Writing pseudocode is a helpful technique when you get stuck, and is used by even the most experienced developers. But what is it? In this Lynda.com training video, you'll learn how to design your algorithms in natural English in a way that helps you unlock the solutions to the stickiest problems. You'll also see how the experts use a mix of code and pseudocode to find the best solutions.
It's really easy for people to get stuck.…They want to write a program and they start off looking at a blank text file and…they're thinking so much about syntax and case sensitivity and curly braces and…all the thousand other things to remember,…that it is very easy to now, actually know, how do I start typing?…Well, step one is don't.…Step one is instead get away from the computer, grab a piece of paper or find a…whiteboard and start writing what's called pseudocode instead.…Now pseudocode is not a language.…
It's the term for writing your computer instructions in plain English to the…point where it's readable by anyone who understands the problem, whether they…come program or not.…Let me show you a few examples.…On a whiteboard or paper I might just write something like this. Ask user for email address.…If email address matches accepted pattern, add them to email list, else…show error message.…Something like this.…Pseudocode doesn't have formal rules, but this would be quite common to see.…
Now where I'd said, ask user for email address, I could've said get email…
Author
Simon Allardice
Released
9/22/2011Finally, the course compares how code is written in several different languages, the libraries and frameworks that have grown around them, and the reasons to choose each one.
- Writing source code
- Understanding compiled and interpreted languages
- Requesting input
- Working with numbers, characters, strings, and operators
- Writing conditional code
- Making the code modular
- Writing loops
- Finding patterns in strings
- Working with arrays and collections
- Adopting a programming style
- Reading and writing to various locations
- Debugging
- Managing memory usage
- Learning about other languages
Skill Level Beginner
Duration
Views
Q: Using TextEdit with Mac OS 10.9 Mavericks?
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Introduction
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Welcome1m 17s
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1. Programming Basics
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What is programming?5m 45s
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Writing source code5m 34s
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2. Core Programming Syntax
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Why JavaScript?4m 45s
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Requesting input4m 50s
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3. Variables and Data Types
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Working with numbers5m 4s
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Working with operators4m 47s
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Properly using white space6m 46s
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4. Writing Conditional Code
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Setting comparison operators6m 59s
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5. Modular Code
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Breaking your code apart4m 1s
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Understanding variable scope2m 23s
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6. Iteration: Writing Loops
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Introduction to iteration4m 28s
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Writing a while statement5m 24s
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Creating a for loop3m 39s
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7. More About Strings
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8. Collections
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Working with arrays5m 46s
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Array behavior5m 29s
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9. Programming Style
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Programming style5m 55s
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Writing pseudocode4m 55s
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10. Input and Output
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Event driven programming7m 47s
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Introduction to file I/O6m 51s
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11. When Things Go Wrong
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Introduction to debugging5m 57s
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Understanding error messages3m 21s
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Using debuggers8m 2s
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12. Introduction to Object Orientation
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Using classes and objects6m 28s
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13. Advanced Topics
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14. Exploring the Languages
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Introduction to languages1m 42s
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C-based languages4m 40s
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The Java world3m 13s
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Ruby3m 4s
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Python2m 56s
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Objective-C4m 3s
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Libraries and frameworks3m 25s
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Conclusion
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Where to go from here1m 2s
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Video: Writing pseudocode