Programming Basics Course

Important!

This course has been replaced by the following courses:

• Introduction to Java Programming
• Introduction to Python Programming
• Introduction to JavaScript Programming

About this course

The Programming Basics Course is for people who have little or no programming experience. It introduces you to the fundamental building blocks of programming languages, and how to use them to write short programs. Learning to code is a valuable skill. Even if you don’t want to be a career programmer, many of the programs you use every day can be programmed in some way to make your work faster and easier. You will not be a programmer after 5 days, but you will have the essential foundation on which you can start building your skills.

What others say

Why you want to attend

You should attend one of our Introduction to Programming courses if:

• You want to become a programmer and you need to first learn the basics.
• You want to learn how to write short scripts so that you can program or customise other applications.
• You want to have a better understanding of what programming is about.

What you need to know first

Before you attend any of the Introduction to Programming courses:

• You should be familiar with the concepts of files and folders on your computer.
• You should be able to use a simple text editor.
• You should understand and be able to perform simple maths calculations that make use of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, exponentiation, comparisons and the use of Pi.

Price and duration

Please check the course schedule for the next available date for the above courses.

All our courses are presented virtually. Find out more about our virtual training and how it works.

How to book

It’s so easy to book for any of our Introduction to Programming courses.

Just email us at info@incusdata.com. You can send us a purchase order, or fill in our course enrolment form.

After we have received your booking, we will confirm that you are booked, and we’ll send you an invoice.

Detailed course contents

Computer Overview

• Computer architecture.
• Hardware.
• Application and system software and the operating system.

Overview of Programming Languages

• Evolution and types of programming languages.
• Choosing a programming language.
• Compilers and interpreters.
• Tools.

Think like a Programmer

• The concept of a program.
• The concept of an algorithm.
• Psuedocode.
• Programming as problem solving.

Numbering systems

• Binary, octal, decimal and hexadecimal numbering systems.
• Converting data from one numbering system to another.
• Internal representation of numeric data.
• Internal representation of non-numeric data.

Building blocks of programming languages

• Variables and constants.
• Local and global scope.
• Data types.
• Arrays.
• Assignment operators.
• Comparison operators.
• Logical operators and the truth tables.
• Arithmetic operators.
• String operators.
• Operator precedence.
• Subroutines and functions.
• Built-in versus user-defined functions.
• Parameters and return values.
• Conditional statements.
• Iterative statements.
• Nesting.

Testing and Debugging

• Sources of errors.
• Errors relating to internal representation.
• Debugging and error handling.
• Testing.

Life as a Programmer

• The software development life cycle.
• Software development methodologies.
• Introduction to object orientation.
• Documentation and life-long learning.