Pseudocode is an informal high-level description of an algorithm or the operating principle of a computer program. It uses a mixture of natural language and programming language-like constructs to outline the steps of a process. Unlike actual code, pseudocode is not meant to be executed by a computer. Instead, it helps programmers plan their algorithms, communicate ideas with others, and design solutions before writing the actual code in a specific programming language. This example shows pseudocode for finding the maximum value in a list of numbers.
Pseudocode has several important characteristics that make it useful for algorithm design. First, it's not bound to any specific programming language, allowing developers to focus on the logic rather than syntax. It's meant to be read by humans, not computers, so it doesn't need to be executable. There are no strict syntax rules - you can use whatever notation makes sense to convey your ideas clearly. Pseudocode focuses on the logical flow and structure of an algorithm rather than implementation details like memory management or variable declarations. And it can be adapted to different programming paradigms such as procedural, object-oriented, or functional programming. Here's a comparison between pseudocode and actual Python code for a simple algorithm that prints even numbers from a list.