| Imelda Go, Abbas Tavakoli |
A lookup table (LUT) is a data structure that can help the programmer determine the outcome given the input. This paper
illustrates the use of lookup tables to process data for an outcome instead of manually coded statements. The use of
lookup tables has the potential to reduce processing time since computations are replaced by a lookup operation.
Business rules and adequate documentation form the foundation of the lookup table. Embodying the processing logic in
the lookup table provides a framework for data-driven programming, automation, and for the programmer to more
efficiently complete programming tasks. There is the potential to reduce the amount of code because the lookup table
already contains the information that would otherwise require hard coding. Using a lookup table can also simplify the
code maintenance tasks and reduce human error when business rules need to change. |