pseudocode

Pseudocode is a generic way of describing an algorithm without use of any specific programming language syntax. It is, as the name suggests, pseudo code. It cannot be executed on a real computer else it would be actual code and not pseudocode. It resembles real programming code except that it can be written at any level of detail from code that could be actual code if an existing compiler were slightly altered to code that needs a human level intelligence to parse its meaning. Pseudocode, by nature, exists in various forms, although most borrow syntax from popular programming languages (like C, Lisp, or Fortran). Natural language is used whenever details are unimportant or distracting. Computer science textbooks often use pseudocode in their examples so that all programmers can understand them, even if they do not all know the same programming languages. Since pseudocode style varies from author to author, there is usually an accompanying introduction explaining the syntax used.

Pseudocode

See also