The document outlines the three main stages of developing a C program: 1) Program design which includes problem analysis, outlining structure, algorithm development, and selecting control structures. 2) Program coding which should be readable and avoid complex logic. 3) Program testing which has two stages - human testing like code inspections, and computer-based testing using compilers and detecting run-time errors. The design stage establishes a foundation and strategy for writing the program to solve the problem. Coding then implements the design, and testing identifies any errors before the final program.

1. STEPS FOR DEVELOPING A
‘C’ PROGRAM.
BY
SAHITHI NARAPARAJU

2. INTRODUCTION
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3)
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The program development process in C includes three
important stages namely:
Program design
Program coding and
Program testing
All the three stages contribute to production of high
quality programs

3. 1) Program design :
• It is a foundation for good program.
• Program design basically concerned with
development strategy to be used in writing
program, in order to achieve solution of a
problem.
• This includes mapping out a solution
procedure and the form the program would
take.

4. •
Program design involves 4 stages namely:
i) Problem analysis
ii) Outlining the program structure
iii) Algorithm development
iv) Selection of control structure
• Problem analysis: Before we think a
solution procedure to a problem, we must
fully understand the nature of the problem
and what we want the program to do.

5. • Outlining the program structure : Once we
have decided what we want and what we
have, the next step is to decide how to do it.
• As a structured language C lends itself to
top-down approach.
• Top-down approach means decomposing of
solution procedure into tasks that form a
hierarchical structure.
• The essence of top-down approach is to cut
the whole program into number of
independent constitutent tasks and then cut
into smaller subtasks

6. • This approach will produce a readable and
modular code that can be easily understood
and maintained.
• It also helps us classify overall functioning of
a program in terms of lower- level functions.
iii) Algorithm Development: Step by step
procedure for each function is known as
algorithm.
• The most common method of describing an
algorithm is through the use of flow charts.
• The other method is pseudo code.

7. •
flow chart represents algorithm pictorially,
while pseudo code describe the solution steps
in logical order.
iv) Control structures: Any algorithm can be
structured using three basic control structure
namely:
a) sequence structure b) selection structure
c) looping structure
a) Sequence structure: sequence structure
denotes the execution of statements
sequentially one after another.

8. b) Selection structure: selection structure involves
a decision , based on a condition and may
have 2 or more branches
Eg: if else and switch statements.
c) Looping structure: looping structure is used
when a set of instructions is evaluated
repeatedly.
Eg: do, while, for statements.

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A well designed program will provide
following benefits:
Coding is easy and error-free.
Testing is simple.
Maintence is easy
Good documentation is possible.
Cost estimates can be made more accurately.
Progress of coding may be controlled more
precisely.

10. •
2) Program coding : progrm coding should be
readable and simple to understand.
• Complex logic and tricky coding should be
avoided.
• The elements of coding include:
i) Internal documentation
ii) Construction of statements
iii) Generality of program
iv) Input/Output formats

11. 3) Program testing: Testing is the process of
reviewing and executing a program with the
intent of detecting errors.
• The compiler can detect syntactic and
semantic errors, it cannot detect run-time and
logical errors that show up during execution of
program.
• Testing should include necessary steps to
detect all possible errors in the program.
• Testing process may include following 2
stages:
i) Human testing and
ii) Computer-based testing.

12. a) Human testing : It is an effective errordetection
Process and is done before the computer based
testing begins.
• Human testing methods include code
inspection by programmer, code inspection by
test group and review by peer group.
• The test is carried out statement by statement
and is analyzed with respect to check list of
common programming errors.
• In addition to finding errors, the programming
style and choice of algorithm are reviewed.

13. b) Computer-based testing: computer based
testing involves two stages namely:
i) Compiler testing and
ii) Run-time testing
• Compiler testing is the simplest of two and
detects undiscovered syntax errors.
• The program executes when compiler
detects no more errors.
• Run-time errors may produce run-time error
messages such as “null-pointer assignments”
“stack overflow”.
• When program is free from all such errors, it
produces output.