Step 1: Do the 1st line of n * 

              Step 1.a  Using a for loop, print the n * one at a time.
              Step 1.b  Advance to a new line by using print without ;
  
 Step 2: Do the n - 2 inner lines 

 Step 2 restated:

         For each line of the n - 2 "inner lines" do following
         
                print (produce) one of the inner lines 
                            (not the top, not the bottom) of the rectangle
         Next line

 Step 3: Do the last line of n *     
                                           
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 Step 2 restated again to show details of what happens in the loop 
body....

      For each line of the n - 2 lines do 
         
           2.a  Print the 1st * (the left edge * for an inner row)
           2.b  Print the n - 2 spaces that are inside or between *          
           2.c  Print the last or closing or right edge * 
           2.d  Advance to the next line

      Next line

  How do you do step 2.b above?  How can you print n - 2 spaces?

  It is another loop, nested within the For each line loop.
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Triangles and Rectangles program hints and discussion of how Top Down Development and StepWise refinement and Ghostbusters VET SAT AUC and TVV SO YMDC fit in with the current task.

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Your program will provide the following capabilities:

• Request a number greater than or equal to 3 from the user. Display a hollow rectangle of stars (asterisks) with each outer row and column having that many stars. Using a fixed-width font such as Courier New is essential. This causes the space and the * to have the same width. Hollow rectangle with 3 * for each outer row and column illustrated.

• Request an odd number and display a triangle similar to the one shown here with the input number of stars in the top row on down to the one star row for the last row. There will be an odd number of stars in each row. Triangles for row n = 9 and n = 3 shown.

• Request a word and print it out with all of its characters, then with its last character missing, then with its last two characters missing, and so on until you print only its first two characters, and finally print only its 1st character. Dinosaur was the word printed in this example.