In this unit, we are exploring the idea of a conceptual model. In order to develop effective and efficient programs, we need to develop a design for the program. The worst thing that a programmer could do is to simply sit down and attempt to write a program. Preparation is required. Many of you have have taken a course in writing. You will remember that we are taught techniques such as outlining, or diagramming to build a framework of what we are to write. The basic idea of these techniques is to have a good idea of what you are going to write, the points you will make, the flow of the piece, the conclusions that you must reach BEFORE you pen the first word.
Programming follows a similar process. Before we, as programmers, attempt to write the first line of code, we need to have a pretty good understanding of how the program will be constructed, how it will flow, what processes it will need to perform, and what error checks will be required. We develop this plan, or 'conceptual model' as I like to refer to it, using one of two modeling approaches. In this unit we learned about flowcharts which provide a visual diagrammed approach to describing the operation and flow of a program as well as pseudo code which uses formatted English like statements to describe the operation of the program.
In your discussion response, provide a description of both flowcharts and pseudo code. Discuss the advantages of each and describe any disadvantages that might make you want to use one method over the other.
(minimum word count 75. for the initial post)
(minimum word count 25, for replies)
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The Comparison between Flowchart and Pseudo Code
     Flowchart is one of the tools we can leverage to create a conceptual model (Powell-Morse A., 2017). Flowchart uses different symbols to represent various actions in a flow. The common symbols include rounded rectangles which represent Terminals, parallelograms which represent Input/Output Operations and rectangles which represent Processes (University of People, n.d., p.2).  In addition, Flowchart uses symbols with Connectors to describe a flow of one or many systems.
     Flowchart has several advantages as well as disadvantages. Flowchart allows you to understand a flow in a visual graph. Also, its symbols are well standardized so they can be understood easily (Community College of Rhode Island, n.d., p.7). However, Flowchart requires a special tool to enable you to create a conceptual model. Additionally, it will become harder and harder to modify a Flowchart graph when the logic becomes more and more complex. What’s more, Flowchart does not represent the final programs in details. Developers still have to transfer the diagram into a lower-level logic that can represent the final steps in code. Last but not least, Flowchart cannot be documented in version control since its final product is a diagram with symbols and connectors. This makes it hard to trace the modification history.
    Pseudocode is another tool to create a conceptual model. Pseudocode uses formal natural languages like English to describe a flow of a system rather than using specific programming languages. Pseudocode does not use symbols to represent actions. All steps and actions are written in words.
     Pseudocode also has its pros and cons. Pseudocode cannot represent a flow visually since it’s all written in natural languages. Although there are some conventions for some keywords in Pseudo code, it’s still not well standardized (Community College of Rhode Island, n.d., p.7). Therefore, it makes Pseudo code less portable than Flowchart whose symbols are well standardized. However, Pseudo code is very easy and convenient to write. All you need is a text editor and you can get the work started. Because of its simplicity, it’s very easy to modify. There is nothing but words in Pseudo code so no dragging, creating, and deleting symbols are required. What’s more, Pseudocode can be easily managed in version control, so we can trace all the changes in a Pseudo code for backup and auditing purpose. Finally, even though the lack of standardized rules for Pseudo code is considered one of the drawbacks, if we look at it in another way, it gives us a great flexibility to use any custom keywords we want to use aside from those known keywords like IF, ELSE, and REPEAT.
    In my opinion, I prefer Pseudo code more than Flowcharts. The biggest reason is I can use version control for my Pseudo code so that I can document all changes I make for a Pseudocode. Also, the final product of Pseudo code is much more similar to the final code in programming languages. I can just read the Pseudocode and write its counterparts in one of the programming languages I use instantaneously.
References
Powell-Morse A. (2017). Conceptual Models – What Are They and How Can You Use them? Retrieved from https://airbrake.io/blog/sdlc/conceptual-model
University of People. (n.d.). Appendix D: Introduction to Flowcharting [PDF file]. Retrieved from https://my.uopeople.edu/pluginfile.php/322196/mod_book/chapter/162859/Introduction%20to%20Flow%20Charting.pdf
Community College of Rhode Island. (n.d.). Pseudocode: An Introduction [PDF file]. Retrieved from http://faculty.ccri.edu/mkelly/COMI1150/PseudocodeBasics.pdf
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