Design is the most important part of the program development cycle

• Program design serves as the blueprint for the entire development process. A well-thought-out design ensures that the program:
  • Meets the user’s needs
  • Is logically organized and maintainable
  • Can be developed efficiently with fewer bugs

Understand the task that the program is to perform

• Work with the customer to understand the program’s purpose
  • What is the program’s goal?
  • What problem is it trying to solve?
  • Who will use it and how?
• Ask questions about program details
  • What are the inputs and expected outputs?
  • Are there any rules or constraints?
  • What should the program do in case of errors?

Determine the steps that must be taken to perform the task

• Break down the required task into a series of steps
  • Decompose the problem into smaller, manageable parts. Think logically about the flow of data and actions the program needs to perform.
• Create an algorithm
  • An algorithm is a step-by-step procedure for solving a problem or performing a task. It outlines the logical flow of the program before any code is written. Think of it as a detailed recipe or a roadmap to the solution.

Algorithm: A set of well-defined logical steps that must be taken to perform a task

• An algorithm:
  • Is a precise and ordered list of actions
  • Must be unambiguous and follow logical reasoning
  • Should eventually lead to a result or output

• For example, an algorithm to calculate the average of three numbers might be:
  • Get three numbers from the user
  • Add the numbers together
  • Divide the total by 3
  • Display the result

• A good algorithm leads to an efficient, understandable, and reliable program.

Pseudocode

• "Fake code" used to model a program before coding
• Pseudocode is a simplified, informal way of describing a program’s logic using plain language mixed with programming-like structures.
• It looks like code but doesn’t follow any specific programming language syntax.
• That’s why it’s often called "fake code."
• Key Characteristics of Pseudocode
  • Informal language that has no syntax rules
  • Not meant to be compiled or executed
  • Used to create a model of a program

Flowchart

• A Visual Representation of a Program's Logic
• A flowchart is a diagram that shows the step-by-step flow of a program using standard symbols.
• It provides a graphical overview of how a program or process operates, helping to visualize the logic before writing code.