This text is an introduction to programming in general, and a manual for
programming with the language Modula-2 in particular. It is oriented
primarily towards people who have already acquired some basic knowledge
of programming and would like to deepen their understanding in a more
structured way. Neveltheless, an introductory chapter is included for
the benefit of the beginner, displaying in a concise form some of the
fundamental concepts of computers and their programming. The text is
therefore also suitable as a self-contained tutorial. The notation used
is Modula-2, which lends itself well for a structured approach and leads
the student to a working style that has generally become known under the
title of structured programming. As a manual for programming in
Modula-2, the text covers practically all facilities of that language.
Part 1 covers the basic notions of the variable, expression, assignment,
conditional and repetitive statement, and array data structure. Together
with Palt 2 which introduces the important concept of the procedure or
subroutine, it contains essentially the material commonly discussed in
introductory programming courses. Part 3 concerns data types and
structures and constitutes the essence of an advanced course on
programming. Palt 4 introduces the notion of the module, a concept that
is fundamental to the design of larger programmed systems and to
programming as team work. The most commonly used utility programs for
input and output are presented as examples of modules.