How to Write Pseudocode

This wikiHow teaches you how to write pseudocode text for your computer programs. Simply put, pseudo-coding is creating a non-programming language script that states the intent of your code.

Table of Contents

Master the fundamentals of pseudocode

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Know what pseudocode is. Pseudocode is a sketch of code that outlines the steps that you can gradually convert into a programming language. Many programmers use pseudocode to plan the function of an algorithm before setting it up for a more specialized coding task.

Pseudocode serves as an informal guide, a tool to help brainstorm program solutions, and also a communication tool that can help you present your ideas. with others.

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Understand why pseudocode is useful. Pseudocode is used to illustrate how computer algorithms work. Coders (people who write code) often use pseudocode as an intermediate step in programming to move from the initial planning phase to writing actual executable code. Some other coders use pseudocode for the following purposes:

Describe how the algorithm will work. Pseudocode can illustrate that a certain constructor, mechanism, or technique can or is required to appear somewhere in the program.
Explain computing processes to less qualified users. Computers need extremely strict input syntax to run programs, but humans (especially non-programmers) may find it easier to learn a flexible language, coherent, showing the purpose of each line of code.
Design code for the whole team. Highly qualified software engineers often insert pseudocode into their designs to aid in solving complex problems they find many of their programmers are facing. If you’re developing a program with other coders, you may find that pseudocode makes your intentions clearer.

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Remember that pseudocode is subjective and unorthodox. There’s no fixed syntax that you’re required to use when writing pseudocode, but often you’ll look more professional using standard pseudocode constructs that other programmers can easily understand. . If you are coding your own project, the most important thing is that pseudocode helps you organize your ideas and execute your plan.

If you’re collaborating with others on the same project—whether it’s a colleague, junior developer, or non-technical collaborator—it’s important that you use at least some standard structure so people can easily understand your intentions.
If you’re taking a coding course at a university, coding camp, or company, you’ll likely have to take a test on the pseudocode “standard” you’ve been taught. This standard will often vary depending on the institution and the teacher.

Transparency is the primary goal of pseudocode, which can be helpful if you work by accepted programming conventions. When developing pseudocode into real code, you need to convert the pseudocode into a programming language – so it can help you shape the sketch in your head.

Write good pseudocode

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Use a plain text editor. While there are something more complex, such as a Microsoft Word word processor or a similar program that produces rich-text, pseudocode should be formatted to a minimum. keep it simple all the time.

Plain text editors include Notepad (on Windows) and TextEdit (on Mac).

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Start by documenting the purpose of the command line. Taking a line or two out to state the purpose of the line of code helps shape the rest of the text, and saves you from having to explain the program’s functionality to each person you want to introduce pseudocode to.

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Write only one statement per line. Each statement in your pseudocode should perform only one action for the computer. Normally, if the task list is correctly constructed, each task corresponds to a line of pseudocode. You should consider writing down your task list, converting it into pseudocode, and then slowly evolving that pseudocode into real code that the computer can understand. ^{[1] X Research Source}

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Use spaces and indents efficiently. Inserting spaces between “blocks” of text keeps the different parts of the pseudocode separate, and indenting each block signals that the pseudocode that is details of the pseudocode is less indented .

For example, the part of pseudocode that talks about entering numbers should be in the same “block”, and the part that follows (such as the part that talks about results) should be in another block.

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Capitalize key words if necessary. Depending on your pseudocode requirements or the environment in which you’re publishing your pseudocode, you’ll probably need to capitalize statements that are retained in the real code.

Example: If you use the “if” and “then” keywords in your pseudocode, you may want to capitalize “IF” and “THEN”, such as “IF input number THEN output result” (IF enter THEN number of outputs).

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Write in simple terms. Remember that you are writing to explain what the project will do , not simply summarize the code. This is especially important when you are writing pseudo-code to demo to a client who knows nothing about code, or presenting a project to a novice programmer. ^{[2] X Research Source}

You may even want to get rid of all the code statements and just define each line in plain language. Example: Instead of writing “if input is odd, output ‘Y'” (if input is odd, output is ‘Y’) write “if user enters an odd number, display ‘Y'” (if user enters an odd number, display ‘Y'” enter odd number, display ‘Y’).

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Keep the correct sequence of pseudocode. While the language used to edit your pseudocode should be simple, you still need to keep the sequence of your pseudocode correct for execution purposes.

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Don’t let others guess what you mean. Everything that is happening in the command needs to be described in its entirety. It must be said that a pseudocode statement is quite similar to an assertion statement in regular English. Pseudocode usually doesn’t use variables, but rather describes what the program will do with near-real-world objects such as account numbers, names, or transaction counts. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

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Use standard programming structures. Although there is no specific standard for pseudocode, if you use the structure of existing programming languages (sequential) it will be easier for other programmers to try to understand your steps. Use terms like “if” (if), “then” (then), “while” (while), “else” (if not), and “loop” as in the language your favorite programmer. Consider the following structure:

if CONDITION then INSTRUCTION — Means the statement will only be executed if a certain condition is true. “Instruction” in this case is a step that the program will perform, and “condition” means that the data must satisfy a certain condition for the program to perform the action.
while CONDITION do INSTRUCTION — Means the statement will be executed repeatedly until the condition is no longer true.
do INSTRUCTION while CONDITION — Very similar to “while CONDITION do INSTRUCTION”. In this case, the condition will be checked before executing the statement, and in the other case, the statement will be executed first. Thus, then the statement will be executed at least once.
function NAME (ARGUMENTS): INSTRUCTION — That is, every time a name is used in the code, it will replace a specific statement. “Arguments” is a list of variables that you can use to clarify the statement.

Example of generating pseudocode text

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Open a plain text editor. You can use the default program Notepad (on Windows) or TextEdit (on Mac) if you don’t want to install a new program.

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Define your program. Although not strictly necessary, writing a line or two at the top of the text will help distinguish it from the first indent of the program:

 This program will ask for the option to choose from the user. If that option matches, the response will be displayed ; If not, a message will be displayed.

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Write the opening paragraph. Your first statement—the first thing the program will do at runtime—should be the first line:

 print greeting ( print greeting ) "Hello stranger!" ( Hi there! )

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Add next line. Set the space between the line you just wrote and the next line by typing ↵ Enter , then write the next line of code. In this example, the user will see the following dialog box:

 print prompt ( print dialog box )
	press "Enter" to continue ( press "Enter" to continue )
<user presses "Enter" >

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Call to action. In this example, the user will see the query:

 print call-to - action "How are you?" ( How are you? )

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Show the user a list of answers. In this example, after pressing ↵ Enter one more time, the user will see the list of answers below:

 display possible responses "1. Fine." ( strong ) "2. Great!" ( very strong ! ) "3. Not good." ( unwell )

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Ask the user to take an action. This is when the program asks the user to enter the answer:

 print request for input " Enter the number that best describes you:" ( enter the number that best describes you )

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Create an “if” statement for user input. Since there are multiple answers a user can choose from, you may want to add more results based on the answer the user selected:

 if "1" ( if "1" is selected )
	print response "Dandy! " ( If you choose "2" ) if "2" ( if you choose "2" )
	print response "Fantastic! " ( Very strong is great ! ) if "3" ( if "3" is selected )
	print response "Lighten up, buttercup !" ( Relax a little to be healthy, my friend! )

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Add error line. In case the user does not choose the correct answer, you can display the error line:

 if input isn 't recognized (if the user's response is not recognized) print response "You don't fplow instructions very well, do you? " (You have not followed the instructions correctly. Are not?)

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Add other parts of the program. Review your text carefully for additional details to ensure that both you and anyone reading the text understand the meaning. After following the method above, your finished pseudocode text should look like this:

 This program requires the user to enter a number. If the number matches the available answer, the answer will be displayed ; If not, a message will be displayed.

print greetings
	"Hello!"

print dialog
	Press "Enter" to continue
<After the user presses "Enter" >

Print inquiry and call to action
	"How are you today?"

display selectable answer options
	"1. Fine." "2. Very strong!" "3. Unwell."

print requires input 
	"Enter the number that best suits you:" if enter "1"
	print the answer
		"It's good to be fine!" if enter "2"
	print the answer
		"Very good is very good!" if enter "3"
	print the answer
		"Relax for a while, my friend!" if cannot recognize user input
	print the answer
		"Didn't you follow the instructions properly?"

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Save your text. Press Ctrl + S (on Windows) or ⌘ Command + S (on Mac), type a name, then click Save to save.

Advice

Pseudocode is optimal for complex programs that are hundreds to thousands of lines in length.

Warning

Pseudocode is no substitute for real code when creating a program. Pseudocode can only be used to generate reference text to know what the code does.

Steps

Master the fundamentals of pseudocode

Write good pseudocode

Example of generating pseudocode text

Advice

Warning

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