Project 11 - Problems Solving Techniques (part 6)

 

Using flow charts and pseudocode to plan for and prepare to program.

Flow charts (see right) are useful to show a linear progression of your program and what it will do. Making a flow chart gives you a visual representation of how your program should run, or flow. Since it is simple, it forces the designer to think in very simple terms how their program will flow. You should follow one path linearly before going back up to follow alternate activity paths.








Pseudocode is compact and informal high-level description of a computer algorithim that uses the structural conventions of a programming language, but is meant for people to read rather than machines. It typically omits things not necessary for human understanding of the algorithm, like variable declarations, system specific code and subroutines. For example:

<variable> = <expression>

IF <condition>
    DO stuff;
ELSE
    DO other stuff; 

Since pseudocode is similar to the code it mimics it is fairly easy 

to convert into the wanted program. It is also fairly easy to build 

and maintain, since all you need is a text editor (wordpad or notepad would do). 

You could use a flow chart to demonstrate a plan or sequence for just about anything. 

It is well used to demonstrate a decision making process. Like how to choose an item 

over others whilst shopping. In this instance you would start off with a desire for some 

particular product, or a need to be filled. Once you have that you would think of 

nearby stores, and decides which ones may have what it is you're looking for. Than 

go into that store, and based off of some rubric compare and contrast different products 

that may fullfill that need. If, by some chance, the store you chose originally didn't have 

what you were looking for, than you could return a few steps back and to choosing 

another store. Than, you would end it out by saying returning home once a satisfactory 

product has been chosen.

The idea of giving very simple vague instructions as in Pseudocode can be used to speak 

with professionals in some field you are not as familiar with, but they are, when you want 

to tell them what kind of thing you want done, thereby allowing them to fill in the specifics 

for themselves when it comes down to actually doing the work. They know the technical 

jargon involved in whatever it is they're doing specifically, all you need to know to tell 

them what you need is a general idea of what you would like them to do. This allows you 

to prevent yourself from looking like a fool trying to use technical terms you may not 

actually know or understand completely.