go to previous page   go to home page   go to next page

Answer:

No. The ideas of structured programming work for any programming language.

Structuring principles can be used with any programming language, even with unstructured programming languages like assembly language or the early versions of BASIC and FORTRAN. With unstructured languages it is up to you (the programmer) to implement structures without the support of the syntax of the language.


How this can Help You

In almost all problems (in life or in programming) it helps to have a high-level plan of what you are trying to achieve. A high level plan keeps you focused on the task and directs your efforts. If you don't have a high-level plan, you may think only in terms of what to do next from moment to moment, and you may never reach your goal. You might flounder forever, making small moves that don't add up to progress. This is like wandering aimlessly through a murky woods without a map. Or like trying to write a novel by picking one word at a time. Not likely to succeed.

In programming, a high-level design is given by a top-level structured flowchart (very often the Universal Flow Chart, modified to fit your task). Structuring forces the chart to be a genuine design and not merely a poorly-conceived collection of boxes and lines. Any program can be described by a structured flow chart. If you design your program in a chart using a small number of boxes, it will be a top-level design.

Now you can more sensibly focus on smaller tasks, and then yet smaller tasks, using the same method. This method of divide and conquer is a very powerful technique.


QUESTION 25:

Does your life need more structure?