The process of converting a problem to computer code is a five-step one and you may have to repeat some steps in response to difficulties.

Step 1: Define the problem. Before starting, it's important you completely understand the problem's nature any assumptions.

Step 2: Plan the solution. Break the problem's solution down into its smallest steps and determine how they are logically linked.

Step 3: Code the program. Translate the logical solution into a programming language the computer understands.

Step 4: Test the program. Check the program logic by hand and then by machine using various test cases.

Step 5: Document everything. The most important step in many cases. You won't always remember what you did or be able to figure it out.

Translators

To get from your programming language down to the binary steps the computer understands requires some form of translator. Translators come in two general types:

• Compiler: Translates an entire program at one time then executes.
• Compiled programs execute much faster.
• Compilation is usually a multi-step process.
• Compilers do not require space in memory when programs run.
• Interpreter: Translates a program line at a time while executing.
• Interpreted programs are slower because translation takes times.
• Interpretation translates in one step.

• Interpreters must be in memory while a program is running.

Programming Language Hierarchy

There are a variety of programming languages, falling into several classes. These classes range from actual machine code through languages with very English-like structure. There are other trade-offs as shown here.

Language	English-like	Ease of Use	Efficiency
Machine	Not Very	Hard	Very
Assembly
High-level
Nonprocedural	Very	Easy	Not Very

The basic trade-off you have to make is between ease of use and efficiency. Because higher level languages tend to require lots of extra code, they don't use the machine as efficiently as possible. This partially accounts for the need for more powerful hardware to run newer software.

Control Structures