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From: Niklas Holsti <niklas.holsti@tidorum.invalid>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Subject: Re: grassroots level SPARK Initiation
Date: Wed, 25 Apr 2018 19:14:20 +0300
Organization: Tidorum Ltd
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Xref: reader02.eternal-september.org comp.lang.ada:51701
Date: 2018-04-25T19:14:20+03:00
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>

On 18-04-25 18:25 , Mehdi Saada wrote:
> My problem is untold difficulty with algorithms. Even-though I may
> understand easily how they operate in natural language (say, binary
> search through a sorted container), I cannot code it: more than 25+
> lines (of myself), and I don't understand it anymore. Then I'm
> "forced" to tweak things here and there, until it works. I know I
> shouldn't debug like this, and I hate it too. especially not knowing
> what I do.

I find it helps me to describe in prose (in comments) exactly what every 
variable, parameter, subprogram, loop, etc. is intended to do and 
represent, including all the special cases (empty array, value not 
found, etc.). Then you don't need to hold it all in your mind, but can 
refer to the written descriptions as often as needed.

And the bonus is that the descriptions remain available for anyone 
looking at or modifying the program, including a future version of 
yourself...

-- 
Niklas Holsti
Tidorum Ltd
niklas holsti tidorum fi
       .      @       .