Key concepts for a beginner coder
How Code Runs
Execution
- Execution is the act of running a code
- Execute character by character or
- Execute line by line
Bugs
- Bugs are mistakes or problems with our code
- Bugs are often unexpected defects, faults or flaws in the strings of code
- Debugging is the act of searching for and fixing bugs in our code
Pseudocode
- Pseudocode is an informal code that does not require any strict programming language syntax
- Pseudocode is used for creating an outline or a rough draft of a programme
Decomposing
- Decomposing is the act of breaking a problem or task down into smaller tasks
Commenting
- Comments can be used to explain code
- Comments can be used to simplify code
- Comments can be used to prevent execution when testing code
Common Data types
- Data types are a specific kind of data item, and is defined by the values it can take, the programming language used, or the operations that can be performed on it.
- In coding and programming, data type is an important concept to grasp
- Variables can store data of different types, and these different data types can in turn perform a variety of functions
Arithmetic Operators
- Arithmetic operators are used to perform mathematical functions
- There are 7 arithmetic operators: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, modulus, exponentiation, floor division
Loops
- Loops are used to execute a block of statements repeatedly until a given condition is satisfied
- When the given condition becomes false, the line that follows immediately after the loop is executed
Control Flow
- Control flow is the order in which a program’s code executes
- Control flow of a Python program is regulated by conditional statements, loops, and function calls.
- Control flow is also affected by raising and handling exceptions
Lists
- Lists are used to store multiple items in a single variable
- Lists are one of 4 built-in data types in Python used to store collections of data
Functions
- Functions are blocks of code that only run when they are called
- Data, or parameters, are passed into functions
- Functions can return data as a result
Keep a lookout for my next article on some basic codes!
Alexander SR Pang