Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Steps in Program Development

Steps in Program Development
Define the problem
Outline the solution
Develop the outline into an algorithm
Test the algorithm for correctness
Code the algorithm into a programming language
Run the program on computer
Document and maintain the program

Algorithm Definition

Lists the steps involved in accomplishing a task which must
Be precise and unambiguous
give the correct solution in all cases
Algorithms can be written in pseudocode, or can be expressed by means of a flowchart

Pseudocode

Statements are written in simple English.
Each instruction is written on a separate line.
Keywords and indentation are used to signify particular control structures.
Each set of instructions is written from top to bottom with only 1 entry and 1 exit.
Groups of statements may be formed into modules and that group can be given a name.