Recall: Programming is...

In the discussing the big picture of programming I offered you the following,

Q: Could you just tell me what a computer program is?

A: A list of instructions telling the computer what to do.

Q: And programming is writing down those instructions?

A: Well you have to think of them first, but yes.

To be a little more specific the process of writing a computer program usually involves:

1. Solving the problem by hand to make sure we know how.

2. Consciously identifying our solution method, i.e. algorithm.

3. Translating that algorithm into Python.

4. Entering and running the resulting program, and verifying that it works.

These are the steps we will follow throughout this course as we develop programs.