Java Reference
In-Depth Information
A primary purpose of this topic is to teach you how to design and implement computer
programs. You will learn how to formulate instructions for all tasks that your programs
need to execute.
Keep in mind that programming a sophisticated computer game or word processor
requires a team of many highly skilled programmers, graphic artists, and other
professionals. Your first programming efforts will be more mundane. The concepts
and skills you learn in this topic form an important foundation, but you should not
expect to immediately produce professional software. A typical college program in
computer science or software engineering takes four years to complete; this topic is
intended as an introductory course in such a program.
Many students find that there is an immense thrill even in simple programming tasks.
It is an amazing experience to see the computer carry out a task precisely and quickly
that would take you hours of drudgery.
S
ELF
C
HECK
1.
What is required to play a music CD on a computer?
2.
Why is a CD player less flexible than a computer?
3.
Can a computer program develop the initiative to execute tasks in a better
way than its programmers envisioned?
1.2 The Anatomy of a Computer
To understand the programming process, you need to have a rudimentary
understanding of the building blocks that make up a computer. This section will
describe a personal computer. Larger computers have faster, larger, or more powerful
components, but they have fundamentally the same design.
3
