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Chapter 4 (Principles of Programming and Problem Solving)

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19 views4 pages

Chapter 4 (Principles of Programming and Problem Solving)

Uploaded by

sajidamuneerckmuneer
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
Download as pdf or txt
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CHAPTER 4

PRINCIPLES OF PROGRAMMING AND PROBLEM SOLVING


Approaches in problem solving
• Top down design: A complex problem is broken down into different tasks and each task is
solved.
• Bottom up design: Solution for main module will be developed only after solving the sub
modules.

Phases in programming
• Problem identification
• Preparing Algorithms and Flowcharts
• Coding the program
• Translation
• Debugging
• Execution and testing
• Documentation

Problem Identification
• In this phase we will be able to identify the data involved in processing, its type and quantity,
formula to be used, activities involved, and the output to be obtained.

Algorithm
• It is a step-by-step procedure to solve a problem.

Characteristics of an Algorithm
• Should begin with instructions to accept inputs.
• Use variables to refer the data
• Each and every instruction should be precise and unambiguous.
• The total time to carry out all the steps in the algorithm must be finite.
• After performing the instructions given in the algorithm, the desired results must be
obtained.

Flowcharts
• The pictorial representation of an algorithm is known as flowchart.

Flowchart symbols

1. Ellipse: used to indicate START and STOP.


2. Parallelogram: used as the input/output symbol.

3. Rectangle: used to represent the processing step.

4. Rhombus: used as decision symbol.

5. Flow lines: used to indicate the flow of operation.

Advantages of flowchart Limitations of Flowchart


• Better communication • Time consuming
• Effective analysis • Modification is difficult
• Effective synthesis
• Efficient coding

Eg: Write an algorithm and draw a flowchart to find the sum of two numbers

Step 1: Start
Step 2: Input A, B
Step 3: S = A + B
Step 4: Print S
Step 5: Stop

Eg: Write an algorithm and draw a flowchart to find the sum and average of three
numbers
Step 1: Start
Step 2: Input A, B, C
Step 3: S = A + B + C
Step 4: Avg = S / 3
Step 5: Print S, Avg
Step 6: Stop
Eg: Write an algorithm and draw a flowchart to find the biggest of two numbers.

Step 1: Start
Step 2: Input N1, N2
Step 3: If N1 > N2 Then
Step 4: Print N1
Step 5: Else
Step 6: Print N2
Step 7: End of If
Step 8: Stop

Eg: Write an algorithm and draw a flowchart to print the sum of the first N natural
numbers

Step 1: Start
Step 2: Input N
Step 3: A = 1, S = 0
Step 4: Repeat Steps 5 and 6 While (A <= N)
Step 5: S = S + A
Step 6: A = A + 1
Step 7: Print S
Step 8: Stop

Coding
• The process of writing program instructions to solve a problem using a High Level Language.

Translation
• Process of converting a program written in high level language(source code) into its
equivalent version in machine language(object code)

Source code -------> Translation ---------> Object code


Debugging
• Programming errors are known as 'bugs'. The process of detecting and correcting errors is
called debugging.

There are three types of errors:

• Syntax errors: Errors which occur when the rules or syntax of the programming language
are not followed.

• Logical errors: Logical error is due to improper planning of the program logic.
Run-time errors: Errors which occur during program execution. Eg:- division by zero

Execution and testing


• Running the program to process the test data that will produce 'known results'.

Documentation
• Writing comments in the source code is known as internal documentation.
• It will help in debugging process and program modification at later stage.
• Preparing user manual and system manual are known as external documentation.

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