by Elton Gahr

Created on: March 15, 2011   Last Updated: March 19, 2011

Often when working in a computer programming environment it is vital to know what you want your program to do and how you want to do it before you begin. In addition in large programs multiple people need to work on the same project and know how things will work together. For this reason it is very common for pseudocode to be used because it allows a quick and easy way to show what code will do without having to actually write the code in a manner that would actually work.

Pseudocode is effectively code written only for people and not meant to actually be used for a computer. This is used in a similar way to flowcharts in that it directs the way that code will be written and can be created quickly and easily. How this differs from average code is generally is syntax and detail. For example a true computer code would require perfect syntax while pseudocode can use the shortcuts any human would understand. In addition it can leave out large sections of code that are unnecessary for a human who will understand it without the added math and often better. It is also likely to leave out things like defining specific variables, showing sub routines and similar ideas a human doesn’t need.

The value of this type of code is that it can serve as a framework for the real coding. Cutting down a twenty thousand line program to a few hundred lines of pseudocode can not only show people what they need to work on, but gives them the chance to point out when ideas are simply are not going to work how people want, or can be made considerably better. 

While pseudocode’s value is easiest to understand when used in a group context it is often just as valuable as a time saving measure for a single coder. Writing out the pseudocode of even a large program can take a short afternoon while the coding can take weeks or months. This means that a mistake in logic found during that afternoon will only have wasted a few minutes, but the same mistake found halfway through real coding could cost days and be considerably harder to fix. In addition to the time changing code this way almost always leads to more bugs.

There are a number of good ways to plan before you program. Flowcharts are useful and often one of the more common solutions and even a simple outline can often work as well, but if you know the programming language well pseudocode can be a great way to visualize the code before you get down to the actual coding.

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