I have a question about algorithm design. Most of the Perl scripts I've examined on the site of that I've written (or more precisely, attempted to write) were created to accomplish a specific task. They involved maybe one or two algorithms to do so, and some algorithms were a bit more complicated than others.
Most professional programmers will tell you that you should do a minimum of design when building an application (that minimum varies between each programmer). But application design tends to describe the overall architecture of the program, not the algorithms.
Since Perl scripts are mostly algorithms, OO design (and other methodologies) doesn't apply here. So how do you go about designing your scripts? Do you simply bring up VI/Emacs and start coding? Do you use an algorithm design tool (like a flowchart diagrammer)? Pen and Paper?
My current approach has been writing out pseudocode, which lets me think in terms of the task, and not of the language.I find that my scripts are usually much cleaner and simpler, and that they run the first time I try them. The other benefit is that they're much easier to explain and document for others on my team. I'd like to streamline this process a bit, make it more efficient.
Thanks in advance for your advice,
Phemur