Center for Computing History's
Interactive History of Programming

#2. Lots of Data

Dealing with long lists of number has perhaps been the most important use of computers.

Below is code that should be calculating the sum of the numbers, but somehow it is calculating the product (i.e. it is multiplying instead of adding). Can you fix it?

Code:	var answer = 1; for (i in x) { answer = ( answer * x[i] ); } return answer;

input: x=
output:
expected:
comparison:

Lists of "strings" are a huge industry, but within a computer a string is actually just an array of characters.

See if you can fix the string code below?

Code:	var answer = ""; for (i in x) { var name = x[i]; var start = name.substring(0,1); var end = name.substring(1); start = start.toUpperCase(); answer += ( start + "-" + end + ". "); } return answer;

input: x=
output:
expected:
CCH Status

Being able to "branch" or use "if" statements is one of the most powerful features of computers.

We would like to find the highest number in a list, but the code below finds the sum of numbers less than 4. Can you fix it?

Code:	var answer = 0; for (i in x) { if ( x[i] < 4 ) { answer = ( answer + x[i] ); } } return answer;

input: x=
output:
expected:
comparison:

#1. Early Computing Uses
#3. Interfaces

Center for Computing History

Center for Computing History's Interactive History of Programming

#2. Lots of Data

Center for Computing History's
Interactive History of Programming