A2.1 Different kinds of output
A program's output is what it produces: text on a screen, a sound, a light, a drawing, a number. The same code can produce different outputs for different purposes — a beep to warn, a printed value to report, a light to signal.
Example
Trace the program. Name its two kinds of output, and change it so a light flashes instead of a beep.
- Output one: 4 beeps — sound. Output two: the printed value of t, which is 4 — text.
- Change: replace the beep action with a flash action; the count and the print stay.
- Same structure, different output for a different purpose.
A2.2 Coding, new technology and the skilled trades
Example
Describe what coded tools change about the work of an electrician.
- Electrician: a fault-finding meter runs code that traces a break in a circuit, so the fault is found in minutes instead of by opening every box.
Example
Describe what coded tools change about the work of a plumber and a welder.
- Plumber: a camera on a cable shows a blockage on screen, so the right pipe is opened.
- Welder: a programmed robot repeats a weld exactly, so the welder sets it up and checks quality. Each tool changes the work; none removes the need to understand it.
Summary
- Output: text, sound, light, drawing, number.
- Same code structure, different output, different purpose.
- Coded tools change trades work; the understanding stays.