How to Read a Problem

Before writing a single line of code, learn to dissect any problem statement

Every programming problem is a puzzle. The #1 mistake beginners make is jumping straight to code without understanding what they're actually being asked to do.
Great programmers spend more time *reading* than *typing*.

The 4 questions to ask every time you see a problem:1. What is the input?, What information am I given?2. What is the output?, What do I need to produce?3. What are the constraints?, Any limits or special rules?4. What are the edge cases?, What are unusual or tricky situations?

Example: *"Write a program that takes two numbers and prints their sum."*
Let's apply the 4 questions:

Input: Two numbers

Output: Their sum printed to the screen

Constraints: None mentioned

Edge cases: What if they're negative? Decimals? Zero?

Now you understand the problem completely before writing any code.

Always draw an example first. If input is 5 and 3, what should output be? Write it down: 5 + 3 = 8. Seems obvious, but doing this for every problem prevents 90% of bugs.

Practice Exercises

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Exercise 1 of 2easy

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Add Two Numbers

Write a function add(a, b) that returns the sum of two numbers.
Before coding: What is the input? What is the output? Write it in a comment first.

solution.py

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Exercise 2 of 2easy

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Is It Even?

Write a function is_even(n) that returns True if n is even, False otherwise.
Hint: A number is even if the remainder when divided by 2 is 0. In Python, use % for remainder.

solution.py

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