The Programming Process

A programmer job involves writing instructions, but professional programmer usually does not sit down at a computer keyboard and start coding or typing the program code. The programmer’s job can be broken down into programming steps. These steps are the flow of the process where in it performs sequentially. Doing it so will able to have a 100 percent assurance of a good work and responsive program. The diagram below illustrates the different steps that constitute programming process.

Programming Planning

v  Understanding the Problem

v  Make decision on how to satisfy the needs of others.

v  Decide what the programs do.

Program Design (The heart of Programming Process)

v  Planning the program logic. (Plan how the program will work.

v  Planning the steps on the program, declining what steps to include and how to organize them.

v  Planning the solution to a problem can be done in so many ways. The most common planning tools are PSEUDOCODE and FLOWCHART.

  FLOWCHART - a graphical representation of the step by step logical solution to a problem.

  PSEUDO-CODE- is English like short-hand artificial code that resembles the actual program code.

Program Coding

v  Here the programmer writes the program code

v  The writing of the program code into an appropriate program language (any one of the more than 400 programming languages).

Testing and Debugging

v  Enter the program code into the computer and compile (translate) the program source code into an object code.

v  Ensures the program must be free from syntax error, so it can be compiled and executed.

v  Test the program to make sure it is free from logical errors.

NOTE: A program that is free of syntax errors is not necessarily free of logical errors.

              TESTING- he process of checking of the program works according to the plan.

              DEBUGGING- the process of finding and correcting the errors found in the program.

              SYNTX ERROR- the misuse of language grammar rules.

              LOGICAL ERROR- the errors that make the meaning of the expression difficult to understand.

Documentation

v  An important activity in all the phases/ steps of the programming process to describe how to use the program organized and operates.

Technical Documentation- is a documentation written in technical terms and intended for programmers documenting how the program was created and operates. This helps other programmer who may be tapped to continue the work of original programmer who may no longer be available to continue the work.

User Documentation- is a documentation written in non technical terms and intended for the program user guiding them how to use the program.

Implementation

v  The adequately tested program is considered ready to use.

v  Putting the program into production.

Maintenance

v  Correcting program errors (bugs) as a program users pointed them out.

v  Modify in response to user suggestions and needs.