PSeInt, a pseudocode interpreter for teachers and students

About PSeint

In the next article we are going to take a look at PSeInt. It is a software that works as a pseudocode interpreter specially designed for those who are dedicated to teaching programming. The main objective of this software is support the teaching of programming and assist students in his first steps in the world of programming.

Using a simple and intuitive pseudo-language in Spanish, complemented with a flowchart editor, this program allows the user to focus on the fundamental concepts of computational algorithm. This seeks to minimize the difficulties inherent to a language and to provide a work environment with numerous teaching aids and resources.

Pseudocode is often used as a first contact to introduce basic concepts such as the use of control structures, expressions or variables, without having to deal with the particularities of the syntax of a real language. Its main purpose is to be a tool for learn and understand the basic concepts of programming to apply them with a pseudocode in Spanish.

General features of PSeInt

Template available in PSeInt

Among the main features and functions of this program, the following can be highlighted:

  • It is a program multi platform (GNU / Linux, Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X).
  • It is totally free (GPLv2 license).
  • Available for 32 and 64 bits.
  • Presents tools to write algorithms in pseudocode in Spanish.
  • Offers functions of auto-completed.
  • Syntax coloring.
  • Facilitates work by command templates.
  • Smart indentation.

dark background

  • Listings of functions, operators and variables.
  • Allows generate and edit the flowchart of the algorithm.
  • It will give us the possibility of making a simultaneous editing of multiple algorithms.
  • El pseudo-language used is configurable.
  • Can interpret / execute written algorithms. Allows you to modify the algorithm and see the changes in the execution immediately. It will also give us the possibility of undoing an execution to restart it or repeat it from an arbitrary point.
  • Offers a special mode in which describes the actions performed at each step.
  • The program will show us the syntax errors in real time.
  • Also points runtime errors.
  • Offer psychological therapy to employees detailed descriptions of each error, with their most frequent causes and solutions.
  • Allows convert the algorithm from pseudocode to code from other languages on the table: C, C ++, C #, Java, JavaScript, MatLab, Pascal, PHP, Python 2, Python 3, or QBasic Visual Basic.

PseInt help

  • The program offers users a integrated help system about the pseudocode and the use of the program. It also includes a set of examples with different levels of difficulty.

These are just some of its features and functions. They can consult all of them more in detail from the project website.

PSeInt Download

To be able to use this program in Ubuntu, you just have to head to the Downloads page of the project. As you can see in the following screenshot, there we can find the download options for different platforms. For this example I will select the Gnu / Linux option "Download package for Gnu / Linux 64bits":

Download the program

The package for GNU / Linux that we are going to download is a compressed tgz file. If you feel undecided about which version to choose (32 or 64 bit), you just have to run the following command in a terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T):

command uname -m

uname -m

If the result is «x86_64»Like the one shown in the previous screenshot, you must select the download option for 64bits.

The program does not need installation. We will only have to go to the folder in which we have saved the downloaded file. Once in it, there will be nothing but unzip the downloaded file with a command like:

tar -xzvf pseint-l64-20191127.tgz

Then we will have to run from directory «pseint»That the file«pseint«.

how to launch PSeInt

cd pseint

./pseint

In the first run, PSeInt will offer us to create shortcut icons, both in the system menu and on the desktop, with which we can launch the program from the graphical environment.

For more information about the use of this program, you can consult the documentation that they offer on their website.


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