PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE

The process of developing a program is called program development. The process

Figure 1

1. Analysis
The analysis is the first step in the Program Development Life Cycle (PDLC). This process
is done by reviewing the program specifications. Determining the program specifications,
it can eliminate ambiguities in the problem statement. Other criteria must also be
identified, especially the data that will be used as input, the process involved, and the
output that will be produced.
The analysis steps will also indicate what the new system should do. Therefore, in this
step, the programmer should start by determining the program objectives, followed by the
output that will be produced, the inputs needed, and the process involved in producing
the output. Program objectives are the problems that we are trying to solve.
In Example 1, the method to calculate the BMI for a user using a program is shown.
Example 1
Problem: Calculate the BMI for a user.
Objectives: Calculate BMI for a user
Output: bmi
Input: weight, height (in meters)
Process: double bmi, weight, height
bmi=weight/pow(height,2)

2. Design
In the design step, a programmer needs to develop a series of steps with logical order,
which when applied would produce the output of the problem. As discussed earlier, good
program design is significant because it makes the development process run smoothly,
besides making future revisions easier. The design step is where a solution is created
using a structured programming technique. This technique is known as an algorithm,
which consists of pseudocode and flow charts. An algorithm is a procedure or formula for
solving a problem. It is a step-by-step problem solving process where the result is attained
in a limited amount of time.

A computer program can be viewed as an algorithm which has been extended. The
algorithm can be the first procedure to solve a problem effectively. A good algorithm will
produce a good program. Some requirements must be satisfied when creating an
algorithm:

1. Unambiguousness
An algorithm must be very clear and easy to understand, especially to those who do not
have any IT background.

2. Generality
When creating an algorithm, ensure that it is unspecific by using simple English words
and does not involve any programming language.

3. Correctness
An algorithm must be accurate so that it will be able to produce an effective program.

4. Finiteness
An algorithm must have a limitation or ends when it is completely done.

Algorithm consists of pseudocode and flow chart

Before an algorithm is created, the three types of control structure should be understood
first. A control structure is a pattern to control the flow of a program module.

The three types of control structure are:

2 Selection (decision)
The next statement to be executed is based on a condition
3 Iteration (looping)
The repetition of a statement or a group of a statement
Figure 1.13 shows the differences between the three control structures.

Three types of Control Structure

Keywords use to make up a sequence control structure should begin with clear words
such as compute, set or initialize. For selection control structure, use keywords such as
if-else or the switch statement. For repetition control structure, additional keywords which
can be used are for, while or do, while. It is also recommended to indent the loop body.
All words in a pseudocode statement must be clear and easy enough for non-
programmers to understand. In pseudocode, a keyword is followed with a variable or
constant name or operations which represent the statement. It is advisable to differentiate
between the keywords and variable names in pseudocode. Thus, an uppercase letter is
used when writing the keywords.

Pseudocode
Pseudocode is a semiformal, English-like language with a limited vocabulary used to
design and describe algorithms. Every statement in pseudocode involves keywords which
define the process and operands. Each pseudocode statement should be written in a
separate line.
Examples 1 to 6 show pseudocode for sequential control structure.

Example 1 and 2 show pseudocode for sequential control structure

Example 1
Problem: Calculate BMI for a user.
BEGIN
DECLARE double bmi, weight, height
READ weight, height
CALCULATE bmi=weight/pow(height,2)
DISPLAY bmi
END
Example 2
Problem: Find the area of a circle.
BEGIN
DECLARE double radius, area; const double PI=3.142
READ radius
CALCULATE area=PI*pow(radius,2)
DISPLAY area
END
Example 3 (shows the pseudocode for selection control structure)
Problem: Identify whether a number is a positive or negative number.
BEGIN
DECLARE int num
GET num
if (num>O)
DISPLAY "positive number"
else
DISPLAY "negative number"
END
Example 4 (shows the pseudocode for repetition control structure)
Problem: Get three numbers and find the total sum and average of the three
numbers.
BEGIN
DECLARE int no, sum, count; double avg,
INITIALIZE sum=O, count=O
while (count<3)
GET no;
CALCULATE sum=surn+no;
CALCULATE count++;
COMPUTE avg=sum/ count
PRINT sum, avg
END
Flowchart
Flow chart is a graphic presentation of the detailed logical sequence of steps needed to
solve programming problems. It uses geometric symbols where different symbols are
used to represent different actions such as start/stop, decision, input/output, processing
and looping.

The steps in a flow chart follow each other in the same logical order as the corresponding
program statements will follow in a program. Similar to pseudocode, keywords are written
in uppercase, while variable and constant names as well as operations for the statements
are written in lowercase. Both the keywords, and variable and constant names must be
written inside the symbols. Table 1 shows the symbols that can be used in a flow chart,
their names and descriptions.

Table 1
Flow chart symbols, their names and descriptions
Example 1.a

Flow chart for sequential control structure

Flow chart for repetition control structure

3. Implementation/Coding
The pseudocode and flow chart which have been done in the design step will be
converted into a program by using certain programming languages such as BASIC, JAVA,
C or C++. This is where the implementation or coding takes place. This step solves the
problem by enabling the user to start writing the programs. In this step, only people with
a programming background will be able to write and understand the code and program.
Coding is the actual process of creating a program in a programming language.
The coded program is referred to as source code. A source code must follow certain rules
which are called syntax. The source code must then be saved as a program which has
the extension '.cpp: To be executed, the program is converted by the computer into object
code using a special program or translator such as a compiler or interpreter. Refer to
Figure 1.9 to understand the flow of program execution.

4. Testing/Debugging
The testing and debugging process is the step for checking and verifying the correctness
of the program. The process of making sure a program is free of errors or 'bugs' is called
debugging. Preliminary debugging begins after the program has been entered into the
computer system. ln this step, programmers also need to check and correct the errors. If
there are still errors in the program, the output will not be displayed. Thus, to run the
program successfully, the errors must be identified and corrected until there are no errors
in the program.

5. Maintenance
Maintenance is the last step in the Program Development Life Cycle (PDLC). Essentially,
every program, if it is to last a long time, requires ongoing maintenance. This step is a
process of updating software for any changes, corrections, additions, moving to a different
computing platform and others so that it continues to be useful. Maintenance is a costly
process. However, it can be very useful especially on extending the life of a program.