Program design and Structured Programming
Program design and structured programming are essential concepts in software development,
ensuring that programs are well-organized, maintainable, and efficient.
1. Program Design:
Program design refers to the process of planning and creating the structure of a software program
before coding begins. This phase involves understanding the problem, specifying requirements,
and deciding on the system architecture. It emphasizes:
Problem Understanding: Identifying the goals and constraints.
Requirements Analysis: Gathering and analyzing functional and non-functional
requirements.
System Design: Deciding how the system's components will work together (high-level
architecture).
Modularization: Breaking down the problem into manageable modules or components
that can be developed independently and later integrated.
Algorithm Design: Creating algorithms for each part of the system, defining the logic
that will solve specific problems.
Documentation: Writing technical specifications and flowcharts or diagrams to describe
the flow of the program.
Write the program
Test the program
2. Structured Programming:
Structured programming is a programming paradigm aimed at improving clarity, quality, and
development time by using a disciplined approach to coding.
Structured Programming approach mainly focuses on the order of execution of the statements
within a program. It suggests the sequential execution of statements in a program.
It is based on the idea that any program can be constructed using three basic control structures:
Sequential: A series of instructions executed one after another.
Selective (Decision): Making choices using constructs like if, else, or switch
statements.
Iteration (Loops or repetitive): Repeating instructions using loops like for, while, or
do-while.
Key characteristics of structured programming include:
Modularity: Breaking down the code into smaller, reusable modules (functions or
procedures) that handle specific tasks.
Top-Down Approach: The overall design is divided into smaller problems, solving each
in detail, while maintaining clarity of the big picture.
Single-Entry and Single-Exit: Control structures (like loops and conditionals) are
designed to have one point of entry and one point of exit, making the code easier to
follow and maintain.
Use of Subroutines or Functions: Code is organized into small subroutines (or
functions) that perform distinct tasks. This enhances reusability and reduces redundancy.
Benefits of Structured Programming:
Improved Readability: Code is easier to read and understand due to its logical structure.
Maintainability: Structured code is easier to debug, modify, and extend.
Reusability: Functions and modules can be reused in different parts of the program or
even in other programs.
Reduction of Complexity: By dividing the problem into smaller parts, the complexity of
the system is significantly reduced.
In summary, program design is the process of planning the system and solving the problem
before coding, while structured programming is the disciplined approach used in the
implementation phase, emphasizing modularity and clarity. Both are crucial for developing
reliable and maintainable software systems.
Program or System Development
Fig: Waterfall Model
1. Statement of Problem
a) Working with existing system and using proper questionnaire, the problem should be
explained clearly.
b) What inputs are available, what outputs are required and what is needed for creating
workable solution, should be understood clearly.
2. Analysis
a) The method of solutions to solve the problem can be identified.
b) We also judge that which method gives best results among different methods of
solution.
3. Design
a) Algorithms and flow charts will be prepared.
b) Focus on data, architecture, user interfaces and program components.
4. Code
The source code is developed using the models, logic and requirement specifications
designated in the prior phases. Typically, the system is coded in smaller components, or units,
before being put together.
5. System Test
The algorithms and flow charts developed in the previous steps are converted into actual
programs in the high level languages like C.
a. Compilation
The process of translating the program into machine code is called as Compilation. Syntactic
errors are found quickly at the time of compiling the program. These errors occur due to the
usage of wrong syntaxes for the statements.
b. Execution
The next step is Program execution. In this phase, we may encounter two types of errors.
Runtime Errors: these errors occur during the execution of the program and terminate
the program abnormally.
Logical Errors: these errors occur due to incorrect usage of the instructions in the
program. These errors are neither detected during compilation or execution nor cause any
stoppage to the program execution but produces incorrect output.
6. Maintenance
We are maintenance the software by updating the information, providing the security and
license for the software.
