Category: Notes

Chapter 4: Program Structure Most programs are too big to be comprehended as a single chunk. They must be divided into smaller pieces that can be conquered separately. That is the only way to write them reliably; it is the only way to read and understand them.  Subroutines, functions, and procedures are the “modules,” or

Chapter 3: Control Structure A computer program is shaped by its data representation and the statements that determine its flow of control. These define the structure of a program. There is no sharp distinction between expression and organization.  The control structures of a language provide the framework of a program. These include decision-making with IF

Chapter 2: Expressions Writing a computer program eventually boils down to wanting a sequence of statements in the language at hand. How each of those statements is expressed determines in large measure the intelligibility of the whole; no amount of commenting, formatting, or supplementary documentation can entirely replace well expressed statements. After all, they determine

Preface to the Second Edition The practice of computer programming has changed since The Elements of Programming Style first appeared. Programming style has become a legitimate topic of discussion. After years of producing “write-only code,” students, teachers, and computing professionals now recognize the importance of readable programs. There has also been a widespread acceptance of