Definition
Pseudocode is a simple, stripped-down version of a programming language with relaxed syntax rules used to explain logic, code, or semantics. To make it easy to understand, it usually has much more natural language constructs i.e: English, French words, etc., than the near cryptic constructs used in programming languages.
Use cases and Examples
As mentioned above, pseudocode is used as a tool to walk through what a program needs to do. It can be used to teach or as a tool to think up optimal programming solutions.
Here is an example pseudocode that applies a discount to a purchasePrice
User inputs purchasePrice
if purchasePrice equals or is greater than 40
finalPrice is 80% of purchasePrice
else
finalPrice is same as purchasePrice
output finalPrice
Summary
There is no defined syntax for pseudocode. The goal is to convey programming ideas without the overhead of making sure the language is used in its most correct way.
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