MIC 110

Pseudocode

Objectives:

To introduce common words and keywords used when writing pseudocode.

Six basic computer operations.
To define the three basic control structures as set out in the Structure Theorem, and
illustrate the three basic control structures using pseudocode
To illustrate converting flowchart to pseudocode and vice versa.

Why use pseudocode?

Once pseudocode is created, it is simple to translate it into real programming code.

Opportunity to detect any logic error prior to actual coding, which is a lot more
expensive and time consuming.
Used for planning the programming.

Common words and key words:

What can your computer do? Calculate, Read, Print, Convert.....

How do you instruct the computer to do what you intend?
Keywords: The words that are predefined and reserved to a computer to execute certain
instruction. Example: Print, Read, and Compute. Keywords are reserved by a computer
programming language, and they contain some particular definition and instruction.
Examples in Visual Basic are Private, Sub, End, and Print.
Common words: Any other English words to complete the instruction. They include
names of variables, constants, file names and so on. Common words are created and
defined by a user.

Six basic computer operations:

1. A computer can receive information.

When a computer is required to receive information or input from a particular source,

whether it be a keyboard, a disk or any other device, the verbs Read and Get are used in
pseudocode. Read is usually used when the algorithm is to receive input from a record
on a file, while Get is used when the algorithm is to receive input from the keyboard.

Example:
o Read student name (from the student master file).
o Get system date (from the computer system).
 o Read student ID number.
o Get order.

2. A computer can put out information.

When a computer is requested to supply information or output to a device, the verbs

Print, Write, Put, Output or Display are used in pseudocode. Print is used to send the
output to the printer, while Write is used for writing to a file. For putting the
information to a screen, the common keywords are Put, Display or Output.

Example:
o Print "End of the Output"
o Write student record to master file
o Put out name, address and post code
o Output grade; Display "an input error occurred, please re-enter."

In each example, the data to be put out is described concisely using mostly lower-case
letters. (Why?)

3. A computer can perform arithmetic operation.

A programmer may use actual mathematical symbols or the words for those symbols.
For example: "Add score to total_score" is same as "total_score = total_score + score"
(programming languages use mathematical equations to assign values to memory
locations. In this case, a new value of total_score is assigned to a memory location
named total_score by adding score to the current (not new) value of total_score)

The following symbols can be used in pseudocode: + for Add, - for Subtract, * for
Multiply, / for Divide, ( ) for Parentheses
For more example:
o Divide total_score by student_count
o class_average = total_score / student_count
o Compute C = (F - 32) * 5 / 9

When writing mathematical calculation for the computer, the order of operation should
be considered; otherwise you may end up with incorrect values.
 The order of operators are following:
1. ( ) : Values within parentheses are always evaluated first. Ex:
2. ^ : Exponentiation (raising a number to a power) is second Ex:
3. - : Negation (creating a negative number) is third. Ex:
4. * and / : Multiplication or division is fourth. Ex:
5. \ : Integer division (a.k.a. Div) is fifth. Ex:
6. Mod : Remainder division is sixth. Ex:
7. + or - : Addition and subtraction are last.
Example: For an expression Total = 10 + 15 * 2 / 4 ^ 2 -(2 + 3) , the order of
computation is following:
0. Total = 10 + 15 * 2 / 4 ^ 2 -(2 + 3)
1. Total = 10 + 15 * 2 / 4 ^ 2 -(5)
2. Total = 10 + 15 * 2 / 16 -(5) ( 5 as a negative value)
3. Total = 10 + 15 * 2 / 16 - 5
4. Total = 10 + 30 / 16 - 5
5. Total = 10 + 1.875 - 5
6. Total = 11.875 - 5
7. Total = 6.875

4. A computer can assign a value to a variable or memory location.

There are three cases where you may write pseudocode to assign a value to a variable
or memory locations
1. To give data an initial value. The verbs Initialize or Set are used.
2. To assign a value as a result of some processing, the symbol " = " is used.
3. To keep a piece of information for later use, the verbs Save or Store is used.

Example:
o Initialize total_score to 0: total_score = 0
o Set student_count to 0: student_count = 0
o total_score = total_score + score1
o student_count = student_count + 1
o class_average = total_score / student_count
o Store class_average in class_average_quiz1
5. A computer can compare two variables and select one of two alternative actions.

For this operation, special keywords are used: If..Then or If..Then..Else.

The comparison of data is established in the If clause, and the choice of alternatives is
determined by the Then or Else options. Only one of these alternatives will be
performed.
Example:

If student is part_time Then

add 1 to part_time_count

Else

add 1 to full_time_count

EndIf
If the student is a part-time student, then
"add 1 to part_time_count" is performed.
Otherwise, the computer skips to the Else
clause to perform "add 1 to full_time_count"
instruction.

6. A computer can repeat a group of actions.

When there is a sequence of processing steps that need to be repeated, keywords Do

While and EndDo, are used. And processing stems in between those keywords should
be repeated as long as the condition for initiation is met.

Example:

Do While student_total < 30

Read student record

Print student name, address

Add 1 to student_total
 EndDo
In this example, the set of instruction in the
Do While loop will be performed repeatedly
as long as student_total is less than 30. And
each time computer goes through the loop,
the value of student_total will be
incremented by 1, in which eventually will
make the student_total to be equal to 30, and
terminate the loop.

The Structure Theorem: How does a computer know what to do first and to do next? Go
to www.wiley.com for graphical samples.
Sequence:
o The sequence structure controls the straightforward execution of one processing
step after another. For example, within a module, a computer executes the first
line of instruction first before the second. And it processes the following
instruction in the order of appearance unless it encounters a selection (If..Then)
or a loop (WhileDo).
o Example:

Statement 1

Statement 2

Statement 3 .

Selection:
o The selection structure (If .. Then) represents the decision-making abilities, and
allows a programmer to set what will be the next step depends on the condition.
o Example:

If condition k is true Then

step x is the next

Else

step y is the next

 EndIf

o As a result, only one step, either x or y, will be performed and the other step
will be skipped.
 Repetition:
o A loop (Do While) executes a same set of instruction as long as the initial
condition for the loop is met. At the end of a loop, a computer goes back to the
beginning of the loop and tests the condition. If the condition is met, it goes
through the loop one more time. If the condition is not met, then it terminates
the loop and continues to execute instructions from the end of the loop.

o Usually, a loop contains a counter which increments or decrements each time

the loop is executed. And the counter with the new value is used in determining
whether the look should be repeated or terminated.

o Example:

The variable student_data acts as a counter.

student_total = 0

Do While student_total < 25

Read student_record

Print student.name

Print student.address

student_total = student_total + 1

EndDo

o Question: Based on the above codes, if there were 25 students in the file, would
this algorithm print all 25 students? Count how many time the loop occure.

Modification:
student_total = 1

DoWhile student_total <= 25 And student_record <> " " Read student_record

Print student.name
 Print student.address student_total = student_total + 1

EndDo

o
Convert the following flowchart to pseudocode.
Pseudocode Example

This is the pseudocode for a Game of Monopoly, including one person's move as a procedure:

Main Procedure

Monopoly_Game Hand out each player's initial money. Decide which player goes first. Repeat
Call Procedure Monopoly_Move for next player. Decide if this player must drop out. Until all
players except one have dropped out. Declare the surviving player to be the winner.

Procedure Monopoly_Move

Begin one's move. Throw the dice. Move the number of spaces on the board shown on the dice.
If the token landed on "Go to Jail," then go there immediately. Else if the token landed on
"Chance" or "Community Chest," then draw a card and follow its instructions. Else follow the
usual rules for the square (buying property, paying rent, collecting $200 for passing "Go", etc.).
End one's move.