Prompt
Answer
Pseudo Code for Searching a Number in an Array
Objective
The objective is to search for a specific number within a given array and return its index if found, or an indication that the number is not present.
Pseudo Code Structure
Inputs
- array: An array of numbers (list of integers).
- target: The number to search for within the array.
Outputs
- Return the index of the target if found, otherwise return -1.
Pseudo Code
FUNCTION searchNumber(array, target)
SET index TO -1 // Initialize index to -1 (not found)
SET length TO LENGTH(array) // Get the length of the array
FOR i FROM 0 TO length - 1 DO
IF array[i] EQUALS target THEN // Check if the current element equals the target
SET index TO i // Update index with the current position
BREAK // Exit loop as target is found
END IF
END FOR
RETURN index // Return the index (-1 if not found)
END FUNCTION
Explanation
Initialization:
- Start by setting an
index
variable to -1, which will indicate that the target number has not been found initially.
- Start by setting an
Loop through the array:
- Iterate through each element of the array using a loop.
Comparison:
- For each element, check if it equals the
target
. - If a match is found, update the
index
with the current loop variable and exit the loop.
- For each element, check if it equals the
Return Result:
- Finally, return the value of
index
, which will be either the found index or -1 if the target was not present in the array.
- Finally, return the value of
Usage Example
To use the search function, one could call it with an array and a number:
DEFINE sampleArray AS [10, 20, 30, 40, 50]
SET targetNumber TO 30
SET resultIndex TO searchNumber(sampleArray, targetNumber)
// resultIndex would contain 2 (the index of 30 in sampleArray)
Conclusion
This pseudo code effectively provides a straightforward approach to searching for a number within an array using a linear search technique, ensuring clarity and ease of understanding. For further learning on data structures and algorithms, consider exploring the Enterprise DNA Platform.
Description
This pseudo code outlines a linear search algorithm for finding a number in an array. It returns the index if found or -1 if not, utilizing a simple loop and conditional checks for clarity and ease of understanding.