Pascal at Work and Play: An Introduction to Computer Programming in Pascal

✍ Scribed by Richard S. Forsyth (auth.)

• Publisher: Springer US
• Year: 1982
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 331
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

This is both a first and a second level course in Pascal. It starts at an elementary level and works up to a point where problems of realistic complexity can be tackled. It is aimed at two audiences: on the one hand the computer professional who has a good knowledge of Cobol or Fortran but needs convincing that Pascal is worth learning, and on the other hand the amateur computer enthusiast who may have a smattering of Basic or may be an absolute beginner. Its approach is based on two principles that are not always widely recognized. The first is that computing is no longer a specialist subject. In the early days of computing a priesthood arose whose function was to minister to those awesome, and awesomely expensive, machines. Just as in the ancient world, when illiteracy was rife, the scribes formed a priestly caste with special status, so the programmers of yesteryear were regarded with reverence. But times are changing: mass computer­ literacy is on its way. We find already that when a computer enters a classroom it is not long before the pupils are explaining the finer points of its use to their teacher - for children seem to have greater programming aptitude than adults. This book, it is hoped, is part of that process of education by which the computer is brought down to earth; and therefore it attempts to divest computing of the mystique (and deliberate mystification) that still tends to surround the subject.

✦ Table of Contents

Front Matter....Pages i-x
Front Matter....Pages 1-1
Introduction....Pages 3-5
Writing programs....Pages 6-15
A preview of Pascal....Pages 16-28
Declarations and types....Pages 29-35
Assignment and expressions....Pages 36-42
Simple input/output....Pages 43-54
Looping and grouping....Pages 55-71
Procedures and functions....Pages 72-85
Arrays....Pages 86-104
Files....Pages 105-126
Sets and records....Pages 127-148
Advanced topics....Pages 149-164
Programming practice....Pages 165-178
Front Matter....Pages 179-179
Case study 1 (Sorting)....Pages 181-196
Case study 2 (Finding the shortest path)....Pages 197-229
Front Matter....Pages 231-231
Case study 3 (Football simulation)....Pages 233-253
Case study 4 (Go-Moku)....Pages 254-279
Back Matter....Pages 281-325

✦ Subjects

Programming Techniques