Prelude to Programming is appropriate for Pre-Programming and Introductory Programming courses in community colleges, 4-year colleges, and universities. No prior computer or programming experience is necessary although readers are expected to be familiar with college entry-level mathematics. Prelude to Programming provides beginning students with a language-independent framework for learning core programming concepts and effective design techniques. This approach gives students the foundation they need to understand the logic behind program design and to establish effective programming skills. The Sixth Edition offers students a lively and accessible presentation as they learn core programming concepts — including data types, control structures, data files and arrays, and program design techniques such as top-down modular design and proper program documentation and style. Problem-solving skills are developed when students learn how to use basic programming tools and algorithms, which include data validation, defensive programming, calculating sums and averages, and searching and sorting lists. Teaching and Learning Experience This program presents a better teaching and learning experience–for you and your students. It provides: A Language-Independent, Flexible Presentation: The text has been designed so that instructors can use it for students at various levels. Features that Help Solidify Concepts: Examples, exercises, and programming challenges help students understand how concepts in the text apply to real-life programs. Real Programming Experience with RAPTOR: Students gain first-hand programming experience through the optional use of RAPTOR, a free flowchart-based programming environment. Support Learning: Resources are available to expand on the topics presented in the text.

Table of Contents:
0 Introduction 1 0.1 A Brief History of Computers 2 What Is a Computer? 2 Personal Computers 4 The Internet 7 0.2 Computer Basics 8 The Central Processing Unit 9 Internal Memory 9 Mass Storage Devices 10 Input Devices 12 Output Devices 12 0.3 Software and Programming Languages 14 Types of Software 14 Types of Programming and Scripting Languages 15 Chapter Review and Exercises 19   1 An Introduction to Programming 25 In the Everyday World: You Are Already a Programmer! 26 1.1 What Is Programming? 26 A General Problem-Solving Strategy 27 Creating Computer Programs: The Program Development Cycle 28 1.2 Basic Programming Concepts 29 A Simple Program 29 Data Input 32 Program Variables and Constants 34 1.3 Data Processing and Output 37 Processing Data 37 Data Output 41 1.4 Data Types 45 The Declare Statement 45 Character and String Data 45 1.5 Integer Data 48 Operations on Integers 49 1.6 Floating Point Data 50 The Declare Statement Revisited 51 Types of Floating Point Numbers 53 1.7 Running With RAPTOR (Optional) 58 Chapter Review and Exercises 60   2 Data Representation 67 In the Everyday World: It Isn’t Magic–It’s Just Computer Code 68 2.1 Decimal and Binary Representation 68 Bases and Exponents 68 The Binary System 70 2.2 The Hexadecimal System 73 Hexadecimal Digits 73 Using Hexadecimal Notation 77 2.3 Integer Representation 80 Unsigned Integer Format 80 Sign-and-Magnitude Format 81 One’s Complement Format 84 Two’s Complement Format 86 2.4 Floating Point Representation 91 Floating Point Numbers: the Integer Part 91 Floating Point Numbers: the Fractional Part 91 Converting a Decimal Fraction to Binary 93 Putting the Two Parts Together 96 2.5 Putting it All Together 97 Scientific Notation 97 Exponential Notation 98 Base 10 Normalization 99 Normalizing Binary Floating Point Numbers 100 The Excess_127 System 100 Base 2 Normalization 101 Single- and Double-Precision Floating Point Numbers 101 Hexadecimal Representation 104 Chapter Review and Exercises 106   3 Developing a Program 113 In the Everyday World: Planning to Program? You Need a Plan 114 3.1 The Program Development Cycle 115 The Process of Developing a Program 115 Additional Steps in the Cycle 118 3.2 Program Design 122 Modular Programming 122 3.3 Coding, Documenting, and Testing a Program 131 Coding and Documenting a Program 131 Testing a Program 133 Types of Errors 134 3.4 Commercial Programs: Testing and Documenting 135 The Testing Phase Revisited 136 External Documentation 136 3.5 Structured Programming 138 Flowcharts 138 Control Structures 143 Programming Style 146 3.6 Running With RAPTOR (Optional) 147 Getting Started 148 Introduction to RAPTOR Symbols 149 Variables 151 RAPTOR Symbols 155 Run It: The Sign-In Program 164 Developing the Program 165 Creating the Program in RAPTOR: Input 165 Creating the Program in RAPTOR: Processing 168 Creating the Program in RAPTOR: Output 169 Check It Out 170 Chapter Review and Exercises 172   4 Selection Structures: Making Decisions 179 In the Everyday World: Decisions, Decisions, Decisions . . . 180 4.1 An Introduction to Selection Structures 181 Types of Selection Structures 181 Single- and Dual-Alternative Structures 182 4.2 Relational and Logical Operators 188 Relational Operators 188 Logical Operators 191 Hierarchy of Operations 196 4.3 ASCII Code and Comparing Strings 199 Representing Characters With Numbers 199 4.4 Selecting from Several Alternatives 203 Using If Structures 203 Using Case-Like Statements 206 4.5 Applications of Selection Structures 210 Defensive Programming 210 Menu-Driven Programs 214 4.6 Focus on Problem Solving: A New Car Price Calculator 216 Problem Statement 216 Problem Analysis 217 Program Design 217 Program Code 220 Program Test 220 4.7 Running With RAPTOR (Optional) 221 The Selection Symbol 221 The Call Symbol and Subcharts 224 An Example 226 Run It: The New Car Price Calculator 232 Developing the Program 232 Check It Out 242 Chapter Review and Exercises 243   5 Repetition Structures: Looping 255 In the Everyday World: Doing the Same Thing Over and Over and Knowing When to Stop 256 5.1 An Introduction to Repetition Structures: Computers Never Get Bored! 257 Loop Basics 257 Relational and Logical Operators 261 5.2 Types of Loops 263 Pre-Test and Post-Test Loops 263 Counter-Controlled Loops 268 5.3 The For Loop 274 The For Statement 275 The For Loop in Action 278 The Careful Bean Counter 281 5.4 Applications of Repetition Structures 286 Using Sentinel-Controlled Loops to Input Data 286 Data Validation 290 The Floor() and Ceiling() Functions 294 Computing Sums and Averages 297 5.5 Focus on Problem Solving: A Cost, Revenue, and Profit Problem 302 Problem Statement 302 Problem Analysis 302 Program Design 304 Program Code 307 Program Test 307 5.6 Running With RAPTOR (Optional) 308 Repetition: The Loop Symbol 308 A Short Example 310 Run It: Encryption: The Secret Message Encoder 312 What is Encryption? 313 Problem Statement 313 Developing the Program 313 Developing the Encrypting Algorithms 314 Check It Out 320 Chapter Review and Exercises 321   6 More about Loops and Decisions 331 In the Everyday World: Loops Within Loops 332 6.1 Combining Loops with If-Then Statements 332 Exiting a Loop 333 6.2 Combining Loops and Decisions in Longer Programs 343 The Length_Of() Function 348 The Print Statement and the New Line Indicator 349 6.3 Random Numbers 353 The Random() Function 353 Not Really Random: The Pseudorandom Number 358 6.4 Nested Loops 359 Nested For Loops 359 Nesting Other Kinds of Loops 364 A Mental Workout: Mind Games 369 6.5 Focus on Problem Solving: A Guessing Game 376 Problem Statement 377 Problem Analysis 377 Program Design 378 Program Code 383 Program Test 383 6.6 Running With RAPTOR (Optional) 385 Two Short Examples 385 Run It: Validating a Password 389 Problem Statement 389 Developing the Program 389 Check the length of the password (4—8 characters) 391 Check the first character of the password (cannot be a number) 393 Check that the password contains one of the special characters (#, *, or $) 394 Chapter Review and Exercises 401   7 Arrays: Lists and Tables 407 In the Everyday World: Organize It with Lists and Tables 408 7.1 One-Dimensional Arrays 409 Array Basics 409 7.2 Parallel Arrays 416 Some Advantages of Using Arrays 420 A Word About Databases 423 7.3 Strings as Arrays of Characters 424 Concatenation Revisited 424 String Length versus Array Size 426 7.4 Two-Dimensional Arrays 429 An Introduction to Two-Dimensional Arrays 430 Using Two-Dimensional Arrays 431 7.5 Focus on Problem Solving: The Magic Square 436 Problem Statement 436 Problem Analysis 437 Program Design 438 Program Code 444 Program Test 444 7.6 Running With RAPTOR (Optional) 445 A Short Example 448 Run It: Self-Grading Math Test 450 Problem Statement 450 Developing and Creating the Program 450 Check It Out 456 Chapter Review and Exercises 459   8 Searching and Sorting Arrays 465 In the Everyday World: Searching and Sorting 466 8.1 Introduction to Searching and Sorting 466 The Serial Search Technique 466 Basic Steps in a Serial Search 467 Pseudocode for a Serial Search 468 8.2 The Bubble Sort Technique 471 Swapping Values 472 Using the Bubble Sort Algorithm 474 8.3 The Binary Search 480 Use the Binary Search for Large Arrays 481 8.4 The Selection Sort 486 General Selection Sort Technique 486 Applying the Selection Sort Technique 488 8.5 Focus on Problem Solving: A Grade Management Program 491 Problem Statement 491 Problem Analysis 491 Program Design 493 Program Code 499 Program Test 500 8.6 Running With RAPTOR (Optional) 500 The Serial Search 500 The Bubble Sort 503 The Binary Search 505 The Selection Sort 507 Run It: Soccer Camp 509 Problem Statement 509 Developing and Creating the Program 509 Check It Out 515 Revise and Improve 516 Check It Out 517 Chapter Review and Exercises 519   9 Program Modules, Subprograms, and Functions 527 In the Everyday World: Living and Programming in ManageablePieces: Subprograms 528 9.1 Data Flow Diagrams, Arguments, and Parameters 529 A Big Sale: The Sale Price Computation Program 529 Data Flow Diagrams 530 An Introduction to Arguments and Parameters 531 9.2 More about Subprograms 537 Value and Reference Parameters 537 How to Tell the Difference between Value and Reference Parameters 539 Two Helpful Functions: ToUpper() and ToLower() 542 The Scope of a Variable 545 9.3 Functions 550 Built-in Functions 550 User-Defined Functions 553 9.4 Recursion 558 The Recursive Process 558 9.5 Focus on Problem Solving: A Fitness Plan 563 Problem Statement 563 Problem Analysis 563 Program Design 564 Program Code 570 Program Test 570 9.6 Running With RAPTOR (Optional) 573 RAPTOR Built-In Functions (Procedures) 573 Creating a New Procedure 576 Run It: The Fitness Plan 581 Problem Statement 581 Developing and Creating the Program 582 Check It Out 590 Chapter Review and Exercises 592   10 Sequential Data Files 599 In the Everyday World: Keeping it On File 600 10.1 An Introduction to Data Files 601 File Basics 601 Creating and Reading Sequential Files 603 10.2 Modifying a Sequential File 608 Deleting Records 609 Modifying Records 612 Inserting Records 613 Using Arrays in File Maintenance 615 10.3 Merging Sequential Files 617 10.4 Focus on Problem Solving: Control Break Processing 620 Problem Statement 620 Problem Analysis 621 Program Design 622 Coding and Testing the Program 625 10.5 Focus on Problem Solving: The Invoice Preparation Program 625 Problem Statement 626 Problem Analysis 626 Program Design 627 Program Code 631 Program Test 631 10.6 Running With RAPTOR: (Optional) 632 Creating Data Files with the Redirect_Output() Procedure 632 Displaying Data Files with the Redirect_Input() Procedure 633 The Limitations 636 Run It: Professor Weisheit’s Semester Grades 637 Check It Out 645 Chapter Review and Exercises 647   11 Object-Oriented and Event-Driven Programming 655 In the Everyday World: Objects are Everywhere 656 11.1 Classes and Objects 656 Classes 656 Defining Classes and Creating Objects 659 Creating Objects 661 The Constructor 663 11.2 More Features of Object-Oriented Programming 664 Benefits of Object-Oriented Languages 664 Inheritance and Polymorphism 665 11.3 Object-Oriented Program Design and Modeling 675 Modeling Languages 678 Unified Modeling Language (UML) 678 11.4 Graphical User Interfaces and Event-Driven Programming 681 Window Components 681 Creating GUI Objects in a Program 682 Event-Driven Programming 684 Handling Events 684 Event-Driven Program Design 687 11.5 Focus on Problem Solving: Another Grade Management Program 689 Problem Statement 689 Problem Analysis 689 Program Design 690 Program Code 695 Program Test 696 11.6 Running With RAPTOR (Optional) 697 Object-Oriented Mode 697 Creating a Class 697 The main Program 704 Inheritance and Polymorphism 704 Run It: Monster Evasion 705 Problem Statement 705 Developing and Creating the Program 705 The main program 709 Using the Classes 713 Check It Out 716 Chapter Review and Exercises 718   Appendix A: A Study Skills 727 A.1 Achieving Success in the Course 727 A.2 Using the Textbook 728 A.3 Doing the Homework 729 A.4 Writing Programs 730 A.5 Preparing for Tests 731 A.6 More about Preparing for Tests 732 A.7 Taking Tests 733 A.8 Overcoming Test Anxiety 734 Appendix B: The ASCII Character Set: Printable Characters 735 Appendix C: Answers to Self Checks 739 Index 779