Pizza Robot – Flowchart

Posted on November 18, 2016 by Administrator Posted in Computer Science, Computing Concepts

In this blog post we will design our own algorithms using both pseudo-code and flowcharts.

When given a problem to solve using a computer program you need to think about?

What are the main steps required to solve this program? (decomposition)
In which order will these steps be processed? (sequencing)
What information do I need to retrieve from the end user? (inputs)
What information do I need to display to the end user? (outputs)
What decisions will the computer need to make? (selection / if statements)
Is there any part of the process that can be repeated several times? (iteration / loops)

Then you can design your algorithm either in “plain English” (e.g. using pseudo-code) or using a visual representation (flowchart).

Scenario: Coffee Machine

Let’s look at the algorithm used in a tea/coffee machine.
The machine should:

Ask the user whether they want tea or coffee,
Add the tea or the coffee to the cup,
Ask the user whether they want milk,
If so, add milk to the cup,
Ask the user whether they want sugar,
If so, add sugar to the cup,
Pour the hot water into the cup.

Now let’s look at this algorithm using pseudo-code and using a flowchart:

Pseudo-codeFlowchart

START;

/Would you like Tea or Coffee?/;

if tea {
  Add Tea in cup;
} else {
  Add Coffee in cup;
}

/Would you like Milk?/;

if Milk {
  Add Milk in cup;
}

/Would you like Sugar?/;

if Sugar {
  Add Sugar in cup;
}

Pour hot water in cup;

END;

Your Task: Pizza Robot

Adapt the above algorithm to use it in a pizza robot. Here is what the robot should do:

Welcome the user,
Ask what pizza base they need? (Thin, Thick)
Ask if they want tomato sauce or BBQ sauce?
Ask if they want cheese or not?
Cook the pizza for 20 minutes,
Serve the pizza

Extension:

Ask if the user is vegetarian. If they are not, then ask if they want chicken on their pizza.
The cooking time of the pizza varies: It should be 15 minutes for a thin base and 20 minutes for a thick base. Adapt your flowchart accordingly.

Create your pseudo-code and your flowchart using code2flow.com. Note you can reuse the code form the coffee machine to help you get started!