Pseudocode Style Guide for Codexis Project

Introduction

This style guide provides conventions for writing pseudocode files in the Codexis project to ensure consistency, readability, and maintainability across all components.

File Structure

Algorithm Declaration

All pseudocode files should use the ALGORITHM keyword to declare the beginning of an algorithm and END ALGORITHM to mark its end:

ALGORITHM AlgorithmName

  // Algorithm contents go here

END ALGORITHM

Do not use START / END format for algorithm declarations.

Algorithm Inputs and Outputs

When applicable, specify algorithm inputs and outputs after the algorithm declaration:

ALGORITHM AlgorithmName

INPUT: param1 (type), param2 (type)
OUTPUT: resultType

  // Algorithm contents
  
END ALGORITHM

Procedure and Function Declarations

Use PROCEDURE for All Methods

For consistency, use PROCEDURE instead of FUNCTION for all method declarations:

PROCEDURE MethodName(param1, param2)
  // Method body
END PROCEDURE

Main Entry Point

Each algorithm should have a Main() procedure that serves as the entry point:

PROCEDURE Main()
  TRY
    // Main execution logic
  CATCH error
    // Error handling
  END TRY
END PROCEDURE

Naming Conventions

PascalCase for Methods and Classes

Use PascalCase (UpperCamelCase) for all procedure names, class names, and algorithm names:

PROCEDURE Initialize()
CLASS UserManager
ALGORITHM MetadataHandler

Variables and Parameters

Use camelCase for variables and parameters:

SET fileName = "document.tex"
PROCEDURE ProcessFile(inputFile, outputDirectory)

Constants

Use UPPER_SNAKE_CASE for constants:

SET MAX_ITERATIONS = 100
SET DEFAULT_TIMEOUT = 30

Control Structures

Conditional Statements

Format conditional statements with clear indentation:

IF condition THEN
  // Code to execute if condition is true
ELSE IF otherCondition THEN
  // Code to execute if otherCondition is true
ELSE
  // Code to execute otherwise
END IF

Loops

Format loops with consistent indentation:

FOR EACH item IN collection
  // Process item
END FOR

WHILE condition
  // Process while condition is true
END WHILE

Error Handling

Use consistent error handling with TRY/CATCH blocks:

TRY
  // Code that might cause an error
CATCH error OF TYPE ErrorType
  // Handle specific error
CATCH error
  // Handle any error
END TRY

Comments and Documentation

Header Comments

Include a brief description at the top of complex procedures:

// Converts SVG file to multiple formats (PNG, PDF, JPG)
// Returns a map of output file paths
PROCEDURE ConvertSvgToAllFormats(svgPath)

Inline Comments

Use inline comments for complex logic:

// Calculate the weighted average based on priority
SET weightedScore = (score * priority) / totalPriority

Imports and Dependencies

When referencing other algorithms, use explicit IMPORT statements:

IMPORT SetupBookTemplates FROM "template_setup.pseudocode"

Code Style

Indentation

Use 2 space indentation for all code blocks.

Line Length

Try to keep lines under 80 characters for better readability.

Spacing

Use spaces around operators for better readability:

SET total = price * quantity + taxRate

Example

ALGORITHM FileProcessor

INPUT: filePath (string), outputDir (string)
OUTPUT: ProcessedResult

  // Main entry point
  PROCEDURE Main()
    TRY
      SET processor = NEW FileProcessor(filePath, outputDir)
      SET result = processor.Process()
      OUTPUT "Processing completed successfully"
      RETURN result
    CATCH error OF TYPE FileNotFoundError
      OUTPUT "Error: The specified file was not found"
      RETURN Failure
    CATCH error
      OUTPUT "Error: " + error.message
      RETURN Failure
    END TRY
  END PROCEDURE
  
  PROCEDURE Initialize(filePath, outputDir)
    SET @filePath = filePath
    SET @outputDir = outputDir
    ValidateInputs()
  END PROCEDURE
  
  PROCEDURE ValidateInputs()
    IF NOT File.Exists(@filePath) THEN
      THROW FileNotFoundError("File not found: " + @filePath)
    END IF
    
    IF NOT Directory.Exists(@outputDir) THEN
      CREATE_DIRECTORY(@outputDir)
    END IF
  END PROCEDURE
  
  PROCEDURE Process()
    // Processing logic
    RETURN ProcessedResult
  END PROCEDURE

END ALGORITHM