Which term refers to an informal high-level description of how a computer program functions?

Study for the SQA Higher Computing Science Exam with flashcards and multiple choice questions. Each question offers hints and explanations. Prepare effectively for your exam!

Pseudocode refers to an informal high-level description of how a computer program functions, making it easier to understand the logic and structure of the code without getting bogged down in the syntax of a specific programming language. It uses plain language and a mixture of programming-like constructs to explain the program's operation at a conceptual level.

This term is particularly useful during the design phase of software development, as it allows programmers to outline their ideas and algorithms clearly and intuitively. Pseudocode serves as a bridge between human thought processes and the technicalities of actual programming, facilitating communication among team members and providing a blueprint for coding.

In contrast, algorithms are well-defined step-by-step procedures for solving a problem, flowcharts are visual diagrams that represent processes or workflows, and source code is the actual written code in a specific programming language that a computer can execute. All of these terms relate to programming but do so in different ways than pseudocode does as a descriptive tool.

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