Foundations
Structure
Lists, jobs with names, jobs that take a value and hand one back, and the one skill that separates getting it done from getting stuck.
Begin — Unit 01 →What this is
Programs grow. A box that holds one value is not enough for a row of enemies, and a job that turns up in five places should be written once. This module is about giving a program shape so it stays readable as it gets bigger.
It ends with the most useful unit on the whole shelf: what to do when a program does the wrong thing, by looking at what it did rather than guessing.
Who it’s for
Anyone ready to organise a small program. LET stores a value in a named
variable; SHOW displays it. A loop repeats some work. The examples recall these
ideas where they use them. Repeating gives loops more
room if you want it; no particular language course is required.
The shape
- A box that holds many — lists, reaching into them, and walking along them.
- A job with a name — write it once, call it wherever you need it, and leave a note.
- Telling a job what to work on — a job that takes a value and hands one back.
- When it’s wrong — look, narrow down, read; make the program show its working; suspect your own code first.
These ideas support both BASIC and assembly. You can use a system track while reading Foundations, or return here when a program gives you a reason to ask why. Neither language route requires completing this shelf first.