Introduction
Pre-code planning plays an important role in creating an algorithm or a program, helping programmers plan how to write the codes. Pseudocode is one of the ways flowcharts can be helpful in programming. Read on to discover what pseudocode flowchart is and how each is applied in the planning phase before coding.
What Is Pseudocode Flowchart: A Brief Explanation
Pseudocode
Pseudocode is a false code used to describe how a computer program or an algorithm works. It uses annotations and text written in English because it’s meant for humans to read instead of computers.
Specifically, it consists of statements in English, selected keywords, and mathematical notations. It excludes details like system-specific cipher and variable declarations to illustrate only key principles of an algorithm. One can make use of pseudo code to present the implementation of an algorithm.
Flowchart
A flowchart is a type of diagrammatic representation using shapes and flow lines to illustrate a computer program, an algorithm, or a process. The process symbol used in a flow chart includes ovals, rectangles, diamonds, flow lines, and more to indicate various types of steps.
It has other names such as process map and process flow diagram. In programming, it represents an algorithm, a solution model to a problem. Flowchart diagrams offer an easy, visualized way of understanding something that seems too technical for most people.
Other than programming, several other fields can benefit from flowchart diagrams: education, business, manufacturing, engineering, marketing, etc.
Pseudocode Flowchart in Pre-code Planning
Pseudocode and flowcharts are common tools in pre-code planning and organization.
Flowcharts In Pre-code Planning
Charts with flow lines offer a visual representation of an algorithm. This type of diagram helps explain the algorithm to other people by spelling out the flow of logic behind a program module. It also provides the coder with a guide to writing the real code.
Specifically, a flow diagram presents how codes are organized, offers a visualization presentation of how codes are used in the executable program. It illustrates the structure of an application or a website and explains the path users take to navigate an actual program or website.
Using flowcharts in pre-code planning offers a handful of benefits. Firstly, they enable easy communication between the programmer and other members. Secondly, they help analyze a process to ensure the inclusion of all inputs, outputs, and processes.
Thirdly, they make sure coding is efficient. Lastly, flowcharts assist programmers in identifying potential issues so they can fix the actual code.
To exemplify flowcharts in pre-cipher planning, look at a problem on Engineering LibreTexts. The question that needs solving is calculating the average grade-point of all students in a class.
The information needed for pre-code planning includes the following:
- Input: Student grades
- Output: The average grade
- Processing: Sum the grades, find the total student count, calculate the average grade.
The flowchart is shown in this picture.
Pseudocode In Pre-code Planning
Pseudocode acts as an intermittent step before developing the actual code. It helps programmers prepare the organization and sequence of an algorithm. As common as it may be, pseudo code, different from the actual programming language, doesn’t follow any set of rules for its implementation.
However, there are a few rules one can refer to when writing pseudo code. The first rule includes commonly used Fortran symbols for arithmetic operations, namely +, -, *, /, **. Next, symbolic names are used to indicate the quantities being processed.
Besides, there are some keywords to use, including PRINT, WRITE, READ, etc. Programmers also use to illustrate branches and loops of instruction.
Like flowcharts, pseudo code offers several advantages. These include enhancing the readability of algorithms, explaining the role of each line of cipher in program development, providing a guide for programmers before coding, and connecting the program with the algorithm or the flow diagram.
Take the same problem from Engineering LibreTexts, for example.
- Problem: Find the average grade-point of all students of a class
- Input: Student grades
- Output: The average grade
- Processing: Sum the grades, find the total student count, calculate the average grade.
The pseudo code is shown in the picture below.
FAQs
What is the difference between flowchart and pseudocode?
The key difference between them in programming is that the former uses a mixture of statements and keywords in English to describe an algorithm. Meanwhile the latter depicts the algorithm using numerous shapes.
How is a flowchart different from an algorithm?
A flow chart and an algorithm are both used in the fields of programming, but there is a difference between them. Specifically, an algorithm summarizes how a program logic is executed through a set of rules. On the other hand, a flow diagram illustrates those steps pictorially.
When should you use a flowchart and when should you use pseudocode?
Flowcharts and pseudo code are both used before writing code, but pseudocode is linear while a flow chart isn’t. Also, a flowchart is graphical, while pseudocode is technical.
With that in mind, a flow diagram is suitable for communicating between non-technical people and programmers. Also, due to its abstraction level, a flowchart is useful for complicated problems as it helps you lay out the entire process. It should be created before pseudocode.
At the same time, pseudocode is more suitable when a programmer works on a project alone and the problem is simple enough. Pseudocode is also convenient because the way it’s written is quite close to the actual code, making coding faster and easier.
Conclusion
In summary, a flowchart visualizes an algorithm for a non-technical view while a pseudocode outlines the algorithm’s key principles in a linear presentation. Depending on each case, one can either use one of these tools or both of them in pre-code planning.
Pseudocode flowchart helps people involved in a project understand, explain, and communicate what they have in mind for the algorithm. Proper use of these tools will ensure ideas are translated into cipher correctly and reduce potential flaws.
