STRUCTURED-

PROGRAMMING
BY: MUHUMUZA O N A N (B.SC.CS)

TEL: 0771580368
0757184445

EMAIL: onanmuhumuza14@gmail.com
2020akcs1103f@kab.ac.ug
INTRODUCTION TO STRUCTURED PROGRAMMING

• Programming means to convert problem solutions into instructions for the computer.
It also refersto the process of developing and implementing various sets of instructions to
enable a computer to do a certain task.

• Structured programming (sometimes known as modular programming) is an approach to

writing programs that are easier to test, debug, modify and maintain by enforcing a modular
approach which breaks a large complex problem into sub-problems.
•
• A programming language is a vocabulary and set of grammatical rules designed for
instructing acomputer to perform specific tasks.
 HISTORY OF PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES

First-Generation Programming Languages – Machine Language

• A first-generation of programming languages includes machine-level programming languages.These languages were

introduced in the 1940s and had the following characteristics:
❖ Instructions were entered directly in binary format (1s and 0s) and therefore they were tedious and error prone.
Programmers had to design their code by hand then transfer it to acomputer using a punch card, punch tape or flicking
switches.
❖ Instructions were executed directly by a computer's central processing unit (CPU) i.e. theywere executed very fast.
❖ Memory management was done manually.
❖ Programs were very difficult to edit and debug.
❖ Used to code simple programs only.
 Second-Generation Programming Languages (2GL) –
Low Level Programming Languages/Assembly
Languages
They were introduced to mitigate the error prone and excessively difficult nature of binary programming.
• Introduced in the 1950s
• Improved on first generation by providing human readable source code which must be compiled/assembled into
machine code (binary instructions) before it can be executed by a CPU
• Specific to platform architecture i.e. 2GL source code is not portable across processors or processing environments.
• Designed to support logical structure and debugging.
NB: By using codes resembling English, programming becomes much easier. The use of these mnemonic codes such as LDA

for load and STA for store means the code is easier to read and write. To convert an assembly code program into object code to
run on a computer requires an Assembler and each line of assembly can be replaced by the equivalent one line of object
(machine) code:
 CONT…

• Such languages are sometimes still used for kernels and device drivers, i.e. the core of the operatingsystem and
for specific machine parts. More often, such languages are used in areas of intense processing, like graphics
programming, when the code needs to be optimized for performance.

• Almost every CPU architecture has a companion assembly language. Most commonly used are the assembly
languages today like Autocoder for IBM mainframe systems, Linoreum, MACRO -11,etc.
 THIRD-GENERATION LANGUAGES (3GL) –
HIGH-LEVEL LANGUAGES

Third generation languages are the primary languages used in general purpose programming today. They each vary quite
widely in terms of their particular abstractions and syntax. However, they all share great enhancements in logical structure
over assembly languages.

 Introduced in the 1950s

 Designed around ease of use for the programmer (Programmer friendly)
 Driven by desire for reduction in bugs, increases in code reuse
 Based on natural language
 Often designed with structured programming in mind
 The languages are architecture independent e.g. C, Java etc.

Examples:

• Most Modern General Purpose Languages such as C, C++, C#, Java, Basic, COBOL, Lisp and ML.
 FOURTH GENERATION
LANGUAGES
Fourth-generation programming languages are high-level languages built around database systems.They are generally
used in commercial environments.
 Improves on 3GL and their development methods with higher abstraction and statementpower, to reduce errors and
increase development speed by reducing programming effort. They result in a reduction in the cost of software
development.

 A 4GL is designed with a specific purpose in mind. For example languages to querydatabases (SQL), languages to
make reports (Oracle Reports) etc.

 4GL are more oriented towards problem solving and systems engineering.
• Examples: Progress 4GL, PL/SQL, Oracle Reports, Revolution language, SAS, SPSS, SQ
 FIFTH GENERATION LANGUAGES

Improves on the previous generations by skipping algorithm writing and instead provide constraints/conditions.

• While 4GL are designed to build specific programs, 5GL are designed to make the computer solve a given
problem without the programmer. The programmer only needs to worry about what problems needed to
be solved and only inputs a set of logical constraints, with no specified algorithm, and the Artificial
Intelligence (AI)-based compiler builds the program based onthese constraints

• Examples: Prolog, OPS5, Mercury

 LOW-LEVEL LANGUAGES VERSUS HIGH-LEVEL
LANGUAGES
1. Low-level languages such as machine language and assembly language are closer to the
hardware than high- level programming languages, which are closer to human languages.

2. Low-level languages are converted to machine code without using a compiler or interpreter,
and the resulting code runs directly on the processor.

3 . A program written in a low-level language runs very quickly, and with a very small
memory footprint; an equivalent program in a high-level language will be more
heavyweight.

4. Low-level languages are simple, but are considered difficult to use, due to the numerous
technical details which must be remembered.
Cont…

High-level languages are closer to human languages and further from machine languages.

• The main advantage of high-level languages over low-level languages is that they are
easier to read, write, and maintain. Ultimately, programs written in a high-level
language must be translated into machine language by a compiler or interpreter.
• The first high-level programming languages were designed in the 1950s. Now there
are dozens of different languages, including Ada, Algol, BASIC, COBOL, C, C++,
FORTRAN, LISP, Pascal, and Prolog.
 PROGRAMMING PARADIGMS

a) Unstructured Programming

• In unstructured programs, the statements are executed in sequence (one after the other) as written.
This type of programming uses the GoTo statement which allows control to be passed to any other
section in the program. When a GoTo statement is executed, the sequence continues from the
targetof the GoTo. Thus, to understand how a program works, you have to execute it. This often
makes itdifficult to understand the logic of such a program.
•
b)Structured Programming
• The approach was developed as a solution to the challenges posed by unstructured/procedural
programming. Structured programming frequently employs a top-down design model, in which
developers break the overall program structure into separate subsections.
 CONT…

• A defined function or set of similar functions is coded in a separate module or sub-module, which means that
code can beloaded into memory more efficiently and that modules can be reused in other programs. After
a module has been tested individually, it is then integrated with other modules into the overall program
structure.
• Program flow follows a simple hierarchical model that employs looping constructs such as "for,""repeat," and
"while." Use ofthe "GoTo" statement is discouraged.
• Most programs will require thousands or millions of lines of code. (Windows 2000 – over 35 millions lines of
code). The importance of splitting a problem into a series of self-contained modules then becomes obvious. A
module should not exceed 100 lines, and preferably short enoughto fit on a single page or screen.
• Examples of structured programming languages include:
➢ C
➢ Pascal
➢ Fortran
➢ Cobol
➢ ALGOL, Ada and dBASE etc.
 CONT…

c) Object-oriented programming (OOP)

• This is a programming paradigm that represents concepts as "objects" that have data fields (attributes
that describe the object) and associated procedures known as methods. Objects, which are usually
instances of classes, are used to interact with one another to design applications and computer programs.

d) Visual Programming
• A visual programming language uses a visual representation (such as graphics, drawings, animation or
icons, partially or completely). A visual language manipulates visual information or supports visual
interaction, or allows programming with visual expressions
 CONT…

• A VPL allows programming with visual expressions, spatial arrangements of text and graphic
symbols, used either as elements of syntax or secondary notation. For example, many VPLs
(knownas dataflow or diagrammatic programming) are based on the idea of "boxes and
arrows", where boxes or other screen objects are treated as entities, connected by arrows, lines
or arcs which represent relations. An example of visual programming languages is Microsoft
Visual Basic which was derived from BASIC and enables the rapid application development
(RAD) of graphical user interface (GUI) applications.
 CONT…

e) Internet Based Programming

• This is programming oriented to the development of internet applications

using languages and tools such as PHP, ASP, Perl, JavaScript, HTML, Java
etc.
SOFTWARE CONSIDERATIONS

• Before you can start programming in C, you will need text editor such as a plain text
Notepad Editor though it does not offer code completion or debugging.

❖ Many programmers prefer and recommend using an Integrated Development

Environment (IDE) instead of a text editor on which to code, compile and test their
programs.
❖ Memory requirements
❖.Disk space required
Integrated Development Environments (IDEs)

An Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is a software application that provides

comprehensive tools to programmers for software development. It integrates multiple
features like writing, debugging, and testing code within a single application.

Examples of Popular IDEs for C Programming:

1.Dev-C++: Lightweight and beginner-friendly IDE for C and C++ programming.

2.Code::Blocks: Open-source IDE with advanced debugging features.
3.Eclipse CDT: Powerful IDE for professional development.
4.Visual Studio Code: Versatile editor with extensions for C programming.
5.CLion: JetBrains IDE tailored for C and C++ development.
Key Features of IDEs:

1.Code Editor: Allows programmers to write and edit source code efficiently.
1. Syntax highlighting
2. Auto-completion
3. Error detection
2.Compiler/Interpreter: Translates code into machine-readable format.
3.Debugger: Helps identify and fix errors in the code.
4.Build Automation Tools: Streamlines the process of compiling and linking
programs.
5.Version Control Integration: Supports versioning tools like Git for source
code management.
6.Project Management Tools: Organizes and manages project files.
ADVANTAGES C LANGUAGE

1. Modularity: modularity is one of the important characteristics of C. we can split the C

program into no. of modules instead of repeating the same logic statements
(sequentially). It allows reusability of modules.

2. General purpose programming language: C can be used to implement any kind of

applications such as math’s oriented, graphics, business oriented applications.
3. Portability: we can compile or execute C program in any operating system (UNIX,
dos, windows)
4. Powerful and efficient programming language: C is very efficient and powerful
programming language; it is best used for data structures and designing system
software. Efficient in that it is a modular programming language and thus makes
efficient use of memory and system resources.
DISADVANTAGES
END