Pseudocode
Pseudocode is generic way of describing an algorithm without use of any specific programming language-related notations. It is, as the name suggests, pseudo code. That is, it is not really programming code, but it models and may even look like programming code. Pseudocode, by nature, exists in various forms, though most borrow syntax from popular programming languages (like C, Lisp, or Fortran). Natural language text is used whenever details are unimportant or distracting.
Computer science text books often use pseudocode in their examples so that all programmers can understand them, even if they do not all know the same programming languages. Since psuedocode style varies from author to author, there is usually an accompanying introduction explaining the syntax used.
Wikipedia's style of pseudocode uses keywords from C for the some common operations, and, like Python, uses indentation to distinguish the scope of things like loops. However, not all documents yet adhere to this standard.
Example Wikipedia pseudocode
Assignment:
=
Conditionals:
if
do stuff
else
do other stuff
Simple loops:
while
do stuff
for from to by
do stuff with variable
Function calls:
()
Function declarations:
function ()
do stuff with arguments
return something (optional)
Variable declarations:
declare as
Array declarations:
declare [ to ] of
Composite data structures (also see Object Oriented Programming):
struct
Accessing fields of a composite structure:
.
This standard still needs work.
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