TASK

Thinking Like a Programmer

— Pseudo Code I
Introduction
WELCOME TO THE PSEUDO CODE TASK!

The bootcamp you are starting today is structured as a series of ‘Tasks’. Tasks
include a lesson component designed to teach you the theory needed to develop
your skills, as well as a Compulsory Task component designed to give you the
platform to apply your newly-gained knowledge by completing practical exercises.

This task serves as an introduction to pseudo code and how it can be used to ease
you into the world of programming.

If you’re taking this course, you’re brand new to the Python programming language. You
may even be new to programming altogether. Either way, you’ve come to the right place!

The key to becoming a competent programmer is utilising all available resources to their
full potential. Occasionally, you may stumble upon a piece of code that you cannot wrap
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HyperionDev knows what you need, but there are also other avenues you can explore for
help. One of the most frequently used by programmers worldwide is Stack Overflow; it
would be a good idea to bookmark this for future use.

Also, our blog is a great place to find detailed articles and tutorials on concepts into
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a machine learning model with Flask, you can find all this information and more on
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INTRODUCTION TO PSEUDO CODE

What is pseudo code? And why do you need to know this? Well, being a
programmer means that you will often have to visualise a problem and know how
to implement the steps to solve a particular conundrum. This process is known as
writing pseudo code.

Pseudo code is not actual code; instead, it is a detailed yet informal description of
what a computer program or algorithm must do. It is intended for human reading
rather than machine reading. Therefore, it is easier for people to understand than
conventional programming language code. Pseudo code does not need to obey
any specific syntax rules, unlike conventional programming languages. Hence it
can be understood by any programmer, irrespective of the programming
languages they’re familiar with.

As a programmer, pseudo code will help you better understand how to

implement an algorithm, especially if it is unfamiliar to you. You can then translate
your pseudo code into your chosen programming language.

WHAT IS AN ALGORITHM?

Simply put, an algorithm is a step-by-step method of solving a problem. To

understand this better, it might help to consider an example that is not
algorithmic. When you learned to multiply single-digit numbers, you probably
memorised the multiplication table for each number (say n) all the way up to n x
10. In effect, you memorised 100 specific solutions. That kind of knowledge is not
algorithmic. But along the way, you probably recognised a pattern and made up a
few tricks.

For example, to find the product of n and 9 (when n is less than 10), you can write n
− 1 as the first digit and 10 − n as the second digit (e.g. 7 x 9 = 63). This trick is a
general solution for multiplying any single-digit number by 9. That’s an algorithm!
Similarly, the techniques you learned for addition with carrying, subtraction with
borrowing, and long division are all algorithms.

One of the characteristics of algorithms is that they do not require any intelligence
to execute. Once you have an algorithm, it’s a mechanical process in which each
step follows from the last according to a simple set of rules (like a recipe). However,
breaking down a hard problem into precise, logical algorithmic processes to reach
the desired solution is what requires intelligence or computational thinking.
Did you know that Ada Lovelace (who was an English mathematician and writer born in
1815) is regarded as the first computer programmer? Her notes on an early mechanical,
general-purpose computer (the Analytical Engine) is recognised as the first algorithm
(pseudocode) to be carried out by a machine.

Also, did you know the word ‘algorithm’ comes from the mediaeval Latin word ‘algorism’
and the Greek word ‘arithmos’ (ἀριθμός)? The word 'algorism' (and therefore, the derived
word 'algorithm') comes from Al-Khwārizmī (Persian: ‫خوارزمی‬‎‎, c.780–850), a Persian
mathematician, astronomer, geographer and scholar. The English language adopted the
French term, but it wasn't until the late 19th century that ‘algorithm’ took on the
meaning that it has in modern English.

In English, it was first used in about 1230 and then by Chaucer in 1391. Another early use
of the word is from 1240 in a manual titled Carmen de Algorismo composed by
Alexandre de Villedieu.

It begins thus:
Haec algorismus ars praesens dicitur, in qua /
Talibus Indorum fruimur bis quinque figuris.
which translates as:
Algorism is the art by which at present we use
those Indian figures, which number two times
five.
The poem summarises the art of calculating with
the new style of Indian dice, or Talibus Indorum,
or Hindu numerals or al-adad al-Hindi.

Ada Lovelace
PSEUDO CODE SYNTAX

There is no specific convention for writing pseudo code, as a program in pseudo

code cannot be executed. In other words, pseudo code itself is not a
programming language. It is a generic model of all programming languages that
one uses to outline a high-level plan for what you’ll eventually code, to make the
eventual coding a little simpler.

Pseudo code is easy to write and understand, even if you have no programming
experience. You simply need to write down a logical breakdown of what you want
your program to do. Therefore, it is a good tool to use to discuss, analyse, and agree
on a program's design with a team of programmers, users, and clients before
coding the solution.

Example 1

An algorithm that prints out “passed” or “failed” depending on whether a

student's grade is greater than or equal to 50 could be written in pseudo code as
follows.

Pseudo code

get grade

if grade is equal to or greater than 50

print "passed"

else

print "failed"

Example 2

An algorithm that asks a user to enter their name and prints out "Hello, World" if
their name is "John".

Pseudo code

request user's name

if the input name is equal to "John"

print "Hello, World"

Example 3

An algorithm that requests an integer from the user and prints "fizz" if the
number is even or "buzz" if it is odd.

Pseudo code

request an integer from the user

if the integer is even

print "fizz"

else if the integer is odd

print "buzz"

Example 4

An algorithm that calculates the grade average by inputting and adding up the
grades of each of the 10 students, and then prints out the class average.

Pseudo code

Set the total class grade to zero

Set counter to one

While counter is less than or equal to ten

Input the student’s grade

Add the student’s grade to the total class grade

Calculate the class average by dividing the total grade sum by ten

Print the class average

Flowcharts can be thought of as a graphical implementation of pseudo code. This

is because they are more visually appealing and probably more readable than a
“text-based” version of pseudo code. An example of a flowchart that would visualise
the algorithm for Example 3 above, is shown in the image below:
There are a number of shapes or symbols used with flowcharts to denote the type
of instruction or function you are using for each step of the algorithm. The most
common symbols used for flowcharts are shown in the table below:

Symbol Use

Indicates the start and end of an algorithm.

Used to get or display any data involved in the algorithm.

Indicates any processing or calculations that need to be done.

Indicates any decisions in an algorithm.

Compulsory Task
Follow these steps:

● Use a plain text editor like Notepad++. Create a new text file called
pseudo.txt inside the folder for this task in Dropbox.

● Inside pseudo.txt, write pseudo code for each of the following scenarios:

○ An algorithm that asks a user to enter a positive number repeatedly

until the user enters a zero value, then determines and outputs the
largest of the numbers that were input.

○ An algorithm that reads an arbitrary number of integers and then

returns their arithmetic average.

○ An algorithm that reads a grocery list and prints out the products
(in alphabetical order) that are still left to buy.

○ An algorithm for the flowchart below:

Optional Bonus Task
Follow these steps:

● Create a new text file called optional_task.txt inside this folder.

● Inside optional_task.txt, write pseudocode for the following scenario:

○ An algorithm that asks the user to enter four numbers, sorts those
numbers from smallest to largest and then prints the sorted
numbers.

Thing(s) to look out for:

1. Make sure that you have installed and set up all programs correctly. You have set
up Dropbox correctly if you are reading this.

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