Note 01: Introduction

Programming is the work of describing a process precisely enough that a computer can carry it out. In CPSC 110, we focus on small Python programs that read input, compute a result, and present output clearly.

Core Ideas

• A program is a sequence of instructions.
• An algorithm is a step-by-step solution strategy.
• A bug is a mismatch between intended and actual behavior.
• A test case is a chosen input used to check a program.

First Example

name = input("What is your name? ")
print("Welcome,", name)

This program:

1. Prompts the user.
2. Stores the response.
3. Prints a message using that response.

Good Habits Early

• Run code often.
• Read error messages carefully.
• Change one thing at a time while debugging.
• Use meaningful variable names from the start.