1. Programming Fundamentals

Legend

• Here - found in the module

• Moved - found in a different module

• Implicit - covered by the process of completing this or a different module

• Coming Soon - to be provided at a later date

• Not Planned - not covered in this book

1.1. Software Development

Explore fundamental software development steps used by programmers when designing software

Including:

requirements definition

• Developing Software: Tic Tac Toe Example

determining specifications

• Developing Software: Tic Tac Toe Example

design

• Developing Software: Tic Tac Toe Example

development

• Developing Software: Tic Tac Toe Example

integration

• Developing Software: Tic Tac Toe Example

testing and debugging

• Code Testing

• Developing Software: Tic Tac Toe Example

installation

• Developing Software: Tic Tac Toe Example

maintenance

• Developing Software: Tic Tac Toe Example

Research and evaluate the prevalence and use of online code collaboration tools

• Online Code and Collaboration Tools

1.2. Designing Algorithms

Apply computational thinking and algorithmic design by defining the key features of standard algorithms, including sequence, selection, iteration and identifying data that should be stored

Sequence, selection, iteration (and subroutines)

• Algorithms

• Draw a Box: Algorithm

Identifying data that should be stored

• Representing and Storing Data: 8 Queens

• We anticipate that students will organically develop this skill as they get more practice converting pseudocode into code and also implementing programs to solve problems.

Apply divide and conquer and backtracking as algorithmic design strategies

Backtracking

• Backtracking Algorithms: Maze Example

• Backtracking Algorithms: 8 Queens

Divide and Conquer

• Divide and Conquer: Merge Sort

• Applying Divide and Conquer Algorithms

Develop structured algorithms using pseudocode and flowcharts, including the use of subprograms

Pseudocode

• Conditionals: Pseudocode

• Loops: Pseudocode

• Modules and functions: Pseudocode and Flowcharts: covers subprograms

• Draw a Box: Algorithm

Flowcharts

• If Statements

• If-Else Statements

• If-Elif-Else Statements

• More Complicated if-elif-else Statements

• While Loops

• While Loops With Conditionals

• For Loops

• For Loops With Conditionals

• Nested Loops

• Pseudocode and Flowcharts: covers subprograms

• Draw a Box: Algorithm

Use modelling tools including structure charts, abstraction and refinement diagrams to support top-down and bottom-up design

• Top-down and Bottom-up Design

• Structure Charts

Analyse the logic and structure of written algorithms

Including:

determining inputs and outputs

We anticipate that students will organically develop this skill as they become more fluent at reading flowcharts and pseudocode, particularly after completing the ‘Algorithms and Code Design’ module where they were be exposed to more examples of pseudocode.

Practice questions

• Code Testing

• Understanding Algorithms

determining the purpose of the algorithm

We anticipate that students will organically develop this skill as they become more fluent at reading flowcharts and pseudocode, particularly after completing the ‘Algorithms and Code Design’ module where they were be exposed to more examples of pseudocode.

Practice questions

• Pseudocode Question 3

• Applying Divide and Conquer Algorithms Question 3

• Understanding Algorithms

desk checking and peer checking

Desk checking

• Desk Checking

• Draw a Box: Desk Check

• Backtracking Algorithms: 8 Queens

Peer checking

• Peer Review: Tic Tac Toe (Naughts and Crosses)

determining connections of written algorithms to other subroutines or functions

• Pseudocode and Flowcharts

• Algorithms

• Draw a Box: Algorithm

Students should be comfortable with this after completing the ‘Modules and Functions’ and ‘Algorithms and Code Design’ modules where they will have practice writing subroutines and functions in both pseudocode and Python.

Identify procedures and functions in an algorithm

• Function Returns

Functions return values to the calling scope whereas procedures do not.

Experiment with object-oriented programming, imperative, logic and functional programming paradigms

Object-oriented programming

• The Object-Oriented Paradigm

Imperative programming

• Coming soon.

Logic programming

• Coming soon.

Functional programming

• Coming soon.

1.3. Data For Software Engineering

Investigate the use of number systems for computing purposes, including binary, decimal and hexadecimal

• Representing Numbers in Binary: decimal and binary numbers

• The Hexadecimal System: hexadecimal numbers

• ASCII: decimal, binary and hexadecimal characters

Represent integers using two’s complement

• Two’s Complement

Investigate standard data types

• Types of Variables

• Don’t Mix and Match Variables Types

• Type Conversions

Including:

char (character) and string

• Types of Variables

Boolean

• Booleans

real

• Types of Variables: integers and floats are examples of real numbers.

single precision floating point

• Types of Variables: floats

• Python as a calculator: explanation of single-precision vs double-precision

integer

• Types of Variables

date and time

• datetime

Create data dictionaries as a tool to describe data and data types, structure data, and record relationships

• Data Dictionaries

• Representing and Storing Data: 8 Queens

Use data structures of arrays, records, trees and sequential files

arrays

• Introduction to Arrays

• Multi-Dimensional Arrays

records

• Records

trees

• Binary Search Tree

sequential files

• Sequential Files

1.4. Developing Solutions With Code

Apply skills in computational thinking and programming to develop a software solution

Including:

converting an algorithm into code

From flow charts to code

• More Complicated if-elif-else Statements Code challenge: Red Team Blue Team

• Pseudocode Question 2

• While Loops

• While Loops With Conditionals

• For Loops

• For Loops With Conditionals

• Nested Loops

• Pseudocode and Flowcharts

From pseudocode to code

• Pseudocode Code challenge: Starting Player

• Pseudocode and Flowcharts

using control structures

• If Statements

• If-Else Statements

• If-Elif-Else Statements

• More Complicated if-elif-else Statements

• While Loops

• While Loops With Conditionals

• For Loops

• For Loops With Conditionals

• Nested Loops

using data structures

Students should be comfortable with this after completing the ‘Data Structures’ module.

using standard modules

• Modules

Examples of standard modules: math, random, time, datetime

• The Math Module

• Random Integers

• Random Floats and Using Probabilities

• Pseudorandomness

• Time

• datetime

Creating relevant subprograms that incorporate parameter passing

Subprograms can be created using Python functions.

• Functions

• Function Scope

• Optional Parameters (Keyword Arguments)

• Function Returns

• Custom Modules

Implement data structures that support data storage

Including:

single and multidimensional arrays

• Introduction to Arrays

• Multi-Dimensional Arrays

lists

• Lists

• Indexing

• List Operations

• List Joins

• Converting To Lists

trees

• Binary Search Tree

stacks

• Stacks

hash tables

• Hash Table

Compare the execution of the Waterfall and Agile project management models as applied to software development

• Waterfall vs Agile Project Management

Test and evaluate solutions, considering key aspects including functionality, performance, readability of code, quality of documentation

• Peer Review: Tic Tac Toe (Naughts and Crosses)

Use debugging tools

Including:

breakpoints

Coming soon.

single line stepping

Coming soon.

watches

Coming soon.

interfaces between functions

Coming soon.

debugging output statements

Coming soon.

debugging software available in an integrated development environment (IDE)

Coming soon.

Determine sets of suitable test data

Including:

boundary values

• Code Testing

path coverage

• Code Testing

faulty and abnormal data

• Code Testing

Determine typical errors experienced when developing code, including syntax, logic and runtime, and explain their likely causes

• Error Messages: NameError, SyntaxError, TypeError, ValueError

• Indexing: IndexError

• Common While Loop Errors: NameError, IndentationError

• While Loops With Input: Question 1

• While Loops With Conditionals: Question 3

• For Loops: Question 3

• Sequential Files: FileNotFoundError, OSError

• The Math Module: ImportError