What is Programming: Definition and 1000 Discussions

Computer programming is the process of designing and building an executable computer program to accomplish a specific computing result or to perform a specific task. Programming involves tasks such as: analysis, generating algorithms, profiling algorithms' accuracy and resource consumption, and the implementation of algorithms in a chosen programming language (commonly referred to as coding). The source code of a program is written in one or more languages that are intelligible to programmers, rather than machine code, which is directly executed by the central processing unit. The purpose of programming is to find a sequence of instructions that will automate the performance of a task (which can be as complex as an operating system) on a computer, often for solving a given problem. Proficient programming thus often requires expertise in several different subjects, including knowledge of the application domain, specialized algorithms, and formal logic.
Tasks accompanying and related to programming include: testing, debugging, source code maintenance, implementation of build systems, and management of derived artifacts, such as the machine code of computer programs. These might be considered part of the programming process, but often the term software development is used for this larger process with the term programming, implementation, or coding reserved for the actual writing of code. Software engineering combines engineering techniques with software development practices. Reverse engineering is a related process used by designers, analysts and programmers to understand and re-create/re-implement.

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  1. J

    Programs EE major that loves physics class but hates computer programming

    Is an electrical engineering major like myself going to have a hard time gettin through my bachelors if i can't stand learning a programming language? I love studying the sciences but something about cse bores the crap out of me.
  2. J

    A few questions about C programming language

    1. In what direction does a compiler read a program? Left to right, top to bottom? 2. What does it mean when a function is called by another. Like when main() is called by the operating system, what is going on within the computer? Does the OS send a code in binary or what? 3. When the...
  3. pairofstrings

    C# C,C++,C#:System programming and Application programming

    1. Basically, I want to take a piece of hardware and do system programming by using C and C++ computer languages and I want to develop User Interface using C# in .Net framework. So, what I intend to do is I want to use Visual Studio Integrated Development Environment 2010 and develop user...
  4. C

    Where should the theory guys go get programming experience?

    I'm graduating within a phd in theoretical cosmology in several months and have found that it is very difficult to land a job in the industry without any demonstrated programming experience. Knowing that the academic road isn't for me practically, I've read books on C++ and coded a little, but...
  5. P

    MHB Linear Programming Problem using the Simplex Method

    Here is my story problem: An electronics store stocks VCRs, stereo systems, and television sets. They have limited storage space and can stock a total of at most 210 of these three machines. They know from past experience that they should stock twice as many VCRs as stereo systems and at least...
  6. B

    Programming language for physicist

    I will be going into university this summer, and I intend to learn to code during the summer as it is important to physicist. I have virtually no programming experience. Which language is at the right level and can run complex physical simulations? thanks
  7. S

    Basic C Programming Help Cash Register

    Hello, I am working on a basic cash register c program and I've run into a few errors/logical errors I don't know where to begin to fix. I am limited to knowing only how to use, scant, printf, if/elseif/else, do/dowhile. The problem is if you compile it and test it, my validcode flag is not...
  8. L

    Root Programming: Draw Charge, Mass, Energy Distribution & More

    Hi all, I want ask you about root programming, if I have the SMM data How I can do the following: 1- Draw the charge, mass and energy distribution of the reaction products 2- Draw the multiplicity of intermediate mass fragments as function of impact parameter and excitation energy...
  9. I like Serena

    The C++ Programming Language by Bjarne Stroustrup

    Author: Bjarne Stroustrup Title: The C++ Programming Language Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0201700735/?tag=pfamazon01-20 Prerequisities: Contents:
  10. S

    Optimization Problem(Linear Programming Model)

    Homework Statement A factory has stocked a lot of pipes (sufficient). Each standard pipe is 5-meter long. But this kind of pipe cannot be used directly. We should cut them into three types: 140cm, 95cm and 65cm. In addition, the proportion of these three types of pipes must be 2:4:1. In...
  11. M

    Solving MIPS Programming: Enter 5 Ints & Reverse Order

    I am trying to teach mips to my self and wrote a fairly simple program and it isn't working and found out that the strings I declared in .data are somehow affecting one of my pointers. Here is the code: #Write a program that allows the user to enter 5 ints and store these ints in an array...
  12. P

    How much of C do you have to know before programming microcontrollers?

    I'm learning C on my own time. I'm going at a pretty fast pace, but I'm highlighting most of the important things or at least, what I think is important so I can refer back to it later. I struggle with most of the back of the chapter exercises mainly because I'm going through it really fast and...
  13. L

    Fortran Fortran tutorial for someone with no prior programming experience?

    Hi there, As the title suggests, I am looking to start learning my first programming language. I am a mature student (24) who has recently returned to school to pursue physics. A friend of mine who does physics suggested that I learn Fortran (90/95) as my first language. I am looking online...
  14. J

    What skills do puzzles in programming develop?

    I have been solving some programming questions and all are some sort of puzzles? What are they trying to teach us with puzzles? What skills are they trying to develop by solving puzzles?
  15. F

    C Programming with Interrupts: How to Avoid Polling and Optimize Processor Usage

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  16. F

    When to use ADCON1 in c programming on the pic18f8722

    Under what circumstances would you use ADCON1=0x0F? All I know at the moment is for using the pushbuttons and using the switches and then I saw a piece of code using the pushbuttons without this line in it and I was wondering whether I was wrong all of this time. I have tried googling and...
  17. P

    Need help interpreting this C (programming) Code

    // Program to categorize a single character that is entered at the terminal #include <stdio.h> int main (void) { char c; printf ("Enter a single character:\n"); scanf ("%c", &c); if ( (c >= 'a' && c <= 'z') || (c >= 'A' && c <= 'Z') ) printf ("It's...
  18. L

    Root Programming: Input/Output Comparison

    Hi all, I want ask you about root programming , if I have A (mass number) for output and input data for experiment how I can comparison between A input and A output see attachments
  19. R

    Mathematical Programming II

    The table below records the profits that are made when one unit of material is sold by factories A,B, C to dealers L,M,N, P. The output of each factory and demand from each dealer are given in brackets ( A,B,C ) -> L(30) M(30) N(30) P(45) A(100) -> 25 30 20 20 B(20) -> 30 25 15 10 C(15) -> 10 35...
  20. R

    How to Solve a Mixed Kuhn-Tucker/Lagrange Problem with an Inequality Constraint?

    Queston From Mathematical Programming:? Find the minimum value of P(x,y,z)=Z+1/2(x^2+ y^2+1/10 z^2) constrained by and where r is a positive constant. Solve the problem when r=1, r=5. Can you find the solution for general r? (Note this is a mixed Kuhn-Tucker/ Lagrange problem. The inequality...
  21. Arsenic&Lace

    Useful programming languages to learn?

    The universe keeps (emphatically) yowling at me to learn a progamming language. As part of my research in computational biophysics I'm attempting to learn python as rapidly as possible. But I'm trying to figure out which languages are most useful to learn, and which languages I should learn...
  22. A

    Assembly Language Programming under Mac OS X

    I want to start with assembly language programming after some years with C, cause I think it's a good way to learn how a computer actually works. But how I can compile assembly code under Mac OS X? I went to a library, and I had found out that many books are outdated, and no book covers...
  23. P

    What programming environment to use?

    I'm planning on learning C over winter break. What is the best programming environment to use for C?
  24. T

    Need advice on programming internship

    Hi guys, I've started a programming internship about a month ago and i have some concerns and I'm hoping to hear some of your programming internship (or any internship for that matter) experiences. My biggest concern is that i feel that i am doing too much rummaging. I am always searching on...
  25. Aaronvan

    Fortran Will FORTRAN always be the premier programming language for science?

    Fortran has been around since the 1950s and obviously there is a large amount of Fortran code lying around. However, I'm curious if C or another programming language will someday supplant Fortran. Perhaps scientists will gravitate towards high-level math packages like Matlab and Maple, and...
  26. U

    Linear programming problem

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  27. M

    C/C++ Jumping straight into C++ without programming knowledge

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  28. O

    Programming project. blackjack, String array issue

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  29. C

    Questions on Object Oriented Programming

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  30. J

    Comp Sci Computational Physics Programming using fortran g95

    Homework Statement Create a program that computes for the value of sine function. Then compute for its integral from 0 to pi with N intervals, where N=4,8,16,256 and 1024 and compare the result for the trapezoid and simpson method. Homework Equations Trapezoid rule of Integration...
  31. J

    Creating an OS: Understanding the Basics of Programming and Text Editors

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  32. twoski

    How can the MARIE processor be used to count the number of zeroes in user input?

    Homework Statement Write a MARIE program that repeatedly receives a sequence of decimal digits (one digit at a time) and counts the number of occurrences of ‘0’ and stores it in memory location Count until a non-digit is received. Assemble and run your program using the MARIE simulator...
  33. A

    Linear programming: How to find extreme points and extreme directions?

    Hi guys I'm reading a book about linear programming and network flows. In chapter 2 when it talks about convex sets and their analysis it talks about extreme points and extreme directions of a convex set. I understand the definitions of extreme points and extreme directions, but I don't know...
  34. T

    Optimizing Knights on 8x8 Chess Board with Integer Programming

    Homework Statement On a 8x8 chess board format an Integer program to optimize the amount of knights required such that every square is covered by at least one knight. Homework Equations I know of a similar problem where we use duality for the placing 5 queens such that the maximum...
  35. W

    Intersecting Vectors(python programming)

    I am doing a project for a a programming class where we create AI bots for the game Xpilot. Xpilot is a space physics game where you control a ship that attempt to shoot other ships. I am attempting to create an aiming function for the ship, but cannot figure out the physics of it. The given...
  36. V

    Programming in C question. Printing Arrays

    Homework Statement Alright, I actually solved this problem myself, it is just ugly and hilariously inelegant. I won't lose points since it is an introductory course, and it technically works, but I wondered what the "right way" to do this is. Here is what I had to do. Create an array where...
  37. V

    Programming in C, creating an Array user gets to input

    Homework Statement Alright, so for my engineering programming class I have an assignment where I have to create a program with an array, and then do things with the array, such as create a search function for it, and list how many numbers fall within a certain range, ect, ect. So I...
  38. I

    Formulating a Mixed Integer Programming Problem

    Homework Statement Not sure if this type of math goes in this section, but I have a quick question regarding a MIP problem. It's simple to grasp, but I'm not sure whether or not I am formulating this problem correctly. A city needs to hire workers to clean the snow. The city is divided into j...
  39. P

    Dynamic Programming with 2 state variables

    Homework Statement Derive the Euler Equation of the dynamic programming problem: \[max_{\{ z_t \}^\infty_{t=0}} \sum_{t=0}^{\infty} \delta^t f(x_t, y_t, z_t) \] subject to: x_{t+1} = g_1(x_t, y_t, z_t), \ y_{t+1} = g_2(x_t, y_t, z_t), \ x_0 = x^0, y_0 = y^0 and where \delta <1...
  40. A

    MHB Linear Programming using the simplex method

    Southwestern Oil supplies two distributors in the Northwest from two outlets. S1 and S2. Distributor S1 needs at least 3000 barrels of oil, and D2 needs at least 5000 barrels. The two outlets can each furnish exactly 5000 barrels of oil. The cost per barrel to ship the oil are:S1: D1=$30...
  41. L

    Learning piano or programming?

    I want to learn something new. Something that takes time to accomplish and that would 'enrich' me somehow. I thought about learning programming or learning playing the piano. I tried both at a very elementary level and find them both fascinating, but only would have the time (and energy!) for...
  42. A

    MHB Linear Programming using the simplex method

    The Chemistry department at a local college decides to stock at least 900 small test tubes and 600 large test tubes. It wants to buy at least 2700 test tubes to take advantage of a special price. Since the small test tubes are broken twice as often as the large, the department will order at...
  43. S

    Evolving Prime Number Algorithms: Can Computers Duplicate Human Programming?

    there are many prime number algorithm the simplest being dividing all the number less than the prime number. then comes division of number less than or equal half of the number to prime number with the prime number finally the division by all the smaller prime number than the given number...
  44. B

    Take the Math Class or the Programming Class?

    Hi everyone, It's that time again at my school-registration. I've been picking out my classes but I came across a rather annoying dilemma. My discrete math and data structures and program design classes conflict temporally. The discrete math class would count for my math minor, and the data...
  45. T

    Can Programming Skills Improve Your Math Abilities?

    Hello, So basically I am worried that once I begin learning math subjects beyond algebra I will struggle. I can program in C and BASIC and was wondering if that programmer knowledge will help me with the abstract thinking and problem solving part of it.
  46. Biosyn

    Programming language for satellites?

    Hello, What programming languages are used in the majority of satellites? I was thinking it would be C,C++, and Ada because these languages are close to the processor. I'm sure ASM is also used too. Am I correct? I don't think any satellite uses Java but I could be wrong.
  47. S

    Programming algorithms vs. Buying

    I'm an IT consultant and would like to ask for opinions. Do you think it is smarter to program algorithms or buy them from a library? Especially for complicated algorithms involving higher math functions. Some libraries charge a flat rate with unlimited downloads, they check their algorithms...
  48. A

    C Programming: Dynamic allocation of 2D arrays using an array of pointers.

    Homework Statement Ok, I'm learning C programming and I'm trying to create a dynamic 2D array. This is the code that seems to work in creating a dyamic array. I found it in a book. //rows and cols are values entered by the user when the program runs. int **(matA) =...
  49. A

    How to solve this Linear Programming problem graphically

    Homework Statement Solve the following LP problem GRAPHICALLY Minimise -x1+x2 subject to constraints x1+x2 >=1, x1+2x2<=8, x1-x2<=5, x1>=0, x2>=0. a)by sketching the feasible set b)finding...
  50. S

    Fortran [Fortran] Bad Programming Practices

    I'm updating some particle physics code from Pang's An Introduction to Computational Physics. It looks like he updated F77 code to F90, but kept a lot of iffy practices in like putting all of his functions, subroutines, and modules into one file without the use of a contains. What I'm aiming...
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