Introduction to Computing [electronic resource

Of all the collections of sketches and stories for which nineteenth-century fiction is famous, Some Experiences of an Irish R.M. remains foremost for its combined anthropological and comic value. With an ear for native dialogue that some have claimed to be second only to James Joyces, Somerville and Ross portrayed the lives of the people of the west of Ireland at a time when the entire country was on the verge of serious historical change. This collection provided the last few chuckles for the ruling Anglo-Irish Ascendancy class that a new national order would soon supplant. These hugely successful quasi-stories, narrated by an epitome of British authority called the R.M. (Resident Magistrate: a justice of the peace), display an extraordinary capacity for joking in the face of disaster. Some Experiences of an Irish R.M., remarked one bemused reviewer of the time, is a book "no self-respecting person could read in a railway-carriage with any regard to decorum." 'material is well presented and organized, Anyone learning the concepts of computing from this book will gain a sound foundation in the subject and be well prepared for examination at A level, and for further study or employment.' Times Educational Supplement Covers both the hardware and software topics included in the latest A level examination syllabuses. In the early chapters, the emphasis is on software and on the importance of acquiring a good approach to software design. Contains many figures, tables and sample programs to illustrate key features of program design, control and robustness. Written specifically for Secondary and Further Education courses. Front Matter....Pages i-xv Information Processing—Why and How?....Pages 1-19 Program Control....Pages 20-42 High-level Programming....Pages 43-98 Program Development Issues....Pages 99-116 Hardware....Pages 117-162 Low-level Programming....Pages 163-198 All About Data....Pages 199-216 Files....Pages 217-253 Dynamic Data Structures....Pages 254-274 Systems Software....Pages 275-312 How to Communicate....Pages 313-332 Computing Today....Pages 333-356 Back Matter....Pages 357-390 The aim of this book is to fill a void in the provision of texbooks on the science of computing for use by students at GCSE and Advanced Level GCSE examinations. It addresses most of the major topics common to several syllabuses of the various examining boards.