UNIT 2: PROBLEM ANALYSIS AND

DESIGN
Algorithm, Flowchart, Pseudocode
and Analyse Problem

STAGE INVOLVED IN PROBLEM SOLVING

1. Defining and analyzing problems

identify and understand what the problems to resolve are

the problems must be clearly define
3 element of problem analysis :- input, process, output

2. Planning of variables
variables are simply references to memory locations
a well plan use of variables will produce an efficient
execution of program in terms of speed and memory
utilization

3. Design tools
3 types of design tools
i) Flowchart
ii) pseudo code

4. Program Writing
the program should be clear and readable through an
orderly

4. Testing and Debug

Once the program has been written it must be compiled

and executed. This is accomplished by an editor and
compiler. An editor lets us type a program, makes changes
and save it to a file. The compiler then translates the
program into a form that the computer can read. Once the
program has been compiled and executed the presence of
errors will be readily apparent.

5. Documentation
Program must be documented for future references and
maintenance process.

ELEMENTS OF PROBLEMS ANALYSIS

INPUT
A set of information called data that entered into the
computer from keyboard, floppy disk, hard disk etc. and
stored in a portion of the computer memory.
This input which is an input to the computer will then
be processed to produce the desired result.

PROCESS
Sequence of interdependent and linked procedures
which, at every stage, consume one or more
resources to convert inputs into outputs.
These outputs then serve as inputs for the next stage
until a known goal or end result is reached.

OUTPUT
The processed data which produced certain result is
known as the output.
The output data will be presented in a sheet of paper
through the printer or display on a monitor.

LETS DO AN EXERCISES:
Determine input, process and output for the given
problems.
1. A workers at TF Supermarket will be paid RM5 per
hour. Get the total hours working per day and total
days working in a month from the user and
calculate the gross pay for a month.

2. Students have to get at least 50 marks to PASS

Fundamental Programming Subject. Calculate the
average marks for the students. Their marks
consist of two quizzes, one test and one
assignment.

3) Calculate the area of rectangular.

4) Calculate total parking fee that customer
has to pay at SOGO shopping complex.
Given rate for parking is RM2 per hour.

Input :

Total hours working per day

Total days working in a month

Process :

Gross pay = RM5 x hours a day x days in a month

Output :

Gross pay

Input :

Marks for

a) Quiz 1
b) Quiz 2
c) Test 1

d) Assignment 1
Process :

Average = (Quiz1 + Quiz 2 + Test 1 + Assg 1)/4

Output :

Average

1. DEFINE & ANALYZE PROBLEM

2. PLANNING VARIABLES
3.PROGRAM DESIGN TOOLS
4. PROGRAM WRITING
5. PROGRAM TESTING & DEBUGGING
6. DOCUMENTATION

12

STEP 3: PROGRAM DESIGN

TOOLS
The Techniques To Develop C++
Programming

1. Flowcharts
2
techniques

2. Pseudo Code

13

F
L
O
W
C
H
A
R
T

Graphic representation of algorithm is known

as flowchart which consist of geometric
symbols.
These symbols are connected by line of arrows
called flowlines which indicate the direction of
flow of processes or activities.
The shape of the symbol indicates the type of
operation that is to occur.

Flowchart should flow from the top of the page

to the bottom.

14

Symbol

Name

Meaning

Flowline

Used to connect symbols and

indicate the flow of logic

Terminal

Used to represent the

beginning (start) or the end
(End) of a task

Input/output

Used for input and output

operations, such as reading
and printing. The data to be
read or printed are describe
inside

15

Symbol

Name
Processing

Decision

Connector
Offpage
connector

Meaning
Used for arithmetic and datamanipulation operations. The instruction
are listed inside the symbol
Used for any logic or comparison
operations. Unlike the input/output and
processing symbols, which have one entry
and one exit flowline, the decision symbol
has one entry and
two exit paths. The path chosen depends
on whether the answer to a question is
yes or no
Used to join different flowline
Used to indicate that the flow chart
continues to a second page

16

Symbol

Name

Meaning

Predefined Process

Used to represent a group of

statements that perform one
processing task.

Annotation

Used to provide additional

information about another
flowchart symbol

The main advantage of using a flowchart to plan a task is that it provides a

pictorial representation of the task, which makes the logic easier to
follow. We can clearly see each and every step and how it is
connected to the next step. For example lets look at the discount sales
program in the next page.

EXAMPLE:
1.

A workers at TF Supermarket will be paid RM5

per hour. Get the total hours working per day
and total days working in a month from the user
and calculate the gross pay for a month.

Input : ______________________________
Process : _____________________________

Output : _____________________________

Stepping Through the

Flowchart
How many
hours did
you work?

START
Display message
How many hours
did you work?

Read Hours
Display message How
much do you get paid
per hour?

Read Pay Rate

Variable Contents:
Hours: ?
Pay Rate: ?
Gross Pay: ?

Multiply Hours by
Pay Rate. Store
result in Gross Pay.
Display Gross Pay
END

Output
Operation

Stepping Through the

Flowchart
How many
hours did
you work?
40

Input
Operation
(User
types 40)

START
Display message
How many hours
did you work?

Read Hours
Display message How
much do you get paid
per hour?

Read Pay Rate

Multiply Hours by
Pay Rate. Store
result in Gross Pay.

Variable Contents:
Hours: 40
Pay Rate: ?
Gross Pay: ?

Display Gross Pay

END

Stepping Through the

Flowchart

How much
do you get
paid per
hour?

START
Display message
How many hours did
you work?

Read Hours

Output
Operation

Display message
How much do you
get paid per hour?

Read Pay Rate

Multiply Hours by
Pay Rate. Store
result in Gross Pay.

Variable Contents:
Hours: 40
Pay Rate: ?
Gross Pay: ?

Display Gross Pay

END

Stepping Through the

Flowchart

How much do
you get paid
per hour? 20

Display message
How many hours
did you work?

Read Hours

Input
Operation
(User types
20)

Variable Contents:
Hours: 40
Pay Rate: 20
Gross Pay: ?

START

Display message
How much do you
get paid per hour?

Read Pay Rate

Multiply Hours by
Pay Rate. Store result
in Gross Pay.

Display Gross Pay

END

Stepping Through the

Flowchart

How much do
you get paid
per hour?

START
Display message
How many hours
did you work?

Read Hours
Display message
How much do you
get paid per hour?

Read Pay Rate

Multiply Hours by
Pay Rate. Store
result in Gross Pay.

Variable Contents:
Hours: 40
Pay Rate: 20
Gross Pay: 800

Display Gross Pay

END

Process:
The
product
of 40
times 20
is stored
in Gross
Pay

Stepping Through the

Flowchart

Your gross
pay is 800

START
Display message
How many hours
did you work?

Read Hours
Display message
How much do you
get paid per hour?

Read Pay Rate

Multiply Hours by
Pay Rate. Store
result in Gross Pay.

Variable Contents:
Hours: 40
Pay Rate: 20
Gross Pay: 800

Display Gross Pay

END

Output
Operation

i) an
abbreviated
version of
actual
computer code

PSEUDO CODE
ii) geometric symbols
used in flowcharts are
replaced by Englishlike statements that
outline the process

iii) allows
programmer to
focus on the
steps required
to solve a
problem rather
than on how to
use computer
language.

Program:
1- Enter hours work - input
2- Enter rate paid per hour input
3. Gross pay=hour * pay rate - process
4. Display gross pay

- output

DEBUGGED PROGRAMME SOURCES

CODE
SYNTAX ERROR
The most common error a programmer makes.
Usually a miss spelled word.
A program will not compile until all syntax errors
are corrected.
For interpreted languages however syntax errors cannot
be detected until runtime and it is not necessarily simple
to differentiate a syntax error from a semantic error.

RUN-TIME ERROR
Run-time errors are errors that occur while your
program runs.
These typically occur when your program attempts
an operation that is impossible to carry out.
LOGICAL ERROR
These errors solely depend on the logical thinking of the
programmer and are easy to detect if we follow the line of
execution and determine why the program takes that path of
execution.

SUMMARY
Design tools for
problem solving:
Flowchart
Pseudo code

Element of problems
analysis:
Input
Process
output

Various types of
errors:
Syntax error
Run-time error
Logical Error

LETS DO AN EXCERCISES
Analyze the problem given, state all the possible variables and
develop a flowchart and pseudo code for each problems.

1.

Students have to get at least 50 marks to PASS

Fundamental Programming Subject. Calculate the
average marks for the students. Their marks consist of
two quizzes, one test and one assignment. Design a
flowchart and pseudo-code.

Step 1 : Input : _______________________

Process: _____________________
Output: _______________________
Step 2 : List all posibble variables
___________________________________________
Step 3: Flowcahrt and pseudo-code

2) Write a flowchart and pseudo code to a

program that will calculate the area of
rectangular.
Step 1 : Input

: _______________________

Process: _____________________
Output: _______________________

Step 2 : List all posibble variables

___________________________________________
Step 3: Flowcahrt and pseudo-code

3) Calculate total parking fee that customer has to

pay at SOGO shopping complex. Given rate for
parking is RM2 per hour. Design the flowchart and
pseudo code for these program.
Step 1 : Input

: _______________________

Process: _____________________

Output: _______________________
Step 2 : List all posibble variables

___________________________________________
Step 3: Flowcahrt and pseudo-code