CHAPTER 1

Introduction
to Computers
and
Programming

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Topics
• Introduction
• Hardware and Software
• How Computers Store Data
• How a Program Works
• Using Python

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Introduction
• Computers can be programmed
• Designed to do any job that a program tells
them to
• Program: set of instructions that a
computer follows to perform a task
• Commonly referred to as Software
• Programmer: person who can design,
create, and test computer programs
• Also known as software developer

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Hardware and Software
• Hardware: The physical devices that
make up a computer
• Computer is a system composed of several
components that all work together
• Typical major components:
• Central processing unit
• Main memory
• Secondary storage devices
• Input and output devices
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The CPU
• Central processing unit (CPU): the part
of the computer that actually runs
programs
• Most important component
• Without it, cannot run software
• Used to be a huge device
• Microprocessors: CPUs located on
small chips

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Main Memory
• Main memory: where computer stores a
program while program is running, and
data used by the program
• Known as Random Access Memory or
RAM
• CPU is able to quickly access data in RAM
• Volatile memory used for temporary storage
while program is running
• Contents are erased when computer is off

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Secondary Storage Devices
• Secondary storage: can hold data for long
periods of time
• Programs normally stored here and loaded to
main memory when needed
• Types of secondary memory
• Disk drive: magnetically encodes data onto a
spinning circular disk
• Solid state drive: faster than disk drive, no moving
parts, stores data in solid state memory
• Flash memory: portable, no physical disk
• Optical devices: data encoded optically

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Input Devices
• Input: data the computer collects from
people and other devices
• Input device: component that collects
the data
• Examples: keyboard, mouse, touchscreen,
scanner, camera
• Disk drives can be considered input devices
because they load programs into the main
memory

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Output Devices
• Output: data produced by the computer
for other people or devices
• Can be text, image, audio, or bit stream
• Output device: formats and presents
output
• Examples: video display, printer
• Disk drives and USB drives can be considered
output devices because data is sent to them to
be saved

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Software
• Everything the computer does is
controlled by software
• General categories:
• Application software
• System software
• Application software: programs that make
computer useful for every day tasks
• Examples: word processing, email, games, and
Web browsers

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Software (cont’d.)
• System software: programs that control
and manage basic operations of a
computer
• Operating system: controls operations of
hardware components
• Utility Program: performs specific task to
enhance computer operation or safeguard data
• Software development tools: used to create,
modify, and test software programs

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How Computers Store Data
• All data in a computer is stored in
sequences of 0s and 1s
• Byte: just enough memory to store
letter or small number
• Divided into eight bits
• Bit: electrical component that can hold positive
or negative charge, like on/off switch
• The on/off pattern of bits in a byte represents
data stored in the byte

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Storing Numbers
• Bit represents two values, 0 and 1
• Computers use binary numbering system
• Position of digit j is assigned the value 2j-1
• To determine value of binary number sum
position values of the 1s
• Byte size limits are 0 and 255
• 0 = all bits off; 255 = all bits on
• To store larger number, use several bytes

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Storing Characters
• Data stored in computer must be stored
as binary number
• Characters are converted to numeric
code, numeric code stored in memory
• Most important coding scheme is ASCII
• ASCII is limited: defines codes for only 128 characters
• Unicode coding scheme becoming standard
• Compatible with ASCII
• Can represent characters for other languages

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Advanced Number Storage
• To store negative numbers and real
numbers, computers use binary
numbering and encoding schemes
• Negative numbers encoded using two’s
complement
• Real numbers encoded using floating-point
notation

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Other Types of Data
• Digital: describes any device that stores
data as binary numbers
• Digital images are composed of pixels
• To store images, each pixel is converted to a
binary number representing the pixel’s color
• Digital music is composed of sections
called samples
• To store music, each sample is converted to a
binary number
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How a Program Works
• CPU designed to perform simple
operations on pieces of data
• Examples: reading data, adding, subtracting,
multiplying, and dividing numbers
• Understands instructions written in machine
language and included in its instruction set
• Each brand of CPU has its own instruction set
• To carry out meaningful calculation,
CPU must perform many operations
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How a Program Works
(cont’d.)
• Program must be copied from
secondary memory to RAM each time
CPU executes it
• CPU executes program in cycle:
• Fetch: read the next instruction from memory
into CPU
• Decode: CPU decodes fetched instruction to
determine which operation to perform
• Execute: perform the operation

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How a Program Works
(cont’d.)

Figure 1-16 The fetch-decode-execute cycle

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From Machine Language to
Assembly Language
• Impractical for people to write in machine
language
• Assembly language: uses short words
(mnemonics) for instructions instead of
binary numbers
• Easier for programmers to work with
• Assembler: translates assembly
language to machine language for
execution by CPU
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High-Level Languages
• Low-level language: close in nature to
machine language
• Example: assembly language
• High-Level language: allows simple
creation of powerful and complex
programs
• No need to know how CPU works or write large
number of instructions
• More intuitive to understand

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Key Words, Operators, and
Syntax: an Overview
• Key words: predefined words used to write
program in high-level language
• Each key word has specific meaning
• Operators: perform operations on data
• Example: math operators to perform arithmetic
• Syntax: set of rules to be followed when
writing program
• Statement: individual instruction used in
high-level language
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Compilers and Interpreters
• Programs written in high-level
languages must be translated into
machine language to be executed
• Compiler: translates high-level
language program into separate
machine language program
• Machine language program can be executed
at any time

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Compilers and Interpreters
(cont’d.)
• Interpreter: translates and executes
instructions in high-level language
program
• Used by Python language
• Interprets one instruction at a time
• No separate machine language program
• Source code: statements written by
programmer
• Syntax error: prevents code from being translated

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Compilers and Interpreters
(cont’d.)

Figure 1-19 Executing a high-level program with an interpreter

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Using Python
• Python must be installed and
configured prior to use
• One of the items installed is the Python
interpreter
• Python interpreter can be used in two
modes:
• Interactive mode: enter statements on
keyboard
• Script mode: save statements in Python script

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Interactive Mode
• When you start Python in interactive
mode, you will see a prompt
• Indicates the interpreter is waiting for a
Python statement to be typed
• Prompt reappears after previous statement is
executed
• Error message displayed If you incorrectly
type a statement
• Good way to learn new parts of Python
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Writing Python Programs and
Running Them in Script Mode
• Statements entered in interactive mode
are not saved as a program
• To have a program use script mode
• Save a set of Python statements in a file
• The filename should have the .py extension
• To run the file, or script, type
python filename
at the operating system command line

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The IDLE Programming
Environment
• IDLE (Integrated Development
Program): single program that provides
tools to write, execute and test a
program
• Automatically installed when Python language
is installed
• Runs in interactive mode
• Has built-in text editor with features designed
to help write Python programs

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Summary
• This chapter covered:
• Main hardware components of the computer
• Types of software
• How data is stored in a computer
• Basic CPU operations and machine language
• Fetch-decode-execute cycle
• Complex languages and their translation to
machine code
• Installing Python and the Python interpreter modes

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