The Nature of Programming & Software
In the 21st Century, computers have become an inevitable part of our lives. Over the course of the last few decades, it has greatly changed the way business is done. In the stock exchange, for example, buyers and seller can make trades right on their own personal desktop. Large quantities of stocks consisting of thousands of shares can be bought and sold very conveniently thanks to the evolution in computer technology. In general, computers have sped up the pace of life and have truly turned our world into a "global village", an idea that was once thought to be strictly impossible. With the establishment of networks, a simple click of a mouse can link you to relatives who live on the other side of the globe. In addition, computers have made water and air travel less frustrating as airplanes and ships can now be monitored electronically via radar. Without the slightest of a doubt, computers have made our world a much better place.However, computer itself is nothing more than a useless piece of rock without all the softwares and programs installed within. What is a computer program? It is simple a set of instructions that tell a computer exactly what to do much like a brain to a body. The instructions might tell the computer to
In order to write a computer program, the computer must be told, step-by-step, exactly what it should do. If this is done correctly, the computer can then execute the program, following each step mechanically, to accomplish the end goal. When you are telling the computer what to do, you also get to choose how it is going to be done. This is where the most fundamental concept in computer science, algorithm, comes in. By definition, algorithm is a predetermined series of instructions for carrying out a task in a finite number of steps. It is a method, a procedure, a list of instructions, as well as a step-by-step process much like a script. In other words, algorithm is the basic technique used to get the job done. An example of algorithm is long division invented 1000 years ago in China. When you do long division, you are just mechanically following an algorithm that has existed for a thousand years. Problem solving is finding an algorithm that will perform a series of operations that will achieve your objective. Hence, once the there is an algorithm, the problem is considered to be solved for all time since following an algorithm is mechanical (done by computers). A good algorithm should be fast, efficient, and reliable. Algorithm can be represented graphically using flowchart. It consists of special symbol and is often used in the design phase of programming to work out the logical flow. add up a set of numbers, or compare two numbers and make a decision based on the result. Often, programs allow the users to input their commands so the computer can follow the instructions and in the pro
Some common words found in the essay are:
, Java Perl, compiled language, error program, source code, computer program, instructions tell computer, interpreted language, tell computer, instructions tell, flow logic, test expression, language computer,
Approximate Word count = 1078
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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