Digital Realities Overview

We’ll start our journey by thinking about what programs are and how computers work. This will help set the scene, providing you with a broad context and perspective on computing. Much of what is in this part will be the backdrop for our future explorations as we delve into the details of how programs work.

In this chapter we will explore the concepts that underpin computing. Sights on our tour include:

• Programs - we will look at how programs drive the computer and empower us to achieve more.
• Digital Realities - we will explore how to think about programs and software, and how they create a reality within the computer.
• Abstraction - we will examine the way we use abstraction within computing to help us make sense of what is going on.
• Code - we will learn about the different kinds of instructions we use to get our computers to do things.

Learning Goals

By the end of this chapter you will be able to:

• Describe how programs are like digital realities, and reflect on the opportunities this creates.
• Describe how the process of abstraction enables the creation of digital realities within computing devices.