Programming Steps

Welcome to class!

In today’s class, we will be talking about programming steps. Enjoy the class!

Computer programming (often shortened to programming) is a process that leads from an original formulation of a computing problem to executable computer programs. Programming involves activities such as analysis, developing understanding, generating algorithms, verification of requirements of algorithms including their correctness and resources consumption, and implementation (commonly referred to as coding) of algorithms in a target programming language.

Steps involved in programming

Analyzing the Problem
Algorithm design / Pseudocode
Flowchart
Coding
Debugging
Testing
Final output
Documentation

Analyzing the problem:

This is the first step of programming and involves getting the following information. These things are very important for the programmer because it provides him with the basis for planning about the programming and to control the potential difficulties that may arise.

Algorithm design:

All instructions to be performed at different stages are listed. This is done in simple English language. We may call it the strategic step.

Flowchart:

It is a graphical tool that shows the steps/stages which are to be executed in a program. All the steps which are written in the second stage are now presented in a diagrammatic manner so as to make it easily understandable. Making off low chart helps us in increasing our process of program development because it facilitates our ability to define the logic, detecting and removing errors in program design.

Types of a flow chart

System Flowchart shows the processing of the entire system. It describes the input/output devices, the media being used and the flow of data in the system.
Program flowchart shows the complete steps involved in the execution of a program including I/O, processing, loops and branching. It is more detailed than a system flowchart.

Coding:

In this step, the programmer writes the instructions in a computer language to solve the problem. All coding processes depend upon the information obtained from previous steps. Choice of language depends upon the requirements and facilities available with a language.

Debugging:

In this stage, we remove all the errors in the program because when we are coding, there are chances that some mistakes may occur at that time. Here the program is executed manually, called DRY RUN. This is done several times until all the errors are removed from the program and the system becomes error-free.

Testing:

The program is tested by entering a dummy data (which includes usual, unusual and invalid data) to check the behaviour and result of the program towards the given data.

Final output:

After going through all the above stages, the program is given the TRUE DATA. Here the programmer expects positive results of the program and expects full efficiency of the program.

Documentation:

Most programmers neglect this stage by giving many reasons, but this is very important because this will help the programmer to correct the problems that may occur in the program.

Types of documentation

There are two types of documentation

User Manual provides the user with complete information about how to operate the program and what needs to be done when the user faces a problem.
Technical Manual contains technical information about the program. This is used to get technical details of the program when the system is not working properly or requires modifications.

Evaluation

Computer programming is often shortened to
(a) programme (b) programming (c) compute (d) computer
Programming involves activities such as the following except (a) analysis (b) developing understanding (c) generating algorithms (d) solving maths
First step of programming (a) flowchart (b) algorithms design (c) analysing the problem (d) debugging
___ is a graphical tool that shows the steps/stages which are to be executed in a program (a) flowchart (b) documentation (c) algorithms design (d) User manual
The stage at which all errors are removed in the program is
(a) flowchart (b) debugging (c) testing (d) coding

In our next class, we will be talking about Computer Data and Information. We hope you enjoyed the class.

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Programming Steps