Explain flowchart in detail? (FEB 2009/FEB 2010)
The benefits of flowcharts are as follows:
a. Communication: Flowcharts are better way of communicating the logic of a system to all concerned.
b. Effective analysis: With the help of flowchart, problem can be analyzed in more effective way.
c. Proper documentation: Program flowcharts serve as a good program documentation, which is needed for various purposes.
d. Efficient Coding: The flowcharts act as a guide or blueprint during the systems analysis and program development phase.
e. Proper Debugging: The flowchart helps in debugging process.
f. Efficient Program Maintenance: The maintenance of operating program becomes easy with the help of flowchart. It helps the programmer to put efforts more efficiently on that part.
Advantages
Logic Flowcharts are easy to understand. They provide a graphical representation of actions to be taken.
Logic Flowcharts are well suited for representing logic where there is intermingling among many actions.
Disadvantages
Logic Flowcharts may encourage the use of GoTo statements leading to software design that is unstructured with logic that is difficult to decipher.
Without an automated tool, it is time-consuming to maintain Logic Flowcharts. Logic Flowcharts may be used during detailed logic design to specify a module.
However, the presence of decision boxes may encourage the use of GoTo statements, resulting in software that is not structured. For this reason, Logic Flowcharts may be better used during Structural Design.
LIMITATIONS OF USING FLOWCHARTS
Complex logic: Sometimes, the program logic is quite complicated. In that case, flowchart becomes complex and clumsy.
Alterations and Modifications: If alterations are required the flowchart may require re-
drawing completely.
Reproduction: As the flowchart symbols cannot be typed, reproduction of flowchart becomes a problem.
The essentials of what is done can easily be lost in the technical details of how it is done.
GUIDELINES FOR DRAWING A FLOWCHART
a. In drawing a proper flowchart, all necessary requirements should be listed out in logical order.
b. The flowchart should be clear, neat and easy to follow. There should not be any room for ambiguity in understanding the flowchart.
c. The usual direction of the flow of a procedure or system is from left to right or top to bottom.
A flowchart is a schematic representation of an algorithm or a stepwise process, showing the steps as boxes of various kinds, and their order by connecting these with arrows. Flowcharts are used in designing or documenting a process or program.
A flow chart, or flow diagram, is a graphical representation of a process or system that details the sequencing of steps required to create output. A flowchart is a picture of the separate steps of a process in sequential order.
The benefits of flowcharts are as follows:
a. Communication: Flowcharts are better way of communicating the logic of a system to all concerned.
c. Proper documentation: Program flowcharts serve as a good program documentation, which is needed for various purposes.
d. Efficient Coding: The flowcharts act as a guide or blueprint during the systems analysis and program development phase.
e. Proper Debugging: The flowchart helps in debugging process.
f. Efficient Program Maintenance: The maintenance of operating program becomes easy with the help of flowchart. It helps the programmer to put efforts more efficiently on that part.
Advantages
Logic Flowcharts are easy to understand. They provide a graphical representation of actions to be taken.
Logic Flowcharts are well suited for representing logic where there is intermingling among many actions.
Disadvantages
Logic Flowcharts may encourage the use of GoTo statements leading to software design that is unstructured with logic that is difficult to decipher.
Without an automated tool, it is time-consuming to maintain Logic Flowcharts. Logic Flowcharts may be used during detailed logic design to specify a module.
However, the presence of decision boxes may encourage the use of GoTo statements, resulting in software that is not structured. For this reason, Logic Flowcharts may be better used during Structural Design.
LIMITATIONS OF USING FLOWCHARTS
Complex logic: Sometimes, the program logic is quite complicated. In that case, flowchart becomes complex and clumsy.
Alterations and Modifications: If alterations are required the flowchart may require re-
drawing completely.
Reproduction: As the flowchart symbols cannot be typed, reproduction of flowchart becomes a problem.
The essentials of what is done can easily be lost in the technical details of how it is done.
GUIDELINES FOR DRAWING A FLOWCHART
a. In drawing a proper flowchart, all necessary requirements should be listed out in logical order.
b. The flowchart should be clear, neat and easy to follow. There should not be any room for ambiguity in understanding the flowchart.
c. The usual direction of the flow of a procedure or system is from left to right or top to bottom.
d. Only one flow line should come out from a process symbol.
e. Only one flow line should enter a decision symbol, but two or three flow lines, one for each possible answer, should leave the decision symbol.
f. Only one flow line is used in conjunction with terminal symbol.
g. Write within standard symbols briefly. As necessary, you can use the annotation symbol to describe data or computational steps more clearly.
h. If the flowchart becomes complex, it is better to use connector symbols to reduce the number of flow lines. Avoid the intersection of flow lines if you want to make it more effective and better way of communication.
i. Ensure that the flowchart has a logical start and finish.
j. It is useful to test the validity of the flowchart by passing through it with a simple test data.
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