What is Structured Programming ?

 

Structured programming is a programming paradigm which facilitates the creation of reusable components. Although all modern programming languages support it, the mechanisms of support vary.

Where code can be reused from another library, it may be possible to construct structured code by writing modules in different languages. When a module is reused, it's possible to expose sensitive information without requiring explicit consent from the user. This is why it's important to enforce a privacy policy that controls the use of that module.

Programming that has structured elements encourages an application program to divide its modules and autonomous elements into a hierarchy, which may contain other such elements. This list may include case, where a variable tests a set of values; repeat, while and for, which constructs loops until a condition is met.

Structured & Unstructured Programming Difference

A structured programming language can facilitate or enforce structured programming practices.

The origin of structured programming can be traced back to the 1950s. Prior to the advent of ALGOL, programming was cluttered with non-binding constructs that were often referred to as spaghetti code.

Modular programming emerged a decade later due to its ability to improve developer productivity. Critics argue that programming with modular modules doesn't require actual independence. Instead, they consider any program that splits logic into separate elements as modular.

Modern programming languages are capable of writing structured code and are also capable of writing code that is informally known as unstructured. However, this definition is not very restrictive and should not be used incorrectly.

Components of Structured Programming

At the high level, programs are structured hierarchies with a hierarchy starting at the main process and moving down to the lower levels as the logic dictates. These lower structures can be combined into a single unit of code, or they can be broken down into multiple modules.

A module can be classified as a procedure or a function. The former refers to a specific task, while the latter refers to the operation of specific inputs.

A structured program or module has a header file that describes the modules or library referenced by them. It also describes their structure and interface.

Disadvantages of Structured Programming

 

The biggest disadvantage of programming is that it consumes more memory and doesn't provide enough execution efficiency. Another issue is that it returns to the caller when the program is done. System resources and program parameters are saved on a stack. The more modules are involved, the more overhead is associated with the interface.

Programming errors can also be caused by the type of task that the programmer has to complete. For instance, if the program has to solve a math problem, RPL is commonly used. If the problem was posed in a structured programming procedure or object form, the resulting codes would be significantly less efficient than the RPL versions.