Chapter 2
Input, Processing, and Output

Getting input from the user and converting it to something meaningful is one of the fundamental pieces of programming. Software developers are always turning data into information that can be used to make decisions. That data may come from the keyboard, a mouse, a touch, a swipe, or even a game controller. The computer has to react to it, process it, and do something useful.

The exercises in this chapter will help you get acquainted with how to get input from the user and process it to produce output. You’ll build up strings, do a little math, and get your feet wet with the programming language you’re using. They’re simple problems, but they’ll help you build up your confidence as a programmer; the problems in the later chapters of the book are more complex.

Each exercise has additional challenges you can do if you feel up to the task. If you’re new to programming, some of the challenges will ask you to use techniques you might not be familiar with yet. Feel free to skip them; you can always come back and do those challenges later.

Ready? Set? Go!