pseudocode

Pseudocode Programming Process

The point is to rise above the cycle of hacking something together and running to see if it works

"Compiling something before you're sure your program works is often a symptom of the hacker mindset"

Why Pseudocode

• Makes reviews easier
  • Dont need to slog through code
• Supports idea of iterative refinement
  • At high level design, can catch high level errors
  • At mid-level, can cathc logical errors
  • No overlap so easy to focus
• Pseudocode makes changes easier
  • A few lines of pseudocode is easier to change than a page of code
• Pseudocode minimizes commenting effort
• Pseudocode is easier to maintain than other forms of design documentation

Guidelines

• Use english statements that precisely define specific operations
• Avoid syntactic elemts from the target language
  • You're writing pseudocode to avoid syntactic elements lmao
• Write pseudocode at the level of intent
  • Describe the maning of the approach
  • NOT how it will be implemented
• Write pseudocode at low enough level that generating code from it will be nearly etomic
  • If pseudocode is at too high of a level, it cal gloss over problematic details in the code

High Level Pseudocode

1) Start with the general and work towards something more specific

• Most general is the header comment of a routine describing it
  • Trouble wriging the statement is a warning that you need to understand the routines role better
  • If its hard to summarize, assume something is wrong

2) Think about the data

• Good to think about the major pieces of data before logic

3) Check pseudocode

• Take a step back and just think about it

4) Ask someone else to look at it or have you explain it to them

• People are more willing to review a few lines of pseudocode than 35 lines of C (lmaoo)

5) Make sure you have an easy and comfortable understanding of the routine

6) Iterate though several ideas

• Keep the best

Steps in Creating a Class

Steps in Creating a Routine

Actually Coding the Routine

Checklists

• Code Complete Checklist