Question

Compare pseudocode and flowcharts for designing computer programs, and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Answer 1

A pseudocode is a computer program in a readable format that is used to describe what it does. It is written in a natural language rather than a programming language for better understanding and debugging.
An advantage of pseudocodes is that it is very similar to the final code but it requires much less time to write since less precision is needed. Another advantage is that anyone can write it since they are no specified format or notation.
A disadvantage of pseudocodes is that it does not provide a diagram representation of the program. Another disadvantage is that it cannot be compiled and so there are no accepted standards for writing pseudocode.

A flowchart is a diagram used to show the flow of control or data in a computer program or an algorithm. It uses various boxes as steps and arrows to connect them and show the flow.
An advantage of flowcharts is that it shows the flow of control and data in the program and so it can be understood very easily. It is also very easy to draw since software is available abundantly.
A disadvantage of flowcharts is that a small change can force the developer to change the whole flowchart. It also requires manual tracing by the developer to check the correctness.