Programming Fundamentals

Lecture # 1

Dr. Shafiq Hussain

Associate Professor & Chairperson
Department of Computer Science

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 Acknowledgment
• This is to acknowledge that Lecture Handouts and Video
Lectures of course “Introduction to Programming” by Dr.
Naveed A. Malik, Virtual University of Pakistan will be used
as learning material for this course of “Programming
Fundamentals”.

• We are very thankful to Dr. Naveed A. Malik and Virtual

University of Pakistan.

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 Course Outline
• Detailed Course Outline and Lecture Plan is given in
the Course Specification File.
• Please have a look on this file available in LMS
(Google Classroom)
• All Lectures along with Text Books and other
Reading Material will also be available through LMS
(Google Classroom).

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 Teaching Methodology

• Make maximum use of computer / laptop

• Do not hesitate to ask questions. But your
questions should be relevant.
• Always try to contact me on email:
[email protected]
• Email will be our official way of communication.

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 Objectives
• To introduce basic tools and techniques of Programming

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 Introduction to Computers

• Computers are automatic, electronic machines that:

– accept data & instructions from a user (INPUT)
– store the data & instructions (STORAGE)
– manipulate the data according to the instructions
(PROCESSING)
– store &/or output the results to the user (OUTPUT)

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 Introduction to Computers
• A computer system is composed of hardware and
software
• Hardware components are the physical, tangible
pieces that we can see and touch.
• Software is a set of programs designed to perform a
specific task.
• This course is concerned with the software.

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 Introduction to Computers

• Program
– a sequence of instructions to accomplish a result
– a computer processes information under the
direction of a program
• Data
– information to be processed by a program
• Example
– Data: for each employee, the employee number,
hours worked & hourly pay rate
– Program: instructions on how to process the data
to produce pay cheques, payroll register, etc.
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 Introduction to Computers

• Computer software is …
– The collection of programs used by a computer
which includes:
 Editors
 Translators
 System Managers

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 Computer Organization
Five main components
• Input devices
– Allows communication to the computer
• Output devices
– Allows communication to the user
• Processor (CPU)

• Main memory
– Memory locations containing the running program
• Secondary memory
– Permanent record of data often on a disk

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Computer Organization

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 The Central Processing Unit

• The CPU continuously follows the fetch-decode-

execute cycle:

Retrieve an instruction from main memory

fetch

execute decode

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 The Central Processing Unit

• Central Processing Unit follows program instructions

• Typical capabilities of CPU include:

add
subtract
multiply
divide
move data from location to location

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 Computer Memory
• Main Memory
– Long list of memory locations
• Each contains zeros and ones
• Can change during program execution
– Binary Digit or Bit
• A digit that can only be zero or one
– Byte
• Each memory location has eight bits
– Address
• Number that identifies a memory location

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 Larger Data Items
• Some data is too large for a single byte
– Most integers and real numbers are too large

– Address refers to the first byte

– Next few consecutive bytes can store the

additional bits for larger data

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Larger Data Items

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 Secondary Memory
• Main memory stores instructions and
data while a program is running.

• Secondary memory
– Stores instructions and data between sessions
– A file stores data or instructions in
secondary memory

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 Secondary Memory Media
• A computer might have any of these
types of secondary memory
– Hard disk
• Fast
• Fixed in the computer and not normally removed
– Floppy disk
• Slow
• Easily shared with other computers
– Compact disk
• Slower than hard disks
• Easily shared with other computers
• Can be read only or re-writable

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 Memory Access
• Random Access
– Usually called RAM
• Computer can directly access any memory location

• Sequential Access
– Data is generally found by searching through
other items first
• More common in secondary memory

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 Computer Software
• Firmware
– Device drivers, BIOS
• Operating Systems
– Windows, Mac, Linux etc
• Applications
– Word, Excel, games, music players etc
• Programing Languages
– C, C++, Java, C# etc

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 Computer Input
• Computer input consists of
– A program

– Some data

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Computer Input

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 Programing Languages
• Machine Language
– The language a computer can understand directly
• Assembly Language
– Also called low level language
– Computer cannot understand this language
directly.
– Software needed to convert assembly language
into machine language
– This software is called Assembler.

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 Programing Languages
• High-level Languages
– Examples: C, C++, Java , Pascal , Visual
Basic , FORTRAN, COBOL , Lisp, Ada
– Computer cannot understand these language
directly.
– Software needed to convert these language into
machine language
– This software is called Compiler.
– Resemble human languages
– Are designed to be easy to read and write
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 Compilers
• Translate high-level language to
machine language

– Source code
• the original program in a high level language
– Object code
• the translated version in machine language

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Compilers

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 Linkers
• Some programs we use are already compiled
– Their object code is available for us to use
– For example: Input and output routines

• A Linker combines
– The object code for the programs we write
and
– The object code for the pre-compiled routines
into
The machine language program the CPU can run

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Linkers

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The C Compilation Model

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 History Note
• First programmable computer
– Designed by Charles Babbage
– Began work in 1822
– Not completed in Babbage’s life time

• First programmer
– Ada Augusta, Countess of Lovelace
• Colleague of Babbage

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 Programming and Problem Solving
• Algorithm
– A sequence of precise instructions which
leads to a solution

• Program
– An algorithm expressed in a language the
computer can understand

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Programing and Problem Solving

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 Program Design
• Programming is a creative process
– No complete set of rules for creating a program

• Program Design Process

– Problem Solving Phase
• Result is an algorithm that solves the problem
– Implementation Phase
• Result is the algorithm translated into a programming
language

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 Program Design
• Be certain the task is completely specified
– What is the input?
– What information is in the output?
– How is the output organized?

• Develop the algorithm before implementation

– Experience shows this saves time in getting your
program to run.
– Test the algorithm for correctness

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 Implementation Phase
• Translate the algorithm into a programming
language
– Easier as you gain experience with the language

• Compile the source code

– Locates errors in using the programming language

• Run the program on sample data

– Verify correctness of results

• Results may require modification of

the algorithm and program
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Program Design Process

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 Introduction to C
• C is a general purpose high level programming
language. Because of its flexibility and efficiency
• It is widely used for software development.
• Its allow the development of well-structured
programs.
• The data types and control structures are directly
supported by most computers, resulting in the
construction of efficient programs.

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 Evolution of C Language
• C was developed by Dennis Ritchie at Bell
Laboratories in 1972.
• It was evolved from ALGOL, BCPL(Basic
Combined Programming Language), and B.
• C uses many concepts of these languages and new
features like data types.
• It was then approved by the International standards
Organization (ISO) in 1990. It was updated in 1999.

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 Characteristics of C Language
• C language is well suited for structured modular
programming
• C is smaller which has minimal instruction set and
programs written in C are efficient and fast
• C is highly portable
• C is highly flexible

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 Questions
Any Question Please?

You can contact me at: [email protected]

Your Query will be answered within one working day.

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 Further Readings
• C How to Program by Dietel, Chapter 1.

• Lecture Handouts, Introduction to Programming (VU),

Chapter 1

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Thanks

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