Pseudocode

Pseudocode may refer to any of the following:

1. Pseudocode or pseudolanguage are steps written in an informal method using plain English (or native language) and may contain basic programming concepts that everyone understands.

Pseudocode allows everyone, not only programmers, to create something without knowing syntax or programming terms. It's also helpful to programmers to write pseudocode during development to quickly understand how an algorithm or program works.

Although humans can understand pseudocode, it cannot be compiled or executed by the computer. If, after writing pseudocode, a programmer wanted to make it work, they would convert it and its associated concepts into working code in the programming language of their choosing.

Pseudocode example

Below is an example of pseudocode from our algorithm page. Even if you're not a computer programmer, you can understand the basics of what the program would do because it's written in plain English.

Let N = 0
for each letter in the word
 set N = N + 1

In case it's not understood, this pseudocode describes a program going through each letter in a word and counting the letters. For example, the word "computerhope" has 12 letters, so the variable "N" would equal 12.

2. Alternatively called p-code (pseudo-code), p-code or portable code is computer machine language developed for a nonexistent processor (a pseudomachine) or virtual machine.

3. P-Code is short for packed code or pseudo code, a proprietary language developed by Microsoft. It helps developers create smaller DLLs and application files by compiling Visual Basic and Visual C++ code into machine code. Since the introduction of the .NET framework, Microsoft's P-Code is no longer used.

Algorithm, Bytecode, Computer abbreviations, Flowchart, .NET, Programming terms, Pseudo, Pseudomachine