[Year 12 SofDev] Pseudocode standards

[Mark KELLY]

Thanks for the feedback, John.  I find the meaning of '=' is clear in
context.  There's a big difference between
A=4
and
IF A=4 THEN...

At least in VB there is.

Actually, the main reason I hate <-- is because it's so difficult to insert
into documents such as exams.  <-- (as plain text) looks like an obscure
"less than and less and less" operator, and the only way I know to insert a
*real *arrow character is to use Wingdings or a codepage from Arial or some
other typeface, which may not supported by all computers.

In Word I use Insert > Symbol but I wonder if that will render properly on
Macs or other platforms.  Can anyone confirm whether Word characters can be
ported?

Let me try to stick a left-arrow here and see if it renders properly on
people's computers... I'm using gMail's rich text editor.

Arial or Calibri - character U+2190 (using Windows Character map) is after
this colon:←
Can everyone see a left arrow?

Cheers
Mark


On 19 May 2011 14:31, John Schwartz <jschwartz at parade.vic.edu.au> wrote:

> For me, one of the reasons for pseudocode is to help students transition
> between their, usually rather poorly expressed, idea for the algorithm and
> the code. For this reason I like to see a reasonable standard structure
> which more or less matches the code structure they will use. It gives us a
> good point of discussion as to how the program needs to be written and how
> the algorithm works.
>
> I also like the <-- structure because it allows for the varied usages in
> different languages and distinguishes clearly between assignment and
> equality.
>
> John
>
> John Schwartz
> Parade College
> 1436 Plenty Road
> Bundoora, Victoria, 3083
> Phone: 03 9468 3300
> Fax: 03 9467 3937
> e-mail: jschwartz at parade.vic.edu.au | web: www.parade.vic.edu.au
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mark KELLY [mailto:kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au]
> Sent: Thursday, 19 May 2011 12:13 PM
> To: Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [Year 12 SofDev] Pseudocode standards
>
> Hi Alan. I agree with you.  Pseudocode needs to be easy to interpret (which
> is partly why I think showing assignment with <-- is not a good idea).
> But to make pseudocode more concise, I'd like some higher-order constructs.
>  At the moment we're basically using flowchart-level structures whereas we
> could step up to the more elegant basic N-S shapes.
>
> Cheers
> Mark
>
> On 19 May 2011 11:35, Allan Barnes <abarnes at aiet.com.au> wrote:
> > In my opinion pseudocode serves two purposes - it serves to
> > demonstrate to fellow programmers the intent of my program, and it
> > also serves to demonstrate to the user what the program will basically
> > do. It is in essence an English-ised version of the code. It doesn't
> > need to have a specific structure or construct because it is not code
> > and does not need to be universal. It is there to communicate to
> > people who don't want to read the lines of code written in code what
> > the program will do, so it has a purpose, but a limited and defined
> purpose.
> >
> > Of course I did my post-grad study some years back now so the
> > programming environment has changed a lot, but I think pseudocode still
> has a purpose.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Kind regards
> >
> > Allan Barnes, CEO
> > Australian Institute of Education and Training P.O. Box 171 Brunswick
> > West 3055 Melbourne, Victoria
> > Ph: (03) 9387 2051
> > FAX: (03) 9387 3470
> > Mobile: 0409 428 221
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au
> > [mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au]
> > On Behalf Of Mark KELLY
> > Sent: Thursday, 19 May 2011 10:50 AM
> > To: Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List
> > Subject: Re: [Year 12 SofDev] Pseudocode standards
> >
> > I'd be interested in hearing the opinions of the quiet people who
> > subscribe to the list.  If you're quiet because you're worried about a
> > bad reaction, please rest easy.
> >
> > This list is officially unicorns and rainbows for all contributors.
> > We encourage all input, and enjoy any on-topic spirited debate that
> > does not become acrimonious or personal.
> >
> > So please chip in. Most of the talent on the list is the hidden 90% of
> > the iceberg...
> >
> > Cheers
> > Mark
> >
> >
> > On 18 May 2011 11:16, Mark KELLY <kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au> wrote:
> >> Hi Claudia and all
> >>
> >> Is there any news on what pseudocode we can expect to be "standard"
> >> in SD exams?  Until recently there wasn't even a FOR structure in
> >> pseudocode,
> > but
> >> it's there now (Q4 in the sample questions) - a good move.
> >> What other structures and syntaxes does VCAA consider appropriate?
> >  <snip>
> >
> > --
> > Mark Kelly
> > Manager of ICT, Reporting, IT Learning Area McKinnon Secondary College
> > McKinnon Rd McKinnon 3204, Victoria, Australia Direct line /
> > Voicemail: +613 8520 9085, Fax +613 9578 9253
> > kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au VCE IT Lecture Notes: http://vceit.com
> > Moderator: IT Applications Edulist
> >
> > Want a good time? Call 0112358. Ask for Mr Fibonacci.
> >
>
> --
>
> --
Mark Kelly
Manager of ICT, Reporting, IT Learning Area
McKinnon Secondary College
McKinnon Rd McKinnon 3204, Victoria, Australia
Direct line / Voicemail: +613 8520 9085, Fax +613 9578 9253
kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
VCE IT Lecture Notes: http://vceit.com
Moderator: IT Applications Edulist

Want a good time? Call 0112358. Ask for Mr Fibonacci.
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