[Tutor] Planning a program with algorithm?

[Andrei]

Danny Yoo <dyoo <at> hkn.eecs.berkeley.edu> writes:
> Some design advocates say that program design should be a part of every
> program.  At least, at minimum, we may want to think about:
>
>    1.  What is the program supposed to do?  What's the input, and what's
>        the output?
> 
>    2.  What would a typical program run look like?
> 
>    3.  What can we test it with to know that the program's doing the right
>        thing?

It's hard to disagree with that :). 
My only gripe with such a generous definition is that it's pretty much
impossible to make a program without 'designing' it, because you'd end up with a
bunch of random statements. I find 'design' useful only if it means that some
effort has gone into making sure the application is well structured, easy to
maintain, easy to extend/modify (especially in the directions which could be
foreseen beforehand). Going from design-in-head straight to production code
doesn't (at least for me) lead to the best of results in those respects, even
though the code may work.

Yours,

Andrei