Fun and Games With the Computer

Games are an excellent medium for teaching computer programming. Since the rules of the game are usually well known, the student can concentrate on programming the rules into the computer. No math is required.

The reader of this book learns the BASIC computer language in the process of programming into the computer several games of chance and strategy. In the first game, the computer "thinks" of a number for the reader to guess. In the second game the computer guesses the number following an algorithm devised by the reader. The reader then goes on to measure the relative efficiency of two strategies used by the computer. The reader also programs the computer to draw pictures, to "toss" coins, "roll" dice, and "deal" cards, and to play such games of chance and strategy as craps, blackjack, and tic-tac-toe. The book concludes with an overview of computer applications to data processing, math and science.

This book may be used as a text for a one semester course in high school or college. Any teacher can present the course. Ideal for home schooling. Equally valuable to the general reader. An excellent introduction to PROBLEM-SOLVING WITH THE COMPUTER by the same author.

360 pages7 x 10 inches100 homework problems

From Chapter 1: MASTERING YOUR OBEDIENT SERVANT

1.1 - Writing Three Easy Programs

An easy and fun way to begin programming is to write little programs that instruct the computer to type out a message. Let's begin with the message YOU'RE THE GREATEST. Later on you'll have a chance to program the computer to print out your favorite message.

Before getting into the details of your first program, let me describe briefly the concept of a program. A program is essentially a set of statements or instructions which are to be executed by the computer. The instructions are written in a language which the computer can understand. In this book we will use the BASIC language. BASIC is an acronym for Beginners All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code. It uses ordinary English words, such as LET, PRINT, GO TO, STOP, END, READ, DATA INPUT, FOR, NEXT, IF-THEN, to trigger particular operations by the computer. Each chapter in this book will introduce you a few words in BASIC until you have mastered the complete BASIC vocabulary. Now back to writing your first program.

In BASIC each line of a program must begin with a whole number known as the line number.