The use of pseudo-code and pen and paper are prevalent within the task of programming. However, few studies examine the use of informal notations or the use of the paper medium. In this article, I offer a psychological analysis of the use of pseudo-code and pen and paper by experienced programmers. In particular, I investigate how such informal notations and the paper medium support the cognitively complex task of programming. The basis of the investigation is an analysis of the notes that programmers make during programming. These notes were collected from eight experienced programmers, who were all programming in different languages with different programming environments. Interviews and questionnaires were used as supplementary data. In the analysis based on these data, I describe the kinds of tasks done using pseudo-code and pen and paper, and I offer an account of why these tasks are done using these particular notations and this medium. This study suggests that programmers use pseudo-code and pen and paper to reduce the cognitive complexity of the programming task.
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