PseudoCode

Pseudocode: Pronounced SOO-doh-kohd is a detailed yet readable

description of what a computer program or algorithm must do,

expressed in a formally-styled natural language rather than in a

programming language.

Pseudocode is sometimes used as a detailed step in the process of

developing a program. It allows designers or lead programmers to

express the design in great detail and provides programmers a

detailed template for the next step of writing code in a specific

programming language.
 Pseudocode
• The first thing we do when designing a
program is to decide on a name for the
program.
 Pseudocode
• The first thing we do when designing a
program is to decide on a name for the
program.
• Let’s say we want to write a program to
calculate interest, a good name for the
program would be CalculateInterest.
 Pseudocode
• The first thing we do when designing a
program is to decide on a name for the
program.
• Let’s say we want to write a program to
calculate interest, a good name for the
program would be CalculateInterest.
• Note the use of CamelCase.
 Pseudocode
• The first thing we do when designing a
program is to decide on a name for the
program.
• Let’s say we want to write a program to
calculate interest, a good name for the
program would be CalculateInterest.
• Note the use of CamelCase.
 Pseudocode
• So we start the program as:

BEGIN CalculateInterest:
 Pseudocode
• So we start the program as:

BEGIN CalculateInterest:

• And in general it’s:

BEGIN <ProgramName>:
 Pseudocode
• Our program will finish with the following:

END.
 Pseudocode
• Our program will finish with the following:

END.

• And in general it’s the same:

END.
 Pseudocode
• So the general structure of all programs is:

BEGIN <ProgramName>:
<Do stuff>
END.
SEQUENCE
 Pseudocode
• When we write programs, we assume that the
computer executes the program starting at the
beginning and working its way to the end.
• This is a basic assumption of all algorithm
design.
 Pseudocode
• When we write programs, we assume that the
computer executes the program starting at the
beginning and working its way to the end.
• This is a basic assumption of all algorithm
design.
• We call this SEQUENCE.
 Pseudocode
• In Pseudo code it looks like this:

Statement1;
Statement2;
Statement3;
Statement4;
Statement5;
Statement6;
Statement7;
Statement8;
 Pseudocode
• For example, for making a cup of tea:

Organise everything together;

Plug in kettle;
Put teabag in cup;
Put water into kettle;
Wait for kettle to boil;
Add water to cup;
Remove teabag with spoon/fork;
Add milk and/or sugar;
Serve;
 Pseudocode
• Or as a program:

BEGIN MakeACupOfTea:
Organise everything together;
Plug in kettle;
Put teabag in cup;
Put water into kettle;
Wait for kettle to boil;
Add water to cup;
Remove teabag with spoon/fork;
Add milk and/or sugar;
Serve;
END.
 Pseudocode
• Or as a program:

BEGIN MakeACupOfTea:
Organise everything together;
Plug in kettle;
Put teabag in cup;
Put water into kettle;
Wait for kettle to boil;
Add water to cup;
Remove teabag with spoon/fork;
Add milk and/or sugar;
Serve;
END.
SELECTION
 Pseudocode
• What if we want to make a choice, for
example, do we want to add sugar or not to
the tea?
 Pseudocode
• What if we want to make a choice, for
example, do we want to add sugar or not to
the tea?
• We call this SELECTION.
 Pseudocode
• So, we could state this as:

IF (sugar is required)
THEN add sugar;
ELSE don’t add sugar;
ENDIF;
 Pseudocode
• Or, in general:

IF (<CONDITION>)
THEN <Statements>;
ELSE <Statements>;
ENDIF;
 Pseudocode
• Or to check which number is biggest:

IF (A > B)
THEN Print A + “is bigger”;
ELSE Print B + “is bigger”;
ENDIF;
 Pseudocode
• Adding a selection statement in the program:

PROGRAM MakeACupOfTea:
Organise everything together;
Plug in kettle;
Put teabag in cup;
Put water into kettle;
Wait for kettle to boil;
Add water to cup;
Remove teabag with spoon/fork;
Add milk;
IF (sugar is required)
THEN add sugar;
ELSE do nothing;
ENDIF;
Serve;
END.
 Pseudocode
• Adding a selection statement in the program:

BEGIN MakeACupOfTea:
Organise everything together;
Plug in kettle;
Put teabag in cup;
Put water into kettle;
Wait for kettle to boil;
Add water to cup;
Remove teabag with spoon/fork;
Add milk;
IF (sugar is required)
THEN add sugar;
ELSE do nothing;
ENDIF;
Serve;
END.
ITERATION/REPETITION
 Pseudocode
• What if we need to tell the computer to keep
doing something until some condition occurs?
 Pseudocode
• What if we need to tell the computer to keep
doing something until some condition occurs?
• Let’s say we wish to indicate that the you need
to keep filling the kettle with water until it is
full.
 Pseudocode
• What if we need to tell the computer to keep
doing something until some condition occurs?
• Let’s say we wish to indicate that the you need
to keep filling the kettle with water until it is
full.
• We need a loop, or ITERATION.
 Pseudocode
• So, we could state this as:

WHILE (Kettle is not full)

DO keep filling kettle;
ENDWHILE;
 Pseudocode
• Or, in general:

WHILE (<CONDITION>)
DO <Statements>;
ENDWHILE;
 Pseudocode
• Or to print out the numbers 1 to 5:

A = 1;
WHILE(A > 5)
DO Print A;
A = A + 1;
ENDWHILE;
 Pseudocode
• What is the benefit of using a loop?
 Pseudocode
• Consider the problem of searching for an
entry in a phone book with only condition:
 Pseudocode
• Consider the problem of searching for an
entry in a phone book with only condition:

Get first entry

If this is the required entry
Then write down phone number
Else get next entry
If this is the correct entry
then write done entry
else get next entry
if this is the correct entry
…………….
 Pseudocode
• This could take forever to specify.
 Pseudocode
• This could take forever to specify.

• There must be a better way to do it.

 Pseudocode
• We may rewrite this as follows:

Get first entry;

Call this entry N;
WHILE N is NOT the required entry
DO Get next entry;
Call this entry N;
ENDWHILE;
 Pseudocode
• We may rewrite this as follows:

Get first entry;

Call this entry N;
WHILE N is NOT the required entry
DO Get next entry;
Call this entry N;
ENDWHILE;

• This is why we love loops!

 Pseudocode
• Or as a program:

PROGRAM MakeACupOfTea:
Organise everything together;
Plug in kettle;
Put teabag in cup;
WHILE (Kettle is not full)
DO keep filling kettle;
ENDWHILE;
Wait for kettle to boil;
Add water to cup;
Remove teabag with spoon/fork;
Add milk;
IF (sugar is required)
THEN add sugar;
ELSE do nothing;
ENDIF;
Serve;
END.
 Pseudocode
• Or as a program:

PROGRAM MakeACupOfTea:
Organise everything together;
Plug in kettle;
Put teabag in cup;
WHILE (Kettle is not full)
DO keep filling kettle;
ENDWHILE;
Wait for kettle to boil;
Add water to cup;
Remove teabag with spoon/fork;
Add milk;
IF (sugar is required)
THEN add sugar;
ELSE do nothing;
ENDIF;
Serve;
END.
EXAMPLES
 Pseudocode
• So let’s say we want to express the
following algorithm:
– Read in a number and print it out.
 Pseudocode
BEGIN PrintNumber:
Read A;
Print A;
END.
 Pseudocode
• So let’s say we want to express the
following algorithm:
– Read in a number and print it out double the number.
 Pseudocode
BEGIN PrintDoubleNumber:
Read A;
B = A*2;
Print B;
END.
 Pseudocode
• So let’s say we want to express the
following algorithm:
– Read in a number, check if it is odd or even.
 Pseudocode
BEGIN IsOddOrEven:
Read A;
IF (A/2 gives a remainder)
THEN Print “It’s Odd”;
ELSE Print “It’s Even”;
ENDIF;
END.
 Pseudocode
• So let’s say we want to express the
following algorithm to print out the bigger
of two numbers:
– Read in two numbers, call them A and B. Is A is bigger
than B, print out A, otherwise print out B.
 Pseudocode
BEGIN PrintBiggerOfTwo:
Read A;
Read B;
IF (A>B)
THEN Print A;
ELSE Print B;
ENDIF;
END.
 Pseudocode
• So let’s say we want to express the
following algorithm to print out the bigger
of three numbers:
– Read in three numbers, call them A, B and C.
• If A is bigger than B, then if A is bigger than C, print out A,
otherwise print out C.
• If B is bigger than A, then if B is bigger than C, print out B,
otherwise print out C.
 Pseudocode
BEGIN BiggerOfThree:
Read A;
Read B;
Read C;
IF (A>B)
THEN IF (A>C)
THEN Print A;
ELSE Print C;
END IF;
ELSE IF (B>C)
THEN Print B;
ELSE Print C;
END IF;
END IF;
END.
 Pseudocode
• So let’s say we want to express the
following algorithm:
– Print out the numbers from 1 to 5
 Pseudocode
BEGIN Print1to5:
A = 1;
WHILE (A != 6)
DO Print A;
A = A + 1;
ENDWHILE;
END.
 Pseudocode
• So let’s say we want to express the
following algorithm:
– Add up the numbers 1 to 5 and print out the result
 Pseudocode
BEGIN PrintSum1to5:
Total = 0;
A = 1;
WHILE (A != 6)
DO Total = Total + A;
A = A + 1;
ENDWHILE;
Print Total;
END.
 Pseudocode
• So let’s say we want to express the
following algorithm:
– Read in a number and check if it’s a prime number.
 Pseudocode
• So let’s say we want to express the
following algorithm:
– Read in a number and check if it’s a prime number.
– What’s a prime number?
 Pseudocode
• So let’s say we want to express the
following algorithm:
– Read in a number and check if it’s a prime number.
– What’s a prime number?
– A number that’s only divisible by itself and 1, e.g. 7.
 Pseudocode
• So let’s say we want to express the
following algorithm:
– Read in a number and check if it’s a prime number.
– What’s a prime number?
– A number that’s only divisible by itself and 1, e.g. 7.
– Or to put it another way, every number other than itself and 1
gives a remainder, e.g. For 7, if 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2 give a remainder
then 7 is prime.
 Pseudocode
• So let’s say we want to express the
following algorithm:
– Read in a number and check if it’s a prime number.
– What’s a prime number?
– A number that’s only divisible by itself and 1, e.g. 7.
– Or to put it another way, every number other than itself and 1
gives a remainder, e.g. For 7, if 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2 give a remainder
then 7 is prime.
– So all we need to do is divide 7 by all numbers less than it but
greater than one, and if any of them have no remainder, we
know it’s not prime.
 Pseudocode
• So,
• If the number is 7, as long as 6, 5, 4, 3, and
2 give a remainder, 7 is prime.
• If the number is 9, we know that 8, 7, 6, 5,
and 4, all give remainders, but 3 does not
give a remainder, it goes evenly into 9 so
we can say 9 is not prime
 Pseudocode
• So remember,
– if the number is 7, as long as 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2
give a remainder, 7 is prime.
• So, in general,
– if the number is A, as long as A-1, A-2, A-3, A-
4, ... 2 give a remainder, A is prime.
 Pseudocode
BEGIN Prime:
Read A;
B = A - 1;
IsPrime=True;
WHILE (B != 1)
DO IF (A/B gives no remainder)
THEN IsPrime= False;
ENDIF;
B = B – 1;
ENDWHILE;
IF (IsPrime == true)
THEN Print “Prime”;
ELSE Print “Not Prime”;
ENDIF;
END.