Pseudocode

Pseudocode is a brief explanation of code in plain English.

Writing pseudocode is a good way to map out your ideas for a program before actually writing the real code. It can help you think about the function decomposition, the top down design, and the structure of a program.

Here are some examples of pseudocode:

• Pseudocode to put down 10 tennis balls

  repeat 10 times:
      put ball
  

• Pseudocode to draw a tower on every avenue in a Karel world.

  while front is clear:
      build tower
      move
  build last tower
  

• Then, you can also pseudocode the build tower part like this:

  build tower:
      turn left
      repeat 3 times:
          put ball and move
      turn around
      move down
      turn left
  

Writing out algorithms in pseudocode allows you to focus on the structure and important ideas of the program without worrying about syntax. Once you have a good idea of the program written in pseudocode, writing the actual program is simply a matter of turning the pseudocode into Java code.