1.1.

1 Computational Thinking
Computational Thinking is in fact a thought process, rather than a specific study area on
a particular device or language. It is a universally applicable attitude and a set of skills
achievable by anybody, not just computer scientists.

Any problem that seems difficult or unsolvable can easily be tackled by breaking it down
into manageable pieces. Each of these subproblems can be dealt with individually by
referring to how similar situations have been handled previously solving a complex
problem that seemed unsolvable.

The 4 major components of computational thinking,

o Decomposition - break down complex problems into smaller, simpler

subproblems. 

o Pattern recognition - make connections between similar problems and

experiences

o Abstraction - Make one solution applicable to multiple situations by ignoring

unrelated, irrelevant information.

o Algorithm Design - Design simple achievable steps to realize a solution.

For example, let’s say you want to go on a trip to Sigiriya a very interesting place to
visit. The ancient rock fortress was built by a Sri Lankan King. For some planning the
trip could be a problem. When do you go? How do you go? With whom do you go ?
What do you do there? Where do you eat? All these are questions that need to be
answered before you go.  Lets see how we can use computational thinking to solve
these problems.

 
Let's look at each of the components of computational thinking and also how we can
use Computational Thinking for a example problem.

1. Decomposition

When a problem is decomposed, or broken down into manageable pieces, it is much

easier to solve. The problem can be more closely examined in further details, making
finding a solutions an easier task.

In our example we can break the trip up into 3 parts rather than trying to think of the
entire trip at once. 

Rather than trying to think about what we are going to do for the entire day, we can
break it down in to morning, noon, and afternoon. Another way is distance, the first 70
Km the next 70Km and the final 62 Km. 

Also we can break it down into sub parts of what food to eat what sites to visit and what
transports to use.

When breaking down the problem we can even further breakdown the sub problems to
make them easier to solve. Breaking a bigger problem into smaller problems for the
purpose of solvingthe problem is decomposition.

In each sub problems we can go into further details of the specific things that we need
to solve and concentrate on solving each part. Once we complete solving all the parts
we have the solution for the entire problem.
 
2. Pattern Recognition

Pattern recognition is the analysis of similar objects or experiences and the identification
of commonalities. By finding what these objects or experiences have in common, we
can develop an understanding of patterns and make predictions based on them.

Once a problem is decomposed, we can find patterns among sub problems we created,
and use prior experience and knowledge to solve each subproblem.

If we take the same example of solving the problem of where to visit in our trip to
Sigiriya we can check to see if we have gone to Sigiriya before, and we went last time.
Are there other people who have gone to Sigiriya? Where did they stop along the way?
Rather than looking at all the interesting places in Sri Lanka we can look at where
others have gone and based on their experiences slightly modify what they have done
to suit ourselves.

If we wish decide on a time to leave we can look at the time we left on the last trip.  The
last rip many not have been to Sigiriya. What about the time we went to Kandy or
Badulla?  Was it early in the morning or later in the day? May be earlier in the day is
better time to leave becauseof less traffic and more time to spend in the places we
visited.

What mode of transport did we use?  Was it public transport or a private bus? We may
not even realise patterns of  the past and solutions pattens we used that can solve
problems in the present. 

3. Abstraction

Abstraction is focusing on relevent, important information in identifed patterns. It

involves removing specific details and making generalizations. Abstraction helps create
a general idea of the problem and how to solve it.

In our example, the entire trip can be looked upon as going frompoint A to point B
without going into details about what cities we pass on the way.

Also, abstraction helps us produce a common solution that not only works for the
problem at hand, but related problems as well.  For example, if we want to go to Matara
next year we can follow a similar itinerary as the trip to Sigiriya.
 

4. Algorithm Design

An algorithm is a stepwise approach to solve a problem. It involves creating a process

or set of rules to be followed.  It should also be noted that there can be more than one
way to solve a problem.
In daily life we follow algorithms to achieve tasks at hand. From tying shoelaces to
making tea to preparing dinner, we follow step by step processes to achieve each task.

In our example when we go on the trip we will visit multiple sites. So what do we do
there? Coming up with a set of instructions on what to do would be an algorithm. 

When we visit a site we may want to share our itinerary like first take a head count ,
then get down from the vehicle, visit the site,  stop for refreshments,visit the gift shop,
return to the vehicle and finally take a headcount before departing. The collection of
theses steps is an algorithm. We can use the same set of steps or algorithm for all the
sites that we visit.

Algorithms can be presented as flowcharts or pseudocodes, specifying each step

precisely.

Flow charts and Pseudocode

Flowcharts are pictorial representation of algorithms, while pseudocodes are more of

high level, textual representations.

We can also think of the problem of scheduling the trip as an algorithm. 

We plan the sites. We collect all the people going on the trip. We check to see if it is
raining. We stay in the bus. We take our umbrellas and caps.If it is not a rainy day we
don’t take them.  We find a vehicle and visit the sites. Until we have sites we repeat and
finish all the sites. This algorithm can be presented as a flow chart. 

We can also represent the solution as pseudocode. Pseudocode is a way of writing a

solution to a problem in an informal way so we remember how we solved the problem
and for other people to understand how we solved the problem.  Pseudocode is not a
programming language but we can easily convert pseudocode to programming
languages like Python or Java.

In Pseudocode

BEGIN
PLAN SITES
GATHER FRIENDS
IF RAINING
    TAKE UMBRELLA, CAPS
ARRANGE TRANSPORT
WHILE THERE ARE SITES
    VISIT NEXT SITE
FINISH

Now that we have a way to solve problems and a way to represent them. so others can
also solve them. we can think of machines solving problems for us. we can build a
machines to take each step and do what we ask it to do.

1.1.2 Computer Systems

History of Computing

In earlier times,  computers were only used for simple calculations. The Abacus is
considered as one of the first computing devices ever invented.

An abacus uses several rows of beads to represent numbers.

With time,  automating calculations helped accomplish more advanced and tedious
tasks.

In 1642, a French Mathematician named Blaise Pascal invented the first mechanical
calculating machine, the Pascaline to perform addition and subtraction.

Later during the early 1800s, British Mathematician Charles Babbage originated the
concept of programmable computers. He invented the Difference Engine a special
purpose machine , to compile mathematical tables. Later he proposed the Analytical
Engine, the first general purpose mechanical computer.Babbage is distinguished as the
Father of Computing due to the recognizable inventions he did at the time.

Ada Augustus Lovelcael, the first computer programmer in the world, worked with
Babbage on his designs and inventions. She wrote the first program while translating a
paper on Babbage's Analytical Engine from French into English. She had mentioned
stepwise descriptions, an algorithm, to calculate Bernoulli numbers an the Analytical
Engine.

The early programming language Ada was named after her, recognizing her
contribution to the computing world.

In 1945, the first automatic, electronic, general purpose, digital and programmable
computer was invented by two professors at the University of Pennsylvania, John
Mauchly and J. Presper Ecker. It could solve numerical problems through
reprogramming. The computer was named ENIAC, Electronic Numerical Integrator and
Computer.

Components of a Computer

The design of most of the General Purpose computers are based on the Von Neumann
Architecture ( the Princeton Model). The concept was presented by John von
Neumann, a Hungarian-American Mathematician in 1945. 

Von Neumann Architecture is based on the stored-program concept in which the

program and data are stored in accessible memory.

This model introduces key components of the Computer as, the Central Processing Unit
where control is centralized in a single component, a storage, primary memory where
both data and instructions reside, and input/output devices.
The CPU executes instructions once they have been fetched into it from the main
memory. There is a built-in addressing procedure for the main Memory , which the CPU
refers to whenever instructions and data are fetched. The execution of these
instructions is done in a sequential manner.The CPU also contains the Arithmetic and
Logic Unit which is capable of arithmetic and logical operations.

The Processor comprises several key registers including,

o Accumulator, where the results of ALU calculations are stored .

o Program Counter (PC), keeps track of the address of the next instruction to
be fetched and executed after the current instruction.

o Memory Address Register (MAR), stores the memory locations of instructions

that will be fetched from memory or sent and stored in memory. 

o Memory Data Register (MDR),stores instructions fetched from memory or any

data that is to be sent to, and stored in, memory. 

o Current Instruction Register (CIR),stores the most recently fetched

instructions .

And more.

Programs or data can be read into main memory from the input devices or secondary
storage. And the Output devices are to output the information from a computer.

Here is a another youtube video to understand computational thinking and why you
need computational thinking.
1.2 Anatomy of a Software Application
Now you should probably have a general idea of what software is and how it can help in
our day-to-day lives. Let’s take a deeper look into the tiers you will learn about as a
FullStack developer. We will look into what functionalities they have, and what
technologies and tools that you’ll be working with.

Front End / Client

This is the layer most users will be directly interacting with. The front end can be
developed in several ways. You can have a web-based front end, which is in the form of
a website or a web application. If we take our bank as an example, this is what the
banking assistant will be interfacing with to retrieve all the information necessary to
provide you a service. This will mostly be a desktop application, which means it is a
separate application installed in that desktop that enables them to connect to the back
end. Desktop applications are normally developed using programming languages such
as C++, C#, Java, etc. They are similar to a game that you install on your computer, and
instead of fighting enemies, the banking assistant retrieves and updates information.
The ATM you use to withdraw or deposit cash can be also seen as part of the front end.

Another example of a front-end application is the mobile or web application you use to
check your balance or to make an online fund transfer. Unlike with the banking
assistant, you can directly interact with the front end in this situation. To develop these
kinds of applications there are a plethora of languages to choose from. For example, if it
is a web page/application, it can be developed using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Node,
etc. If it is a mobile app, technologies such as Ionic, Swift, or Kotlin can be used.

Back End / Server

The back end or the server is the backbone of the system. It is responsible for handling
and catering to all needs of the user. Even though the user interacts with the front end,
the backend is where all the work happens. You can think of this as the kitchen of a
restaurant. The front end is the waiters, whom you interact with and inform what you
want to have. Then the waiter goes and informs the kitchen, which is analogous to the
backend. This is where the chefs cut vegetables, cook them and arrange them on a
plate with some decorations to be served. When the order is ready, the waiter will pick
up the dish and deliver it to you.

This is a very powerful concept we use in software engineering, called abstraction. As

the user, you do not need to know how your request is catered or what additional
functionalities are needed to fulfill it. The back end takes care of all these tasks, just like
the chefs. For example, from the banking system we discussed, imagine that you want
to withdraw some money from your account. What you see is you enter the card, enter
your PIN and withdraw the amount required. In order to perform these tasks, the
backend should verify your identity, access a central database to check your balance,
authorize the transaction and update your current balance. All these actions are
performed by the server in abstraction. Programming languages such as PHP, Ruby,
Python, and Go are used to build such systems. This is also known as server-side
programming.

Database

For the bank to provide you services, it should have access to information about you.
For example, they would need to perform a security check on you to make sure you are
the holder of a certain account. When you register with the bank you provide your
details by filling out a form and this information gets stored on a database at the time of
your account creation. A database can hold various kinds of data. It can hold string data
such as your name and address, integer and float data such as date of birth, account
balance and telephone number, and even image data such as your signature or photo.

There are several types of databases. The most commonly used database type is called
relational databases, which you will learn more about them in future lessons. These
types of databases comprise a set of tables. We call a single row of a table, a record.
The backend will access the database and retrieve the relevant information using
queries. A query is a command or a request to the database to retrieve a set of data
points that satisfies a set of rules. Queries can also be used to update a database. One
of the most popular database management systems (DBMS) is MySQL. There are also
other DBMSs such as PostgreSQL, Cassandra, SQLite, and MongoDB. This was only a
basic introduction to the technologies that are available for a full stack developer and
there are many more to learn. We hope reading about all these interesting technologies
got you excited, and hope to see you in the future lessons where we go into detail about
these areas.

Steps to install Python locally (On Windows opeating system)

1. Go to www.python.org

2. Download Python installer from www.python.org

3. Open the Python installer that you downloaded

4. In the screen that appears, make sure to select "Add Python <version> to
PATH".

5. Click "Install Now". This will prompt some dialog boxed asking for certain
permissions. Please accept them.

6. Once the installer finishes installing Python, "Setup was successful" will be
displayed at the end of the installation process.
Checking whether Python installer is working

1. Open Windows Command Prompt from the Windows Start Menu.

2. Type python on the command prompt and press Enter. If Python is
successfully installed, this will display the installed Python version and open a
Python command prompt where you can type in Python commands.

3. You may try out any Python commands in the Python command prompt.

4. To exit Python, type exit() and press Enter.