Programme
A program is a set of instructions given to a computer to perform a specific task. A computer program is a list of instructions that tell a computer what to do. Everything a computer does is done by using a computer program. Some examples of computer programs: A web browser like Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari can be used to view web pages on the Internet.
Characteristics of a Good Program
- Accuracy – The program must do what it is supposed to do correctly and must meet the criteria laid down in it’s specification.
- Readability and Simplicity – The overall simplicity of a programming language strongly affects the readability of the programs written in that language, and programs, which are easier to read and understand, are also easier to maintain. A good programming language must be simple and easy to learn and use. It should provide a programmer with a clear, simple and unified set of concepts, which can be easily grasped.
- Efficiency – Optimal utilization of resources is essential in any computer program. Programs written in a good programming language are efficiently translated into machine code, are efficiently executed, and acquire as little space in the memory as possible.
- Compactness – In a good programming language, programmers should be able to express intended operations concisely. A verbose language is generally not liked by programmers, because they need to write too much.
- Structured – Structured means that the language should have necessary features to allow its users to write their programs based on the concepts of structured programming.
- Usability – The program must be easy enough to use and be well documented, both for end users, novice and computer experts.
- Reliability – The program must always do what it is supposed to do and never crash at any point, either during usage or whenever.
- Naturalness – A good language should be natural for the application area, for which it has been designed. That is, it should provide appropriate operators, data structures, control structures, and a natural syntax to facilitate the users to code their problem easily and efficiently.
Steps Involved in Program Development
- Program definition
- Program analysis
- Flow chart
- Desk checking
- Program compilation
- Program testing/debugging
- Program coding
- Program documentation
Program definition: Is the creation of formal modal of the problem to be solved in the system analysis. It involves planning, implementation and evaluation of a set of programs to be developed.
Program Analysis: Is the process of automatically analysing the behaviour of a computer program. The main approaches to program analysis are static program analysis and dynamic program analysis. Main applications of program analysis are program correctness and program optimization.
Desk checking: Is a tool used to test the logic of a program. This means that the programmer needs to test whether the code is in correct order and what output is expected from the program.
Program debugging: Is the art of diagnosing errors in programs and determining how to correct them.
Debugging: Is a methodical process of finding and reducing the numbers of bugs or defects in a computer program or a piece of electronic hardware thus, making it behave as expected…
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