What exactly is coding?
Coding also referred to as programming, is creating instructions that can be
executed on a computer to perform a specific task or achieve a particular
result.
Coding is just like solving a math problem. There may be many ways to solve
a problem. Similarly, there could be more than one way to write code
for the same task. Just like solving any other problem, some coding
approaches are more efficient than others.
Think you are playing a video on your smartphone. Your phone is like a
computer that needs to be instructed on what to be done. The app playing
the video provides this instruction. This video-playing app is an example of
coding.
But how does the app communicate the instructions to the phone? It does via
a programming language.
PictoBlox
PictoBlox is a graphical programming software based on Scratch blocks and is
the ideal companion for setting the first step into the world of programming.
Its user-friendly interface and drag-and-drop functionality eliminate the need
to memorize syntax and rules that make traditional programming languages
difficult.
Stage
The stage is a background or a backdrop for your Scratch projects (the
programs you’ll create). It is a white background in the top left corner; you
will see a bear standing there. His name is Tobi and he is what is called
a sprite (we’ll see in a moment what it is). The Stage is where the sprite
moves, draws, and interacts with other sprites and/or hardware. It has its own
set of scripts, images, and sounds.
Sprite
A Sprite is an object or a character that performs different actions in the
projects. It understands and obeys the instructions that you’ll give them in
your projects. It can move and can be moved to any place in the stage (you
can try by clicking on them and moving them around).
Blocks
Block is like jigsaw puzzle pieces that fit into each other. They are predefined
commands used to create programs by simply dragging and dropping them
below one another in the scripting area.
In programming, a control structure is a block of programs that accepts and
analyses different variables and chooses the direction in which to go based
on the given parameters. To put it simply, it is a basic decision-making
process in computing. It is like a prediction that program makes by accessing
the given parameters.
There are three basic types of control structures in programming:
1. Sequential: In a sequential control structure, the statements in a
program are executed sequentially, i.e. step-by-step in the order
that they are written.
2. Selection / Conditional: A selection (conditional) control structure
is used to test a condition in a program. This control structure
takes a decision to execute one statement/operation over
another statement/operation depending on the condition.
3. Iteration: This control structure executes a set of statements a
certain number of times till the mentioned condition is true.
Loops are examples of iterative statements.
Programming has derived many types of control statements to suit different
needs using these control structures. We will study them in upcoming topics.
The if-else statement requires three things.
1. Evaluation statement: condition or expression that is being
checked.
2. Execution statement: the operations that will be performed if the
condition appears to be true.
3. Else execution block: the operation that will be performed only if
the evaluation statement is false.
