Introduction to Programming Concepts (Edexcel GCSE Computer Science)

Inputs & Outputs

What is an input?

• An input is data or information being entered/taken into a program before it is processed in the algorithm

• An input can come from a variety of sources, such as:

  • User - keyboard, mouse, controller, microphone

  • Sensors - temperature, pressure, movement

• Without inputs, programs are not useful as they can't interact with the outside world and always produce the same result

What is a process?

• A process is a doing action performed in the algorithm that transforms inputs into the desired output. The central processing unit (CPU) executes the instructions that define the process

• An example would be:

  • Comparing two numbers

  • Calculating an average

What is an output?

• An output is the result of the processing in an algorithm and usually the way a user can see if an algorithm works as intended

• An output can take various forms, such as:

  • Numbers - the result of calculations

  • Text

  • Images

  • Actions - triggering events

• More examples of inputs and outputs will be covered throughout this section

Example 1 - Area of a shape

• A user wants to write a program to calculate the area of a shape

Example 2 - Average test score

• A teacher wants to calculate the average mark achieved on a test amongst students in a class. The teacher needs to enter how many students in the class and for each students a score out of 50