Programming Logic and Design
Seventh Edition
Chapter 3
Understanding Structure
Objectives
In this chapter, you will learn about:
• The disadvantages of unstructured spaghetti code
• The three basic structures—sequence, selection, and
loop
• Using a priming input to structure a program
• The need for structure
• Recognizing structure
• Structuring and modularizing unstructured logic
Programming Logic and Design, Seventh Edition 2
The Disadvantages of Unstructured
•
Spaghetti
Spaghetti code
Code
– Logically snarled program statements
– Often a complicated mess
– Programs often work but are difficult to read and maintain
– Confusing and prone to error
• Unstructured programs
– Do not follow the rules of structured logic
• Structured programs
– Follow the rules of structured logic
Programming Logic and Design, Seventh Edition 3
Figure 3-1 Spaghetti code logic for washing a dog
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Understanding the Three Basic
Structures
• Structure
– Basic unit of programming logic
– Sequence structure
• Perform actions in order
• No branching or skipping any task
– Selection structure (decision structure)
• Ask a question, take one of two actions
• Dual-alternative ifs or single-alternative ifs
– Loop structure
• Repeat actions while a condition remains true
Programming Logic and Design, Seventh Edition 5
Understanding the Three Basic
Structures (continued)
Figure 3-2 Sequence structure
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Understanding the Three Basic
Structures (continued)
No Yes
Figure 3-3 Selection structure
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Understanding the Three Basic
Structures (continued)
• Dual-alternative ifs
– Contain two alternatives
– The if-then-else structure
if someCondition is true then
do oneProcess
else
do theOtherProcess
endif
Programming Logic and Design, Seventh Edition 8
Understanding the Three Basic
Structures (continued)
• Single-alternative ifs
if employee belongs to dentalPlan then
deduct $40 from employeeGrossPay
– An else clause is not required
• null case
– Situation where nothing is done
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Understanding the Three Basic
Structures (continued)
Figure 3-4 Single-alternative selection structure
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Understanding the Three Basic
Structures (continued)
• Loop structure
– Repeats a set of actions while a condition remains true
• Loop body
– Also called repetition or iteration
– Condition is tested first in the most common form of loop
– The while…do or while loop
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Understanding the Three Basic
Structures (continued)
Figure 3-5 Loop structure
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Understanding the Three Basic
Structures (continued)
• Loop structure
while testCondition continues to be true
do someProcess
while you continue to be hungry
take another bite of food
determine if you still feel hungry
Programming Logic and Design, Seventh Edition 13
Understanding the Three Basic
Structures (continued)
• All logic problems can be solved using only sequence,
selection, and loop
• Structures can be combined in an infinite number of
ways
• Stacking structures
– Attaching structures end-to-end
• End-structure statement
– Indicates the end of a structure
– The endif statement ends an if-then-else structure
– The endwhile statement ends a loop structure
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Understanding the Three Basic
Structures (continued)
Figure 3-6 Structured flowchart and pseudocode with three stacked structures
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Understanding the Three Basic
Structures (continued)
• Any individual task or step in a structure can be
replaced by a structure
• Nesting structures
– Placing one structure within another
– Indent the nested structure’s statements
• Block
– A group of statements that execute as a single unit
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Understanding the Three Basic
Structures (continued)
Figure 3-7 Flowchart and pseudocode showing nested structures—
a sequence nested within a selection
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Understanding the Three Basic
Structures (continued)
Figure 3-8 Flowchart and pseudocode showing nested structures—
a loop nested within a sequence, nested within a selection
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Understanding the Three Basic
Structures (continued)
Figure 3-9 Flowchart and pseudocode for a selection within
a loop within a sequence within a selection
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Understanding the Three Basic
Structures (continued)
• Structured programs have the following
characteristics:
– Include only combinations of the three basic structures
– Each structure has a single entry point and a single exit
point
– Structures can be stacked or connected to one another
only at their entry or exit points
– Any structure can be nested within another structure
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Using a Priming Input to Structure
a Program
• Priming input (or priming read)
– Reads the first input data record
– Is outside the loop that reads the rest of the records
– Helps keep the program structured
• Analyze a flowchart for structure one step at a time
• Watch for unstructured loops that do not follow this
order
– First ask a question
– Take action based on the answer
– Return to ask the question again
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Using a Priming Input to Structure
a Program (continued)
Figure 3-15 Structured, but nonfunctional, flowchart of number-doubling problem
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Using a Priming Input to Structure
a Program (continued)
Figure 3-16 Functional but unstructured flowchart
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Figure 3-17 Functional, structured flowchart for the number-doubling problem
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Figure 3-18 Structured but incorrect solution to the number-doubling problem
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Understanding the Reasons for
Structure
• Clarity—unstructured programs are confusing
• Professionalism—other programmers expect it
• Efficiency—most languages support it
• Ease of maintenance—other programmers find it
easier to read
• Supports modularity—easily broken down into
modules
• It can be difficult to detect whether a flowchart is
structured
Programming Logic and Design, Seventh Edition 26
Recognizing Structure
A Structured Flowchart
Figure 3-20 Example 2
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Recognizing Structure (continued)
An Unstructured Flowchart
Figure 3-21 Example 3
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Figure 3-23 Structured dog-washing flowchart and pseudocode
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Figure 3-24 Modularized version of the dog-washing program
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Summary
• Spaghetti code
– Statements that do not follow rules of structured logic
• Three basic structures
– Sequence, selection, and loop
– Combined by stacking and nesting
• Priming input
– Statement that reads the first input value prior to starting
a structured loop
Programming Logic and Design, Seventh Edition 31
Summary (continued)
• Structured techniques promote:
– Clarity
– Professionalism
– Efficiency
– Modularity
• Flowcharts can be made structured by untangling
• Logical steps can be rewritten to conform to the
three structures
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