I thought I would start off this new “tips and tricks” blog series where all developers should start with any piece of code, planning! A lot of people blog about how important planning your code is with the most common method being to pseudo-code first.
Use a whiteboard, paper, something that’s not a computer! Many people pseudo-code in a basic text editor as if writing actual code and then expand on it. While this has its merits, if you actually take yourself away from your computer, and really think about the problem at hand, not from a technical perspective but in terms of what you are actually trying to achieve, and then break down the steps to solve your problem, you will likely produce a much simpler and more elegant solution.
Pseudo-coding at your computer in a text editor is a different mindset and often fosters a certain way of thinking, limiting your solutions with your coding ability. You risk getting caught up in the technical intricacies of your chosen programming language instead of abstracting the problem away from your code.
This is one of the many tools we use in Mayden Academy to help our students understand their problems better and create innovative yet simple solutions.
