Top-down approach and bottom-up approach
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IntroductionIn the world of programming, algorithms take the prime spotlight. These complex mathematical and computational designs are used to find solutions to even more complex programming issues. But thats something were all aware of. However, do you know how these algorithms are designed and created? Thats precisely the topic of our conversation today! How Are Algorithms Designed The Top-Down Vs The Bottom-Up ProgrammingTop-down and bottom-up are both strategies of information processing. These strategies are used in a variety of fields such as management, psychology, manufacturing as well as in Computer Science. For a second, lets dive into the world of psychology. The word perception in psychology is basically a process of organizing and interpreting sensory information. There we have Top-down and Bottom-up Processing. In order to understand the top-down and bottom-up processing, lets see one example. From the picture above we can see that this is the B alphabet right? Now answer me again. From the background knowledge, the B alphabet seems to be the number 13. It is top-down processing, where processing happens from the big picture to the tiny details. In Computer Science, the Top-down approach is based on planning and a complete understanding of a system, the strategy is implemented by attaching the stops in place of the module, and then all the individual sub-components are being implemented later. Whereas, the bottom-up approach works in the exact opposite way. We begin by taking small components and assembling them into the desired system. In simple words, top-down programming is all about breaking a bigger problem into smaller chunks, whereas bottom-up programming focuses on amalgamating smaller chunks to paint the complete and bigger picture. Source: link Get it? Now, lets take a closer look at these two Top-Down Vs Bottom-Up Programming methodologies. The Top-Down ApproachIn the top-down approach, a complex algorithm is broken down into smaller fragments, better known as modules. These modules are then further broken down into smaller fragments until they can no longer be fragmented. This process is called modularization. However, during the modularization process, you must always maintain the integrity and originality of the algorithm. Moreover, a top-down approach is more suitable when the software needs to be designed from scratch and very specific details are unknown. By breaking a bigger problem into smaller fragments, the top-down approach minimizes the complications usually incurred while designing algorithms. Furthermore, in this approach, each function in a code is unique and works independently of other functions. The top-down approach is heavily used in the C programming language. Advantages:-
Drawbacks:-
The Bottom-Up ApproachContrary to the top-down approach, bottom-up programming focuses on designing an algorithm by beginning at the very basic level and building up as it goes. In this approach, the modules are designed individually and are then integrated together to form a complete algorithmic design. Moreover, the bottom-up approach is more suitable when a system needs to be created from some existing components. So, in this method, each and every module is built and tested at an individual level (unit testing) prior to integrating them to build a concrete solution. The unit testing is performed by leveraging specific low-level functions. Advantages:-
Drawbacks:-
What Are The Key Differences Between The Top-Down vs The Bottom-Up programming?Based on the core preferences and values of each methodology, we can chalk out certain basic differences between the two and they are:
Lets take an example of finding the Fibonacci series with the help of recursion where we have to calculate the 5th Fibonacci number. For our problem we observe: Fibonacci(5) = Fibonacci(4) + Fibonacci(3) Fibonacci(4) = Fibonacci(3) + Fibonacci(2) Fibonacci(3) = Fibonacci(2) + Fibonacci(1) Fibonacci(2) = Fibonacci(1) + Fibonacci(0) Our function call stack will have multiple calls to the same calculations. To do away with this we use a top-down approach using Dynamic Programming which is called Memoisation and create an array to store the calculations so that no duplicate calculations are performed. For example: In the above diagram, once we have calculated the result for Fib(3), we can reuse this result for getting the answer to redundant recursive calls instead of calculating them again. The top-down approach first calculates Fibonacci(5) and then goes down to solving others. There is another approach the bottom-up approach where the direction of solving the question is reversed. First Fibonacci(0) is calculated and then the problem goes all the way up to Fibonacci(5) making it easier to solve the problem.
In the C programming language, the problem statement is first understood and a solution is created after which the main function is created and all the sub-functions are called from the main function breaking the problem into smaller parts. Hence, procedural languages utilize the paradigm of a top-down approach. Similarly in object-oriented programming languages like Java, the base classes are written first. Then you go on writing the derived classes making your program complex little by little and hence it is considered to be a bottom-up approach.
Like we saw in the previous example, object-oriented programming languages utilize the bottom-up approach and with the use of classes and objects encapsulation, data hiding, and several other object-oriented programming concepts are applied to the best.
As we know, the bottom-up approach requires interaction and integration between different modules and components of the program, and hence this approach is used in testing purposes for identifying if all components are working properly together. Debugging on the other hand is a process where first what is happening is identified and then the root cause is discovered which suggests that the top-down approach should be approached.
Top-down vs Bottom-up Programming
Frequently Asked QuestionsWhy is bottom-up better than top-down? The bottom up approach first identifies the small chunks of the problem and solves it moving its way to the top while the top down approach divides the bigger problem into smaller parts and solves it. Bottom up approach is better as it focuses on the fundamentals first and then moves on to the original problem as a whole. What means top down? The top down approach translates into an approach where a bigger problem is solved by breaking it down into smaller parts. What is a bottom-up budget? A bottom-up budget is a budget where first the tasks to be undertaken are identified and then according to the plan an entire budget is prepared. What is a bottom-up project? A bottom-up project is a project where the team defines and performs smaller tasks (presumably in different teams as well) and then together solves the problem of the undertaken project. What is the advantage of a top down approach? A top down approach is better when a management perspective is considered. The decision-making is comparatively faster and the teams are working on smaller problems and hence not trying to solve the entire problem at once which might make them overlook certain aspects of the problem. Which is better, C or Java? C is a procedural and low-level language whereas Java is an object-oriented and high-level language. C is faster whereas Java is easier to learn. Why is C called top down? In C language, the problem-solving starts with a high-level design which goes down to the low-level implementation. ConclusionThus, in conclusion, we can say that the top-down approach is rather the conventional method that seeks to decompose a complex problem into smaller fragments (from high-level specification to low-level specification), the bottom-up approach works is just the opposite it first concentrates on designing the fundamental components of an algorithm and then moves up to a higher level to achieve a complete result. The top-down approach finds its uses in debugging, proper management, and procedural programming languages. The bottom-up approach finds its uses in testing and object-oriented programming languages. Both have their own advantages and disadvantages. The top-down approach is the first priority for some developer teams while others prefer a bottom-up approach. Level Up In Your Career With Our Premium Courses For small-scale projects, the top-down approach can prove to be more fruitful due to its methodology of breaking the problem into subsections first. On a bigger scale, where different teams are performing different functions, the bottom-up approach is more suitable. We hope this helps you understand the Top-Down Vs Bottom-Up Programming approach! Happy coding! Dont stop here Ninja! Boost your knowledge in supplementary topics as well. The OOPS Concepts You Must Know, Introduction to Recursion |