Baby Steps

I am in a beginning programming class struggling to grasp the concepts. I can look at a program and follow the logic of it but I struggle when it comes to writing the program myself. So here is my problem I have to write a program to that inputs a series of 12 temperatures from the user. It should write out on file “tempdata.dat” each temp and the difference between the current temp and the one preceding it. The first temp is not output. The average temp should be displayed for the user via count. I really would like some help not just with the solution, but with the methodology behind it. I’m not just looking for a quick fix but to actually understand the process.

Looks analyze this methodically:

1) You need to input from the user. Technically, you only need two variables, since that's the most you'll be using at a single time.

2) Since you'll need to process 12 temps, you'll need a loop that runs 12 times.

3) In each itineration of the loop, you'll need to input a temperature. Then subtract the previous temperature from it. Write this new variable to the file. Then make the temperature you just read in you last temperature (move it's value to the var you're using to store the last temp) and repeat.

4) Since you'll need to compute the average when you're done, you'll need a variable that you add each temperature to when you read it in. At the very end, you'll divide this by 12 and you'll have the average.


Make sense? Do you also need help in the implementation of the program, or is designing the algorithm the hardest part?