statements that loop until a condition is met. (Do while, do until)

• Program Design Testing:

  • Tests design for correctness. Desk checking, tracing tables, and documentation are used

• Program Coding:

  • Implements a language to create necessary program code
  • Considerations for choose a language: Suitability to the application, Integration with existing programs, Company standards, Programmer availability, Portability, Development speed

Coding Process

• Source Code: Computer program before compilation
• Coding Standards:
  • Rules for writing standardized code, making it readable and maintainable
  • Include programmers' details and last modification date on the code
  • Explains variables used in the program
  • Identifies the program's main parts

The Coding Process (continued)

• Comments: Used to explain code, identify programmers and last modification dates, and explain variable usage

Reusable Code

• Existing, error-free code segments can be reused with modifications
• Reduces programming time

Program Coding Concepts (continued)

• Preliminary Debugging:
  • Compiler/Syntax Errors: Errors that occur when the program isn't written according to programming language rules
  • Runtime/Logic Errors: Errors in the program's logic causing incorrect output despite running

Translating Coded Programs into Executable Code

• Compilers: Convert entire programs into machine language before execution, designed for specific languages such as Java or Python
• Interpreters: Translate one line of code at a time
• Assemblers: Convert assembly language programs to machine language programs

Program Implementation and Maintenance

• Implementation: Complete program setup and operation
• Maintenance: Software update for improved usage and reduced costs
• Documentation Updates: Includes new issues and problems.

Program Testing

• Testing:
  • Occurs after initial debugging to correct additional program bugs
  • Good test data for similar conditions in the final program
  • Tests all program conditions when running/implementing
  • Checks for non-standard situations, input errors

Tools for Facilitating Program Development

• Application Lifecycle Management (ALM):
  • Management of applications, from development through retirement
  • Includes tools for requirements management and configuration management
• Issue Tracking: Records bugs and problems throughout
• Application Generators: Software for ease in creating software
• Macros: Sequences of commands recorded for repeatable actions
• Report Generator/UI Builders: Generate program reports efficiently and create user interfaces
• Integrated Development Environments (IDE): Programming toolsets enabling quick, effective software application creation
• Device Development Tools: Assists in embedded software development (used in various devices—cars, ATM, consumer products)
• Software Development Kits (SDKs): Platform-specific programming packages for developing software
• Application Program Interfaces (APIs): Allows applications to handle certain system requests—used for web-based connections

Mobile App Builders

• Programs for creating and deploying mobile apps for various platforms

Programming Languages

• What Is a Programming Language?

  • Set of rules, words, symbols, codes used for creating computer programs
  • Requires specific software for the intended programming language

• Categories of Programming Languages:

  • Classified by program type (procedural, object-oriented)
  • Classified by level or generation (low-level, high-level, etc.)

• Low-Level Languages:

  • Machine Language: Uses 1s and 0s for very basic operations
  • Assembly Language: Uses names and symbols (mnemonics) for operations

• High-Level Languages: - Closer to natural languages: easier for humans to read and understand - Machine independent: Programs can run on multiple types of machines - Visual Programming Environments (VPEs): Have visual interfaces to construct programs (Scratch)

• Fourth-Generation Languages (4GLs): Even closer to natural language than high-level languages, used for database access

• Common Programming Languages:

  • FORTRAN: High-level math, science, and engineering
  • COBOL: Designed for business transaction processing
  • Pascal: Teaching tool for structured programming
  • BASIC: Easy-to-learn, high-level language
  • C, C++, C#: Close to assembly language, object-oriented. Many uses (e.g., Web applications, mobile apps)
  • Java: High-level, object-oriented, for web-based applications
  • Dart: High-level, open source, object-oriented; designed to replace JavaScript
  • Ruby: High-level, open source for developing Web applications
  • Python: Open-source, dynamic, object-oriented