Introduction to Programming

Abstract

The aims of the chapter are:

• To introduce the idea that there is a wide class of problems that can be solved with a computer and, further, that there is a relationship between the kind of problem to be solved and the choice of programming language that is used.

• To give some of the reasons for the choice of Fortran.

• To introduce the fundamental components or kinds of statements to be found in a general purpose programming language.

• To introduce the three concepts of name, type and value.

• To illustrate the above with sample programs based on three of the five intrinsic data types:

• character, integer and real.

• To introduce some of the formal syntactical rules of Fortran.

Though this be madness, yet there is method in ’t

Shakespeare

Plenty of practice’ he went on repeating, all the time that Alice was getting him on his feet again. ‘plenty of practice.

The White Knight, Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There, Lewis Carroll