Vague outline

While Loops

explain while loop
- simple example

Compare to for loop
- for loops are a coding shortcut for a while loop with a counter
- examples
- loop forever until exit condition
- exit condition needs to be known in advance
- explain exactly when the loop exits

while using arrays
- simple array example
- using a boolean
- (possibly using the result of a method call)

do.. while
- explain
- difference to while loop
- using arrays
- danger of always doing one iteration

big example

Chunk 13 Description

CHUNK 13
TITLE While statements
DESCRIPTION Describe the two forms of while statement. Students really find this a tough topic so go very gently with lots of examples. Use arrays as much as possible but start of with a simple non-array example such as summing the first n integers. Develop a program similar to Greenberg 90--92
OUTCOMES

• Be able to understand a simple while loop involving a single dimensional array
• Be able to develop a simple while loop involving a single dimensional array
• Be able to understand a program of a similar complexity to that described in your text

REFERENCE Greenberg 85--87
HINT This probably the toughest part of the book so far, take it very gently with lots of small examples between three and five lines of code
PROGRAM Develop a program similar to the one you describe in the text.

Book arrived and chunk order

The processing book finally arrived so I can finally start playing with the IDE. As I'm doing 2 chunks (13 and 82) I've decided to do chunk 82 first, as it looks like fun. The chunk 82 blog is here:

http://masswritingchunk82.blogspot.com/