Main Programming Concepts
Programming is a process of creating a set of instructions that tell a computer how to perform a task. Programming can be done using various types of languages like Python, Java, C++, etc. Here are some of the main concepts in programming:
Variables
In programming, a variable is a storage location paired with an associated symbolic name, which contains some known or unknown quantity of information referred to as a value. The variable name is the usual way to reference the stored value. Data Types
Data types are an important concept in programming. They represent the type of data that can be processed such as integers, strings, floats, etc. Each data type requires different amounts of memory and has some specific operations which can be performed over it. Operators
Operators are symbols that perform operations on variables and values. These include arithmetic operators like +
, -
, *
, /
, and %
which are used to perform mathematical operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and modulus.
Expressions
Expressions are combinations of variables, operators, and values that are evaluated to produce a new value. For example, the expression 2 + 3
evaluates to 5
.
Conditions
Conditions are expressions that evaluate to a boolean value, True
or False
. They are used in control structures like if-else statements and loops.
Loops
Loops are used to repeat a block of code multiple times. The most common types of loops are for
and while
. for
loops are used when you want to repeat a block of code a specific number of times, and while
loops are used when you want to repeat a block of code an unknown number of times until a specific condition is met.
Control Structures
Control structures are blocks of code that determine the flow of program execution. They include sequence, selection (if, switch), and repetition (for, while, do-while) structures.
Functions
Functions are reusable pieces of code that perform a specific task. They take in data, perform a computation, and then return the result.
Classes
Classes are blueprints for creating objects in object-oriented programming. A class defines a type of object by specifying the data it contains and the operations that can be performed on that data.
Objects
Objects are instances of classes. They contain data in the form of fields, also known as attributes, and code in the form of procedures, also known as methods.
Inheritance
Inheritance is a principle of object-oriented programming that allows a class to inherit properties and behavior from another class. The class that is inherited from is called the superclass or parent class, and the class that inherits is called the subclass or child class.
Polymorphism
Polymorphism is a principle of object-oriented programming that allows objects of different classes to be treated as objects of a common superclass. It provides a way to use a class exactly like its parent so there’s no confusion with mixing types.
Encapsulation
Encapsulation is a principle of object-oriented programming that combines data and the operations that manipulate that data into a single unit called a class. It provides a way to protect data from accidental corruption.