Computer Science 2210 By Sajid Ali Imam

Programming Concepts
Data Types
 A data type is a classification of data into groups according to the kind of data they
represent
 Computers use different data types to represent different types of data in a program
 The basic data types include:
o Integer: used to represent whole numbers, either positive or negative
 Examples: 10, -5, 0
o Real: used to represent numbers with a fractional part, either positive or negative
 Examples: 3.14, -2.5, 0.0
o Char: used to represent a single character such as a letter, digit or symbol
 Examples: 'a', 'B', '5', '$'
o String: used to represent a sequence of characters
 Examples: "Hello World", "1234", "@#$%
o Boolean: used to represent true or false values
 Examples: True, False
We can declare variables as follows:

Python Java Visual Basic

variable_name = data_type Dim variable_name As

Syntax
value variable_name; data_type
Example x=5 int x Dim x As Integer

It is important to choose the correct data type for a given situation to ensure accuracy and
efficiency in the program.
Computer Science 2210 By Sajid Ali Imam

Worked example
Name and describe the most appropriate programming data type for each of the examples
of data given. Each data type must be different. [6]
Data: 83
Data type name: Integer [1]
Data type description: The number is a whole number [1]
Data: [email protected]
Data type name: String [1]
Data type description: It is a group of characters [1]
Data: True
Data type name: Boolean [1]
Data type description: The value is True (or could be False) [1]
Variables & Constants
Variables and constants are used to store a single item of data in a program. This can be
accessed through the identifier. Variables can be changed during program execution while
constants remain the same.
Declaring Variables and Constants
 Variables are declared using a data type, a name and a value (optional)
 Constants are declared using the 'const' keyword, a name and a value
 In all programming languages, variable names should follow certain rules, such as:
o Starting with a letter
o Not containing spaces
o Can contain letters, numbers, _ or $
o Not using reserved words (like if, while, for etc.)
 Examples of data types include integer, float, boolean, and string
Computer Science 2210 By Sajid Ali Imam

 Examples in Pseudocode:
 Declare a variable called 'score' with a value of 10

score ← 10
 Declare a constant called 'PI' with a value of 3.14
const PI ← 3.14

 Examples in Python:
 Declare a variable called 'score' with a value of 10

score = 10
 Declare a constant called 'PI' with a value of 3.14
PI = 3.14

 Examples in Java:
 Declare a variable called 'score' with a value of 10

int score = 10;

 Declare a constant called 'PI' with a value of 3.14
final double PI = 3.14;

 Examples in Visual Basic:

 Declare a variable called 'score' with a value of 10

Dim score As Integer = 10

 Declare a constant called 'PI' with a value of 3.14
Const PI As Double = 3.14

Exam Tip
Exam questions will ask you to write pseudocode statements, rather than in a specific language
Computer Science 2210 By Sajid Ali Imam

Worked example
The variables 'name' and 'age' are used to store data in a program:
 name stores the user’s name
 age stores the user’s age
Write pseudocode statements to declare the variables name and age. [2]
DECLARE name : STRING [1]
DECLARE age : INTEGER [1]
Output
Output refers to the process of displaying or saving the results of a program to the user.

Pseudocode example:

 OUTPUT "Hello, ", name

Python example:

 print("Hello, ", name)

Java example:

 System.out.println("Hello, " + name);

Visual Basic example:

 Console.WriteLine("Hello, " & name)

Computer Science 2210 By Sajid Ali Imam

Input

Input refers to the process of providing data or information to a program.

'User Input' is data or information entered by the user during program execution.

Pseudocode example:

OUTPUT "Enter your name"

INPUT name

Python example:

name = input("Enter your name: ")

Java example:

Scanner input = new Scanner(System.in);

System.out.print("Enter your name: ");
String name = input.nextLine();

Visual Basic example:

Console.WriteLine("Enter your name")

name = Console.Readline()

Exam Tip

 Remember to prompt the user for input clearly, and format the output to make it readable
and understandable
Computer Science 2210 By Sajid Ali Imam

Sequence

What is Sequence?

 Sequence is a concept that involves executing instructions in a particular order

 It is used in programming languages to perform tasks in a step-by-step manner
 Sequence is a fundamental concept in computer science and is used in many programming
languages

Pseudocode example:

PRINT "Hello, World!"

x←5
y←10
z← x + y
PRINT z

Python example:

print("Hello, World!")
x=5
y = 10
z=x+y
print(z)

Java example:
System.out.println("Hello, World!");
int x = 5;
int y = 10;
int z = x + y;
System.out.println(z);
Computer Science 2210 By Sajid Ali Imam

Visual Basic example:

Console.WriteLine("Hello, World!")
Dim x As Integer = 5
Dim y As Integer = 10
Dim z As Integer = x + y
Console.WriteLine(z)

Exam Tip

 Always remember to write your instructions in the order in which you want them to be
executed

Selection

What is selection?

Selection is a programming concept that allows you to execute different sets of instructions
based on certain conditions. There are two main types of selection statements: IF statements
and CASE statements.

If Statements

IF statements allow you to execute a set of instructions if a condition is true. They have the
following syntax:

IF condition

THEN

instructions

ENDIF
Computer Science 2210 By Sajid Ali Imam

Pseudocode example:

x← 5
IF x > 0
THEN
PRINT "x is positive"
ENDIF

Python example:

x=5
if x > 0:
print("x is positive")

Java example:

int x = 5;
if (x > 0) {
System.out.println("x is positive");
}

Visual Basic example:

Dim x As Integer = 5
If x > 0 Then
Console.WriteLine("x is positive")
End If
Computer Science 2210 By Sajid Ali Imam

IF ELSE Statements

If else statements are used to execute one set of statements if a condition is true and a
different set of statements if the condition is false. They have the following syntax:

IF condition

THEN

Instructions

ELSE

Instructions

ENDIF

Pseudocode example:

x←5
IF x > 0
THEN
PRINT "x is positive"
ELSE
PRINT “x is negative”
ENDIF

Python example:

x=5
if x > 0:
print("x is positive")
else:
print("x is negative")
Computer Science 2210 By Sajid Ali Imam

Java example:

int x = 5;
if (x > 0) {
System.out.println("x is positive");
} else {
System.out.println("x is negative");
}

Visual Basic example:

Dim x As Integer = 5
If x > 0 Then
Console.WriteLine("x is positive")
Else
Console.WriteLine("x is negative")
End If

IF ELSE IF Statements

If else if statements are used to test multiple conditions and execute different statements for
each condition. They have the following syntax:

IF condition

THEN

Instructions

ELSE IF condition

THEN

Instructions

ELSE

Instructions
Computer Science 2210 By Sajid Ali Imam
ENDIF

Pseudocode example:

x←5
IF x > 0
THEN
PRINT "x is positive"
ELSE IF x < 0
THEN
PRINT “x is negative”
ELSE
PRINT “x is 0”
ENDIF

Python example:
x=5
if x > 0:
print("x is positive")
elif x < 0:
print("x is negative")
else:
print("x is 0")

Java example:
int x = 5;
if (x > 0) {
System.out.println("x is positive");
} else if (x < 0) {
System.out.println("x is negative");
} else {
System.out.println("x is 0");
}

Visual Basic example:

Dim x As Integer = 5
If x > 0 Then
Console.WriteLine("x is positive")
ElseIf x < 0 Then
Console.WriteLine("x is negative")
Else
Console.WriteLine("x is 0")
Computer Science 2210 By Sajid Ali Imam
End If

Worked example
Write an algorithm using pseudocode that:

 Inputs 3 numbers
 Outputs the largest of the three numbers [3]

INPUT a, b, c
[1
IF a > b AND a > c THEN PRINT a
]
[1
ELSE IF b > c THEN PRINT b
]
[1
ELSE PRINT c
]

Case Statements

CASE statements allow you to execute different sets of instructions based on the value of a
variable. They have the following syntax:

CASE OF variable

value1: instructions

value2: instructions

...

OTHERWISE instructions

END CASE
Computer Science 2210 By Sajid Ali Imam

Pseudocode example:

CASE OF number
1: PRINT "Monday"
2: PRINT "Tuesday"
3: PRINT “Wednesday”
4: PRINT “Thursday”
5: PRINT “Friday”
6: PRINT “Saturday”
7: PRINT “Sunday”
OTHERWISE PRINT "Invalid number"
END CASE

Python example:

match (number)
case 1:
print "Monday";
case 2:
print "Tuesday";
case 3:
print "Wednesday";
case 4:
print "Thursday";
case 5:
print "Friday";
case 6:
print "Saturday";
case 7:
print "Sunday";
case _:
print "Invalid number";
Computer Science 2210 By Sajid Ali Imam

Java example:
switch (number) {
case 1:
return "Monday";
case 2:
return "Tuesday";
case 3:
return "Wednesday";
case 4:
return "Thursday";
case 5:
return "Friday";
case 6:
return "Saturday";
case 7:
return "Sunday";
default:
return "Invalid number";
}

Visual Basic example:

Select Case number
Case 1
Return "Monday"
Case 2
Return "Tuesday"
Case 3
Return "Wednesday"
Case 4
Return "Thursday"
Case 5
Return "Friday"
Case 6
Return "Saturday"
Case 7
Return "Sunday"
Computer Science 2210 By Sajid Ali Imam
Case Else
Return "Invalid number"
End Select

Exam Tip

 Make sure to include all necessary components in the selection statement: the condition,
the statement(s) to execute when the condition is true, and any optional statements to
execute when the condition is false
 Use proper indentation to make the code easier to read and understand
 Be careful with the syntax of the programming language being used, as it may differ slightly
between languages
 Make sure to test the selection statement with various input values to ensure that it works
as expected