Last one for today. I'm down to Chardonnay fumes...<br><br>It's about SD exam pseudocode.<br><br>Beat me around the buttocks with a birch twig if I'm wrong* but VCAA has never published an explanation of the pseudocode they use in SD exam questions. We've got used to it over time, and tend to accept it as 'standard' but I don't believe there is such a thing as 'standard pseudocode'. Again, reach for a twig if I'm wrong*.<br>
<br>VCAA pseudocode is pretty easy to read, but rather tedious with the painful <- assignment operator. Is that really necessary since no language in the world (fetch a twig*) uses it. Why not just use "=" or in a pinch "==" for assignment?<br>
<br>They seem to use IF/ENDIF statements freely, so why not also use standard WHILE/WEND (or 'END WHILE' if you prefer) and similar structures (WHILE condition/END WHILE) and even a standardised FOR loop (e.g. LOOP i FROM 1 TO 100 / END LOOP).<br>
<br>The bog-standard pseudocode constructs used by the examiners is like using flowchart shapes instead of compact NS shapes: really clumsy and bulky and they get in the way of interpreting code logic.<br><br>I'd like to see the examiners publish their pseudocode standards, and also consider updating them so common structural constructs can be safely used in exam questions.<br>
<br>Mark<br><br><br>*Really, you can. I have a pile of suitable twigs available.<br><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On 21 April 2011 11:00, Claudia Graham <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:claudia.graham@overnewton.vic.edu.au">claudia.graham@overnewton.vic.edu.au</a>></span> wrote:<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Hi all,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Not sure if others are aware, but sample SD exam questions are now on VCAA web site</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vcaa/vce/studies/infotech/softwaredevel/IT-softwaredev-samp-w.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vcaa/vce/studies/infotech/softwaredevel/IT-softwaredev-samp-w.pdf</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Off to read some more about stacks... back to the old comp sci textbooks!</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Claudia</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:7.5pt;color:maroon">*********************************************************************</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:7.5pt;color:maroon">Claudia Graham</span><span></span></p>
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