Overview

Students learn about top-down design strategies for solving more complex programming problems by breaking the problem down into small parts that can be named and represented as functions. The code in the resulting program should read more like a description of how to solve the problem than like raw code.

Vocab

• Abstraction - a simplified representation of something more complex. Abstractions allow you to hide details to help you manage complexity, focus on relevant concepts, and reason about problems at a higher level.
• Function - A named bit of programming instructions.
• Top Down Design - a problem solving approach (also known as stepwise design) in which you break down a system to gain insight into the sub-systems that make it up.

Resources

• Top-Down Design - Worksheet (copy as MS Word, Google Doc)