Absolute Beginner's Guide to Programming, Third Edition

The Need for Programs

When an individual or a company needs a program, there are three ways to obtain it:

• They can buy one that's already written.

• They can buy one and modify it.

• They can write their own.

Table 2.1 lists advantages and disadvantages of each option. The first two options are much quicker than the third and also much less expensive.

Table 2.1. Three Methods to Obtain Software

Option	Advantages and Disadvantages
Buy one	Advantage: The program can be obtained quickly and inexpensively.
	Disadvantage: The program may not be exactly what you need.
Buy and modify one	Advantage: A usable program that does what is needed can be obtained fairly quickly. Also, the program is relatively inexpensive, depending on the changes needed.
	Disadvantage: ...