Homework - General Computer and Programming Ideas

We won't collect homework, we'll just discuss it. You don't even need to write the answers down if you don't want to, or answer all the questions. We just want you to think about these things and do a little research into some of the terminology we are using.

• We pointed out that computers and programs seem to have similar ways of working (input/processing/output).
  • Why do you think this is?
  • Describe a computer that does not run programs.
  • Describe a useful program that doesn't run on a computer.
  • Pretend people are computers. Give examples of their input, processing, and output.

• What is an operating system?
  • How is it like and unlike a program that you might write.
  • What are it's inputs and outputs?

• Imagine a computer language without variables.
  • Is this a useful language?

• Why are there so many programming languages?

• Come up with a really cool name for a new computer language.

• Most modern operating systems arrange their files in a fashion called tree structured directories. Find out what that means.