Variables and Arrays

[Robyn Greene <greene@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I know this is going to sound like a dumb request - but here it goes (better to
ask stupid questions than stay stupid).

When I was taught to program in EL - as a non-technical person - I learned by
rote (i.e., if I wanted to do this - I wrote this code - if I wanted to do that
- I wrote that code).

But I never learned the technical definitions of what I was doing.  Judging from
what I read in messages here - I'm using variables and arrays - but I'm not sure
exactly what they are in a technical definitional sense.  Sometimes - when I
want to answer a question about how to code this, that or the other thing - I
don't - because I can't explain the code in the technical terms you're using.
And - sometimes - I think I'd understand a lot of messages here better if I
understood what the coding I'm doing is called - using the precise scientific
terms you're using.

Could someone give me the definition of a variable - of an array - and the
definitions of any other related concepts that you think are important in
dealing with coding these kinds of things?  Robyn