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These templates make working with sequenced data automatic All programming languages provide some means of storing data sequentially. Some languages use arrays for this purpose. Some languages use the term list rather than array. Some languages provide both arrays and another sequenced data collection type – the vector (C++) or the ArrayList (Java and C#). …
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Learning program templates leads to programming expertise In an earlier article I discussed four program templates every beginning programmer should learn. I also discussed why learning program templates is so important. Briefly, program templates are chunks of knowledge that programmers use to develop solutions to problems. Learning and practicing these templates allow programmers to more …
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Program templates are the key mental representation for successful programming Program templates are common patterns of programming code usage that come up again and again as solutions to programming problems. A key skill in computer programming is learning to recognize these patterns and then applying them to unique situations. In this article I’m going to …
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Programming expertise requires knowing and using hundreds of templates This article is the fourth in a series of articles on a sequenced instructional approach to teaching computer programming. The steps in the sequence are: 1) Learning how to read code and understand what it does; 2) Learning how to write code from clear instructions; 3) …
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Recognizing templates makes you a more expert programmer The third step in a sequential instructional approach to learning computer programming is learning how to read program templates. A template is a set of programming instructions that represent a common code use pattern. Templates provide a means of moving from learning how to write code to …
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You can’t write code before you can read code The four steps in a sequenced instructional approach to teaching programming are: 1) reading and understanding code; 2) writing code; 3) reading and understanding program templates; and 4) applying program templates to unique situations. I discussed the first step in the process in a previous article …
There are four main steps to learning any new programming construct. The first step is learning how to read code by doing variable and code traces. The second step is writing code from pseudocode. The third step is to learn how to read code templates, such as a template for swapping two variables or a …
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So you want to learn how to write computer programs? Where do you start? What language do you learn first? In this article, I’m going to suggest that you start with an interpreted language that has a shell program (also called a REPL) you can use to practice with. What is a Shell Program? A …
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One of the traits that separate experts in a field from amateurs is the expert’s ability to call up structures from memory at a very fast rate. In programming, one set of structures all beginning programmers should memorize are the syntax templates of the major programming constructs for a programming language. Programming constructs can also …
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Developing Greater Programming Skills In this final article on using deliberate practice to become a great programmer, I discuss how and why programmers need to be continually working to improve their programming skills through specific practice. Expert Performance is Based on Incremental Skill Development To become an expert programmer, you must master the many skills …
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