Microsoft Visual Basic 2010: Reloaded Fourth Edition

OverviewAn Introduction to Programming

Objectives

After studying this overview, you should be able to:

• Define the terminology used in programming

• Explain the tasks performed by a programmer

• Describe the qualities of a good programmer

• Understand the employment opportunities for programmers and software engineers

• Understand how to use the chapters effectively

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Programming a Computer

• Programming: giving a mechanism the directions to accomplish a task

• Programs: directions given to computers

• Programmers: people who write programs

• Programming languages: used to communicate with the computer

• This textbook uses the Visual Basic programming language

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The Programmer’s Job

• Typical tasks performed by a programmer include:– Meet with users to determine the exact problem and

to agree on the desired solution– Plan an appropriate solution and convert the solution

to instructions that the computer can follow– Meet with users to determine whether the program

fulfills the users’ needs– Rigorously test the program with sample data before

releasing it to the user– Provide the user with a manual that explains how to

use the program

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Do I Have What It Takes to Be a Programmer?

• Programmers should be able to:– Think logically and pay attention to detail– Be patient and persistent and able to work under

pressure– Be creative in designing solutions and testing them– Work in teams and interact directly with users and

other nontechnical personnel

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Employment Opportunities

• Job titles and descriptions vary

• Computer software engineers: typically are responsible for designing an appropriate solution to a problem

• Computer programmers: responsible for converting the solution into a language that the computer can understand

• Both are employed in almost every industry

• Coding: the process of translating the solution into a programming language

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Summary (continued)

• All business people should know at least a little about the programming process

• The same person may perform the duties of both a software engineer and a programmer

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