The Act of Programming

Programming has always been characterized with different arguments and perspectives. Some of the arguments include open source and patent programming, web/mobile and desktop programming, client-server and business tier programming and the choice of programming language. Away from all these controversies, new entrants into programming are usually confused by the best pattern of development in programming.

Most of programmers reachable in recent times are mere glorified code writers as they often exhibit narrow understanding of scenarios. Some have to re-write codes for a particular problem over and over again. Hence, the frustration of programmers that even leads to numerous prospective application development giants abandoning this lucrative aspect of information technology. Here is my perspective on effective development of programs.

Writing a program should start from pseudo coding. This aspect often neglected by programmers because it is elementary. This process requires drafting the steps required in solving a particular problem which the program is meant to solve (Even complex programs need this). This can be done using bullet point or detail outline of steps which the program will implement. Brainstorming is required at this level to also discover the factors and other vital components of the program.

Flowcharting is the next stage. This activity is old but very efficient as it allows you to transform the pseudo codes into implementation sequence. Flow chart will describe the flow of the program in order to achieve its goals. Other diagrams that can be developed include ERD (for databases), Data flow Diagram and UML.

For advanced programs, it is advisable to develop a use case that identifies the functionality and privileges of each user and entities associated with the application. The next phase is what I termed the object specification activity. This is where you determine the functions, construct, data types and other nuclear programming features which will be deployed. This phase requires objective reasoning on how the program will be developed. The flow chart should be core in this phase. The last activity is the actual coding which is what most programmers in this part of the world start first.

THINK FIRST BEFORE YOU ACT (CODE)!

This piece is my contribution to improving the human capacity in the Nigerian and global IT space. If you have learned something or you have any corrections, please leave your comments. My name is Pelumi Apantaku and my twitter handle is @Pelulomo_27