What Is a Programming Algorithm?

So, what is a programming algorithm? You can think of a programming algorithm as a recipe that describes the exact steps needed for the computer to solve a problem or reach a goal. We've all seen food recipes - they list the ingredients needed and a set of steps for how to make the described meal. Well, an algorithm is just like that. In computer lingo, the word for a recipe is a procedure, and the ingredients are called inputs. Your computer looks at your procedure, follows it to the letter, and you get to see the results, which are called outputs. A programming algorithm describes how to do something, and your computer will do it exactly that way every time. Well, it will once you convert your algorithm into a language it understands!.

However, it's important to note that a programming algorithm is not computer code. It's written in simple English (or whatever the programmer speaks). It doesn't beat around the bush--it has a start, a middle, and an end. In fact, you will probably label the first step 'start' and the last step 'end.' It includes only what you need to carry out the task. It does not include anything unclear, often called ambiguous in computer lingo, that someone reading it might wonder about.

It always leads to a solution and tries to be the most efficient solution we can think up. It's often a good idea to number the steps, but you don't have to. Instead of numbered steps, some folks use indentation and write in pseudocode, which is a semi-programming language used to describe the steps in an algorithm. But, we won't use that here since simplicity is the main thing. Other folks just use a diagram called a flowchart, which we will discuss soon.

Programming Algorithm Example

Okay, you probably wish you could see an example, right? So, what exactly does an algorithm in programming look like? Well, asking a user for an email address is probably one of the most common tasks a web-based program might need to do, so that is what we will use here for an example. An algorithm can be written as a list of steps using text or as a picture with shapes and arrows called a flowchart. We will make one of each which you will see here:

What Is a Programming Algorithm?