We are working with Cambridge Assessment International Education towards endorsement of this title. Any references or material related to answers, grades, papers or examinations are based on the opinion of the author(s). CAMBRIDGE IGCSE™ & O LEVEL COMPUTER SCIENCE: PROGRAMMING BOOK
Introduction Study of the Cambridge IGCSE™, IGCSE (9–1) and O Level Computer Science syllabuses (0478/0984/2210) requires practical programming experience. Java is one of three programming languages recommended on these syllabuses, along with Python and Microsoft® Visual Basic.
LE
The programming book for Java covers all of the specific programming requirements for the syllabuses. However, it could be used by anyone as an introduction to the Java language. The book is written with no assumption of any prior knowledge and there is no need for access to external reference sources.
Language
Java provides the normal functionality expected of a procedural or imperative high-level programming language. The syntax and constructs required for this functionality as detailed in the syllabuses are introduced in this book.
Support
P
Java is also an object-oriented programming language. However, the syllabuses do not require study of object-orientation. This book therefore includes only minimal discussion of object-orientation. Coverage is limited to the object-oriented features needed to allow the running of a Java program containing the procedural language syntax and constructs.
M
The book directly supports the syllabuses in the sense that chapters 1–11 cover subject matter which will help learners to prepare for examination on Algorithms, Programming and Logic Paper. In addition, there are further chapters provided specifically to aid revision and preparation for the examination. To support learning, many of the chapters include exam-style tasks. Solutions to all the chapter tasks can be found on the digital part of this resource. There are examples of appropriate solutions that show how to turn logical ideas into actual programs. There is also a series of exam-style questions in Chapter 13.
A
Developing programming skills
S
A major feature of the syllabuses is the recognition that the creation of a successful program requires more than just the ability to write program code. There is emphasis on the need for the application of problem-solving and computational thinking skills. These can be used initially to identify the program requirements. Following on, suitable design techniques should be employed before program code is written. The main chapters in this book support this approach. In particular, to support learning, these chapters include numerous tasks; both within the chapter and in the end-of-chapter questions. Most of these encourage the learner to apply computational thinking skills in addition to coding skills.
viii Original material © Cambridge University Press 2021. This material is not final and is subject to further changes prior to publication.
