Program Design Tools

Program Design Tools: Algorithms, Flowcharts and Pseudo-codes, implementation of algorithms

Algorithms

A programming algorithm is a computer procedure that is a lot like a recipe (called a procedure) and tells your computer precisely what steps to take to solve a problem or reach a goal. ... We looked at a simple example of an algorithm that does some preparation, asks a user for an email address, and decides what to do.

An algorithm is a finite number of clearly described, unambiguous “doable” steps that can be
systematically followed to produce a desired result for given input in a finite amount of time.

 A programming algorithm describes how to do something, and your computer will do it exactly that way every time. Well, it will once you convert your algorithm into a language it understands!

However, it's important to note that a programming algorithm is not computer code. It's written in simple English (or whatever the programmer speaks). It doesn't beat around the bush--it has a start, a middle, and an end.

In fact, you will probably label the first step 'start' and the last step 'end.' It includes only what you need to carry out the task. It does not include anything unclear, often called ambiguous in computer lingo, that someone reading it might wonder about.

It always leads to a solution and tries to be the most efficient solution we can think up. It's often a good idea to number the steps, but you don't have to. Instead of numbered steps, some folks use indentation and write in pseudocode, which is a semi-programming language used to describe the steps in an algorithm. But we won't use that here since simplicity is the main thing.   

Flowchart:

Program flowchart is a diagram that uses a set of standard graphic symbols to represent the sequence of coded instructions fed into a computer, enabling it to perform specified logical and arithmetical operations. It is a great tool to improve work efficiency. There are four basic symbols in program flowchart, start, process, decision and end. Each symbol represents a piece of the code written for the program.

Start event symbol signals the first step of a process.

Program flowchart shapes like start, process, decision and end are available here.

Process is a series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a particular end.

Decision is the action or process of deciding something or of resolving a question.

End event symbol stands for the result of a process.