BASIC:

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BASIC

• a programming language

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Expectations for this lesson

• Learn what a program does
• Understand the truth behind common programming
  myths
• Master source code concepts
• Eventually when software is loaded
• Use the computer for programming
• Enter and run a program

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Two aspects of this lesson

• Introduction into the nature of programming
• Later hands-on practice

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What a Computer Does

• Need to know about more than simple word
  processing, record keeping, etc.

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At its simplest level, a computer processes data.
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• Computer programming departments are often part
  of Data Processing Departments

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Data and Information

• Is there a difference between the terms?
• Yes
• So what is that difference?
• Raw data consists of facts and figures (i.e.
  stock process for hundreds of days)
• Program might process that data into meaningful
  information (i.e. a line chart for overall trend
  of stock prices)

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The computer program tells the computer what to
do
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• Processed data is still information
• The programs stored output is changed in some
  way
• What are some examples?
• Collecting monthly totals from various accounts
  to make an income/expense report

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a Program

• What is it?
• A list of detailed instructions that the computer
  carries out
• The driving force behind any job a computer does
• A computer cannot do anything without a program

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Programmers Job

• Design and write programs
• Direct the computer to
• Take raw data
• Transform data into meaningful information
• For the end user

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End user

• Usually just called the user
• Generally a nontechnical, nonprogramming person
• Who needs the results of the program

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Programmer

• Responsible for guiding the computer
• Using the program you write
• To complete specific tasks

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Common misconceptions

• Easy to misunderstand and even fear computer if
  you arent trained
• Several myths have developed about them

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• A computer is nothing more than a dumb machine
  that knows absolutely nothing
• YOU supply the program that tells the computer
  what to do
• YOU are the smart part of the whole process

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No need to fear computers

• Computers are tools to help you get your job done

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You can learn to program
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Like a robot

• Ready to take and follow instructions
• Only as well as the program describes

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A computer is just another tool
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Myth 1

• Only Math Experts can program computers

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Not true

• Why?
• Wouldnt be practical
• Math is not as important as people think for
  programming
• The computer does all the math
• But your math skills will improve as part of the
  process

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Programming builds your logical and critical
thinking skills
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People who favor logic puzzles, crosswords,
anagrams, and word search games seem to adapt
well to programming but that is still not
required.
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Myth 2

• Computers make mistakes

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Remember the saying?

• To err is human, but to really foul things up
  takes a computer!
• Might be accurate why?
• Computers are so fast that duplicate peoples
  mistakes rapidly!

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Computers do not make mistakes

• People Do!

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What are some examples?
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Computers always do the same thing with the same
input

• Given the same input, they always produce the
  same output
• Your job is to tell them the right things to do
  and what input to use

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Malfunctions

• When they do happen, they are usually not simple
• They go all out when they have a problem and
  cause serious issues
• Fortunately they rarely have problems!

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Data problems are generally user problems

• Remember the citation
• BKAS
• The problem is
• Between the Keyboard and the Seat
• The USER!

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Myth 3

• Computers are difficult to program

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Getting easier to use and program every day!

• It is mostly a task of figuring out
• What you want accomplished
• How to tell computer what it needs to do
• Learning what directions the computer expects

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Many programs already exist

• But sometimes you need something different for a
  special task

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Programmers are in demand

• Types
• Java
• C
• Visual Basic
• Systems analysts
• Senior systems analysts

• Object-oriented programmers
• HTML coders
• Application Programmers

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YOU can learn how!
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Real Value of Programs
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More programs needed every year

• Always a need
• New programs
• Updates for current programs
• Just part of doing business for people and
  businesses

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Hardware and Software

• What is Hardware?
• The physical items you can touch
• What is Software?
• The untouchable program that makes everything
  work
• Constantly changing needs

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Users generally dont own programs

• They just purchase the right to use them
• A License

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Buy a License

• Individual and site licenses
• EVERY MACHINE MUST HAVE A LICENSE TO USE ANY
  SOFTWARE!
• The programmers and companies developing the
  software
• Grant you the right to USE the software
• You dont own the software itself

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Giving Computers Programs

• Use programs like Liberty BASIC to create and
  enter programs into the computer

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A Sample Program
Filename First.bas Prints a countdown from
10 to 1 For I 10 To 1 Step -1 Print I Next
I Print Blast Off! End
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Liberty BASIC

• A programming system that helps you create
  programs and run them
• Do you know what BASIC stands for?
• Beginners All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code

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Lines of words that look like English

• The program instructions
• There are also items that do not seem to make
  sense until you learn the language
• Each word has a special computer meaning

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A computer is only a machine

• The programmer give the instructions to the
  computer using a programming language
• There are very special rules about how the
  language works
• Proper programming language grammar
• SYNTAX

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Syntax

• Again this is the proper use of programming
  language grammar

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Source Code

• The program you write
• Must be accurate for the machine to understand
  you
• In this school we know about trying to understand
  different languages!
• Source code gets translated to machine language
  something the machine understands
• Binary code 00011001

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All programs converted to machine language

• Written in programming language
• Changed to machine language

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The Compiler

• Converts human-readable source code
• Formed from programming language
• Into machine language your computer understands
• Important to change your instructions into
  language the computer can understand
• So it can do its work correctly

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Compiler is a translation program

• Liberty BASIC is just one type of compiler
• Based on one language -- BASIC