More Background on Programming
Before, we go further. Exactly what sort of programs should I expect myself to create?

That's a really difficult question to answer. A program can be of few lines; for instance you may want to modify a working environment. You may want to create a standard interface using JAVA or Visual Basic. You may want to create applets to be run on the Internet. Programs can be very complex. Very complex and reliable software are need to control a space craft, or heart pacer, or a weapon system.
You might be part of team of programmers, which is usually the case in writing complex, reliable, and large programs.

I believe that if I know the nature of the problem or task at hand very clearly, then the process of handling the problem or task becomes mechanical. So, would you please tell me what exactly do we do when I program?

As I stated before. Programs are to accomplish a task. The computer is a calculating machine. When we think of calculations, we think of math. Math involves numbers. But numbers themselves don't calculate. Humans do, and computer do. So, how do computers calculate? Well, computers don't calculate consciously as human do, but humans give input to the computer and design the computer such that it computes and outputs results which in turn human uses or interprets. Thus, computation is an automated and an unconscious process on the part of the computer. The computation is accomplished by the logic gates, which make up computer.

Do all tasks involves numbers? What about words? What about graphics? Does not programming involve giving instructions to the computer?

Yes, computers handle words and graphics also. But, they are represented as numbers to the computer. Yes, programming is about giving instructions to the computer. I could say programming is about giving instructions or directing the computer about how to handle or do computation with numbers.

Can you give me an example of how we give instructions to computer to compute with numbers?

Your question deals specifically with our lesson on declaring and handling types and variables. In computer jargon numbers are called data. When you study math you must have come across various classification of numbers such as whole numbers, real numbers, integers, rational numbers, complex numbers and other such numbers.