In computer programming:
When a computer programmer gets an idea for a program they would like to develop, the best way to begin writing the program is to get their ideas onto paper. This is especially true if the program is complex and will require a group of individuals to write the code necessary for the program’s development.
Simple tools that programmers use to see their idea materialize are flowcharts, psuedocode, and Program Design Language. Flowcharts are types of diagrams that represent an algorithm or process. They show a step by step solution to a problem with each step in different shaped boxes and each box connected by arrows to show the direction of flow or control. The different shapes used in flow charts depend on what type of action is happening. A rectangle usually denotes a processing step or activity while a diamond shape usually denotes a decision. Flowcharts help a programmer visualize the steps their program needs before any code is written, and in turn makes the code writing process easier.
Psuedocode is a description of an algorithm that uses the structural conventions of a programming language but is intended for human reading instead of machine reading. Psuedocode makes code easier for humans to understand than a conventional programming language code. It describes the key principals of an algorithm. There is no standard syntax for psuedocode as it can’t be compiled. Psuedocode acts as a program building tool, used between conceptualization and writing code.
Program design language is similar to pseudocode in the fact that it written in a human language but unlike psuedocode it does not contain any terms that would suggest the use of any particular programming language.
All of these are devices used to create stronger code. They are all used between having the concept of a program in the programmer’s head and the actual writing of code. They help a programmer visualize what is needed to create a program and to create a strong structure before code is written.
In the real world:
Psuedocode, Flowcharts, and Program Design Language, are all tools to help a programmer visualize a program before any code is written. A real world device that is very similar is storyboarding. Storyboards are a series of illustrations that are displayed in sequence for the purpose of visualizing a movie, television episode, commercial, or animation. It is similar to a comic book and is made before the film, commercial, or animation is done. It conceptualizes the project for the director or cinematographer and provides a visualization making it easier to find potential problems before they occur.
Just as psuedocode provides a layout for the code that needs to be written, a storyboard provides a visual layout of events as they are to be seen through the camera’s lens. Often storyboards include arrows or instructions that indicate movement. Although it isn’t a direct relation it is somewhat similar to the use of arrows in flowcharts.
Not only is storyboarding used to foresee problems that might develop when shooting the film, commercial, etc., it is used to relate ideas of how the project will be developed to other people working on it. This is very similar to how the programming tools described above are used when working on a big program in a project with many programmers working on it.
The key similarity between storyboarding and the programming tools described above is that it is done before actually making the project being worked on. Both are tools to weed out any potential problems before the actual creation begins.
No comments:
Post a Comment