CHAPTER I - CONSIDERATIONS IN PROGRAM DESIGN AND EVALUATION

Abstract

This chapter reviews the key attributes of good programs and good programming practices. The process of writing complex programs requires many considerations and decisions. All program development activities should be geared toward the goal of maximum user impact. The reduction of the time and effort to be expended in the programming task is important for realizing a release time for the design and development of the algorithms that the program represents. The program development process starts with the user recognizing a problem and ends with their interpreting a computer printout that may provide relevant information and/or answers. The success or failure of a particular programming effort is primarily determined by the degree to which this printout assists the user in resolving his problem. Activities having a great user impact, such as documentation and output design, should be given in-depth attention. A standardized approach to programming results in a semiautomatic execution of trivial tasks. Thus, it reduces the likelihood of errors in these tasks, and frees time and attention for more important tasks. Thereafter, adequate program documentation provides for a number of time and money saving advantages. There is a clear tradeoff between the time and effort spent documenting a program, and the difficulty experienced by the user in attempting to use it. The program should be designed such that the probability of errors in user inputs is minimized. This means that the choice of input format should be dictated by what is convenient for the user.