Isomatic UK Weblog

I have just started writing a specification for embedded software so revisited the old problem of how best to present it. Looking back through all the methods I have tried in the past and checking with some recent opinions on the web, I concluded:
1) for top level spec. a simple state diagram conveys the most instant picture
2) for a more detailed spec. the chore of producing all those boxes and arrowed lines, with continual changes to their size and position, would be more than I could stand
3) therefore the detailed version will use pseudo-code.

This is a kind of structured english for describing algorithms. It allows the designer to focus on the logic of the algorithm without being distracted by details of language syntax. The vocabulary will be that of the problem, not of the implementation. The pseudo-code is a narrative for someone who knows the requirements in principle but needs to know the full story before any coding is undertaken.

Labels: Software