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Need software recommendations for designing and planning applications?


dwest

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Hi,
I'm more of a hacker than programmer so please pardon any obvious ignorance or stupidity painted in the following scenario.  I wish to evolve to a programmer.  Thus I ask the question...

I often find myself needing a tool to help me think through and design an application in detail, prior to ever coding anything.  As it is, I begin with pencil and paper, make sketches and add notes.  It ends up being a mess because the thoughts don't necessarily come in the proper order if at all.  It is also incomplete because alas, I am not a seasoned programmer.

From that meager start, I begin writing code. Inevitably I get stumped on how to do something, and in working through that, arrive at a whole new tack on the design of application.  Which in turn generates more thoughts and questions.

This leads to great gnashing of the teeth and discouragement as the process repeats.  In short, I um, "run out of memory".  I get lost.
It wastes so much time it is ridiculous!

So, is there any software or techniques which programmers use to alleviate, or at least minimize this problem on the front end, before coding?

It would be nice if said software assisted in identifying patterns that could be placed in functions and other such programmatic thinking.

I've thought a text outliner might work...anyone using one?

All suggestions welcome!
You might want to take a look at [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unified_Modeling_Language]UML[/url] and one of the various programs used to create and maintain it, however, unless your using an object oriented approuch to programming you may not find it real usefull.

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