Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology
Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering
Chapter 1: Introduction to
Computers and Programming
Introduction to Computer Programming
(C language)
Tran Tuan Anh. Ph.D.
(trtanh@[Link])
Course Content
C.1. Introduction to Computers and
Programming
C.2. C Program Structure and its
Components
C.3. Variables and Basic Data Types
C.4. Selection Statements
C.5. Repetition Statements
C.6. Functions
C.7. Arrays
C.8. Pointers
C.9. File Processing 2
References
[1] “C: How to Program”, 7th Ed. – Paul
Deitel and Harvey Deitel, Prentice Hall, 2012.
[2] “The C Programming Language”, 2nd Ed.
– Brian W. Kernighan and Dennis M. Ritchie,
Prentice Hall, 1988
and others, especially those on the Internet
3
Content
Introduction
Computer Organization
Programming Languages
Programming Tasks
Data and Algorithms
Summary
4
Introduction
Computer Programming
◼ Computer
→ a device that can perform computations and make
logical decisions billions of times faster than human
beings can
◼ Programming
→ The act of writing the programs executable on the
computers to produce intended results
◼ Program
→ A sequence of instructions written in a programming
language to perform a specified task by the computer
5
Introduction
Programs and
Computers Programming their Results 6
Computer Organization
Hardware: physical components of
computer (including peripherals)
◼ the keyboard, screen, mouse, hard disk,
memory, DVDs and processing units, …
Software: a set of machine-readable
instructions that directs a computer's
processor to perform specific operations
[Wikipedia]
◼ Application softwares
◼ Operating system
◼ System softwares 7
Computer Organization -
Hardware
Computer Architecture
ALU = Arithmetic/logic gate unit: performing
8
arithmetic and logic operations on data
Computer Organization –
Software
9
Programming Languages
Programming language: a formal language
for writing a computer program as a
sequence of instructions
◼ C, C++, C#, Java, PHP, Python, …
Three general types
◼ Machine languages
◼ Assembly languages
◼ High-level languages
→ Providing a sequence of instructions that directly
understandable by computers or requiring some
intermediate translation steps 10
Programming Languages –
Machine Languages
First-generation language: strings of
numbers (ultimately reduced to 1s and 0s)
that instruct computers to perform their
most elementary operations one at a time
◼ Directly understandable by computers
◼ Machine-dependent
For example, instructions for
adding overtime pay to base
pay and then storing the
result in gross pay
11
Programming Languages –
Assembly Languages
Second-generation language: a low-level
language used to interface with computer
hardware using English-like abbreviations
to represent elementary operations
◼ Less understandable by computers
◼ Need for translation steps to convert an
assembly language program to machine codes
Translator = Assembler
For example, instructions for
adding overtime pay to base
pay and then storing the
result in gross pay 12
Programming Languages –
High-level Languages
Third-generation language: written
instructions that look almost like everyday
English and contain commonly used
mathematical notations
◼ Less understandable by computers
◼ Translator program is called compiler.
◼ The C language is a high-level language that needs
a compiler.
◼ Scripting languages such as PHP and Perl need an
interpreter.
For example, instructions for adding overtime pay to base pay and
then storing the result in gross pay: grosspay = basepay + overpay. 13
Programming Languages –
High-level Languages
Program File Compiler Binary File CPU Result
C, C++, Java, …
Program File Interpreter CPU Result
PHP, Perl, …
A history of computer programming languages – Wikipedia
Graph of programming language history – [Link]
14
Programming Languages –
The C language
Evolved from B by Dennis Ritchie at Bell
Laboratories and originally implemented on
a DEC PDP-11 computer in 1972
Using many of the important concepts of
BCPL and B while adding data typing and
other powerful features
Used for many important application trends
◼ Developing new major operating systems: UNIX,
Linux, Android, …
◼ Developing programs in the embedded systems
in cars, medical machines, …
15
Programming Languages –
The C language
Ken Thompson (left) with Dennis Ritchie (right,
the inventor of the C programming language)
[Wikipedia]
The development of the C language
◼ Dennis M. Ritchie
Full history of the C language
◼ Wikipedia
16
Programming Tasks
Design of Library Library
program (Header: *.h) (Object code: *.lib; *.dll; *.so)
Editor Preprocessor Compiler Linker Executable
Program
Source code Enhanced source code Object code
*.h + *.c *.h + *.c (*.cpp) *.obj
(*.cpp)
gcc; g++
Integrated Development Environment (IDE):
Visual Studio; Eclipse; Qt Creator; Code block; Online tool; etc
17
Programming Tasks
Editor: supports text editing feature for
writing source code
Preprocessor: preprocesses the source code
with replacing macro, inserting library files
*.h, …
Compiler: translates the source code into
target machine language
Linker: links the object code to other library
files
18
Data and Algorithms –
Concepts
Program
= A Sequence of Instructions Written in a
Programming Language to Perform a Specified
Task by the Computer
= Data and their Structures + Algorithms
Input/Output/… Process
Example 1: instructions for adding overtime pay to base pay and
then storing the result in gross pay: grosspay = basepay + overpay.
Example 2: given n positive numbers, find the smallest one.
19
Data and Algorithms –
Data
Atomic data: int, double, char, ...
Non-atomic data: array, struct, enum, …
A strong relationship between the data
structures and the operations on the data in
the corresponding structures
Example 1: instructions for adding overtime pay to base pay and
then storing the result in gross pay: grosspay = basepay + overpay.
- Input Data: basepay and overpay are positive real numbers
(double).
- Output Data: grosspay is also a positive real number (double).
Example 2: given n positive numbers, find the smallest one.
- Input Data: n positive real numbers are treated individually OR as
a collection (double)
- Output Data: minNumber is a positive real number (double). 20
Data and Algorithms –
Algorithms
Algorithm = a sequence of unambiguous
instructions for solving a problem, i.e. for
obtaining a required output for any
legitimate input in a finite amount of time
◼ Anany Levitin, Introduction to the Design and
Analysis of Algorithms, 2nd Edition, Addison
Wesley, 2007
Algorithm representation
◼ Pseudo code
◼ Flowchart
◼ Real code in a high-level programming language
21
Data and Algorithms –
Algorithms
Example 2: given n positive numbers, find the
smallest one.
Task solution:
◼ 1. Suppose that the first number is the smallest one
(current one).
◼ 2. Check if the current smallest one is a real one as
compared to the next number.
If yes then compared to the next number of the next one
like step 2 till all numbers are checked.
Otherwise,
▪ update the smallest one with the smaller one
▪ And then move next to check with the next number of the
next number like step 2 till all numbers are checked. 22
Data and Algorithms –
Algorithms – Pseudo Code
Header
◼ Algorithm name Header
◼ Input data and their data types
◼ Task purpose
Body
◼ Pre-conditions
◼ Post-conditions
◼ Output data and their data types
Body
◼ (Numbered) (control) statements
◼ Comments 23
Data and Algorithms –
Algorithms – Pseudo Code
Algorithm findMinNumber
Example - Input: positiveNumber[n] which is an array of n positive double values
- Output: minNumber which is the smallest one whose type is double
2: given - Purpose: find the smallest number in a collection
- Precondition: n data inputs are positive.
n positive Begin Algorithm
Check positiveNumber[n] contains only positive values
numbers, minNumber = positiveNumber[1]
iteration = 2
find the While (iteration <= n)
Begin While
smallest If (minNumber <= positiveNumber[iteration]) Then
iteration = iteration + 1
one.
Else
Begin
minNumber = positiveNumber[iteration]
iteration = iteration + 1
End
End While 24
Data and Algorithms –
Algorithms – Flowchart
Symbols used for drawing a flowchart
25
Data and Algorithms –
Algorithms - Flowchart
Terminal: starting point or end point
Input/Output: input data/output data of the
algorithm
Flow line: shows a control flow of the
algorithm. Execution follows this part.
Decision: allows a condition (expressed as
a boolean expression) to be checked
Process: data processing block
26
Data and Algorithms –
Algorithms - Flowchart
Predefined process: an existing data
processing block
On-page connector: a gathering point of
the flow lines in a flowchart
Off-page connector: a gathering point of
the flow lines from another page
Preparation: preparation steps, setting for
initial conditions
Annotation: comments
27
Data and Algorithms –
Algorithms - Flowchart
false
<Condition>
true
<Statements>
if Statement
28
Data and Algorithms –
Algorithms - Flowchart
false
<Condition>
true
<Statements T> <Statements F>
if-else Statement 29
Data and Algorithms –
Algorithms - Flowchart
false false false
<case 1> <case 2> <case N>
true true true
<Statements 1> <Statements 2> <Statements N> <Default>
switch-case Statement
30
Data and Algorithms –
Algorithms - Flowchart
<initialization>
false
<Condition>
true
<Iteration Value
<Statements>
Modification>
for Statement
31
Data and Algorithms –
Algorithms - Flowchart
false <Statements>
<Condition>
true
true
<Condition>
<Statements>
false
while Statement do while Statement
32
Flowchart vs. Pseudo Code?
Example 2: minNumber = How to add the checking
positiveNumber[1] of n positive numbers?
given n
positive iteration = 2
numbers,
false
iteration <= n
find the
smallest true
one. minNumber<= true
iteration =
positiveNumber[iteration]
iteration + 1
false
minNumber =
positiveNumber[iteration]
33
Data and Algorithms –
Algorithms – Real code in C
void main() {
double positiveNumber[10] = {2, 1, 3, 10, 8, 3, 4, 5, 9, 12};
int n = 10;
How to add the checking
double minNumber = positiveNumber[0]; of n positive numbers?
int iteration = 1;
while (iteration < n) {
if (minNumber <= positiveNumber[iteration]) iteration = iteration + 1;
else {
minNumber = positiveNumber[iteration];
iteration = iteration + 1;
}
}
} Pseudo Code vs. Flowchart vs. Real Code in C? 34
Summary
Concepts related to computer programming
Short introduction to computers, programs,
programming, and programming languages
Short introduction to the C language
Preparation for computer programming
◼ Programming tasks
◼ Data and basic data types
◼ Algorithms and their representations 35
Chapter 1: Introduction to
Computers and Programming
36
