Helping Students Get Start with the IPO model
Discuss the input, process, and output model as it relates to program development. Explain the purpose of each step and how that information is used in each step. What would be the impact on overall program performance if one of these steps were not included?
Before moving into the meat of our discussion, it might be wise to grasp an understanding of why programmers need models such as the “IPO Model.” Writing software is simply the process of finding a problem that needs to be solved. When working with a client, the programmer’s job is to actively listen to what he or she has to say, define in descriptive words what they believe the problem and plausible solution is. One must go into detective mode asking the hard questions, reading between the lines, and putting things together that no one else can see.
Then the artistic side comes out. During this stage of planning, the information gathered to plan the logic to your solution. This is where the three-step process: identify the input, identify the processes, and identify the outputs. The inputs is what the program will receive it is being executed; the processes are calculations that are developed to connect the meaning of the input and output. The output is what is displayed on the screen. It is the results of the calculated input. Therefore, it is important that the programmer to develop a logical solution from the IPO, and lastly desk check the design to determine of it will work. If everything checks out, it can be translated into proper design and code for production.
Before writing in a particular computer language, the IPO model is often written in pseudo code for the purpose of making it easier to correct if there is a problem. When a program is already coded, it is very difficult to do a desk check. Pseudo code is more like English, which makes mistakes easier to spot. Therefore, do not forget to save all documentation after coding into a computer language.
Now, it is get into the major parts of the question beginning with input. Input is a list of the source data provided to the problem. When looking at the problem statement, the input and output components are easy to spot due to their descriptive nature. When analyzing a person’s IPO break it down into its three components. Scrutinize the actual words in the specification and divide them into both descriptive and implied action. When one thinks of input, one deals with something that is received. It is any data that the program receives while it is running. The input literally determines the data that comes into the program.
The process transforms the data. It determines the actions, or processes, that transforms the data into useable information. At this stage, a list should be concocted of what actions need to be performed, not how they will be accomplished. The solution set will be completely defined as the solution is defined. Make sure proper order of operations are used during the process stage. Processing is a list of actionsneeded to produce the required outputs. When a program receives data, it stores it in variables, which are named storage locations in memory.
Output is a list of the outputs received and required. It is based on what is inputted and processed internally or in this case by pseudo code. It is data generated and displayed by the program. Outputs are produced via the process. When things are not clearly defined, it is best to concentrate on the outputs required. This will then determine the inputs, and the way will be set for determining the processing steps required to produce the desired output.
If one of the steps were missing, the program could not be written. If one cannot input variables related to nouns and adjectives, one could not name the variable specifically. X is a terrible name for freshmanStudents. In the processing area, X also would not be very appealing for ”Add numbers together”. As for output, X would be a terrible prompt for avg. _ temp. The three areas have specific roles. If the syntax is not used properly, the integrity of the program will break down. Therefore, the IPO is a good three way model for developing pseudo code.