URDANETA CITY

UNIVERSITY
Owned and operated by the City Government of Urdaneta

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE & FLOWCHART

Learning Objectives
At the end of the module, the I.T. students will be able to:
• Appreciate the value of program development life cycle
• Identify and differentiate the functions of basic flowcharting symbols.
• Simulate and understand the process of flowcharting
• Draw a flowchart related to the given problems.

Learning Content
Program Development Life Cycle
• Defining the Problem
• Designing the Program
• Coding the Program
• Testing and Debugging the Program
• Documenting the Program
• Deploying and Maintaining the Program
Flowchart
• Types of flowchart
• Basic flowcharting symbols

Program Development Life Cycle (PDLC) - is a systematic way of developing quality

software. It provides an organized plan for breaking down the task of program development
into manageable chunks, each of which must be successfully completed before moving on
to the next phase.

Generally, the program development life cycle contains 6 phases, they are as follows….
• Problem Definition
• Problem Analysis
• Algorithm Development
• Coding & Documentation
• Testing & Debugging
• Maintenance

1. Defining the Problem – In this phase, we define the problem statement and we decide
the boundaries of the problem. In this phase we need to understand the problem
statement, what is our requirement, what should be the output of the problem
solution? These are defined in this first phase of the program development life cycle.
2. Problem Analysis - In phase 2, we determine the requirements like variables, functions,
etc. to solve the problem. That means we gather the required resources to solve the
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UNIVERSITY
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problem defined in the problem definition phase. We also determine the bounds of the
solution.

Program Design Tools:

The various program design tools are described below:
• Structure Charts – A structure chart, also called Hierarchy chart, show top-down
design of program. Each box in the structure chart indicates a task that program
must accomplish. The Top module, called the Main module or Control module. For
example:

• Algorithms – An algorithm is a step-by-step description of how to arrive at a solution in

the most easiest way. Algorithms are not restricted to computer world only. In fact, we
use them in everyday life.
• Flowcharts – A flowchart is a diagram that shows the logic of the program. For
example:

• Decision tables – A Decision table is a special kind of table, which is divided into four
parts by a pair of horizontal and vertical lines.
• Pseudocode – A pseudocode is another tool to describe the way to arrive at a solution.
They are different from algorithm by the fact that they are expressed in program
language like constructs.

3. Coding the Program / Algorithm Development – During this phase, we develop a step
by step procedure to solve the problem using the specification given in the previous
phase. This phase is very important for program development. That means we write
the solution in step by step statements.
4. Testing and Debugging the Program – During this phase, we check whether the code
written in the previous step is solving the specified problem or not. That means we test
the program whether it is solving the problem for various input data values or not. We
also test whether it is providing the desired output or not.
5. Documenting the Program – After testing, the software project is almost complete.
The structure charts, pseudocodes, flowcharts and decision tables developed during
the design phase become documentation for others who are associated with the
software project. This phase ends by writing a manual that provides an overview of the

(075) 600 - 1507

San Vicente West, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan
Bright future starts here ucu.edu.ph | [email protected]
 URDANETA CITY
UNIVERSITY
Owned and operated by the City Government of Urdaneta

program’s functionality, tutorials for the beginner, in-depth explanations of major

program features, reference documentation of all program commands and a thorough
description of the error messages generated by the program.
6. Deploying and Maintaining the Program – In the final phase, the program is deployed
(installed) at the user’s site. Here also, the program is kept under watch till the user
gives a green signal to it. Even after the software is completed, it needs to be
maintained and evaluated regularly. In software maintenance, the programming team
fixes program errors and updates the software.

Programming Flowcharts
A flowchart is a graphical representation of various logical steps of a program. These
expressions use several shapes, including the geometric ones, to show the step-by-step
process with arrows while establishing a data flow. There are 21 different types of
flowcharts, and a programming flowchart is one of them.

The program flowchart is a data flow that shows the data flow while writing a program or
algorithm. It allows the user to explain the process quickly as they collaborate with others.
These programming flowcharts also analyze the logic behind the program to process the
code of the programming. The programming flowcharts can serve in different ways. For
example, they can analyze the codes, visualize and work on them. They can also help figure
out the application's structure to realize how a user navigates in a tool.

The programming flowcharts improve the condition and efficiency of work. The tool has
four basic symbols that have code written on them for programming. They give commands
like start, process, decision, and end, and these symbols are the crucial part of the
programming flowcharts. They help in forming a relationship between various elements to
describe the data flow.

Benefits of Programming Flowcharts

• When it comes to understanding programming or a logical structure, programming
flowcharts are the best way of working.
• When a designer is creating a program, there can be certain loopholes that can hinder
the progress. To avoid that, they can design the app or website with programming
flowcharts before working on them.
• The engineer working on the debugging process can look at the programming
flowchart, making it easier to debug the program.
• For reviewing a program, the designer may need to look at the programming flowchart.
• They can analyze the program with the help of the logical diagram of the flowchart and
then modify it as per their requirement.
• The engineers can also use flowcharts as a way of documenting their program correctly.
• As the programming flowcharts work as blueprints, it is time-efficient while creating a
new program or application.

Flowchart Symbols
For creating a programming flowchart, the user needs programming flowchart examples.
The flowcharts use diagrams to express an algorithm, and hence flow charts are very helpful
in creating and analyzing the details of a program. The flow charts use some symbols that
can explain the logic of programming connected with the flowchart elements. Here are
some widely-used programming flowchart symbols.

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An End or Beginning While Creating a Flowchart

Oval

A Step in the Flowcharting Process

Rectangle

Indicate Directional Flow

Arrow

Indicate a Decision
Diamond

Single and multiple document icons show that there

Document are additional points of reference involved in your
Symbols flowchart. You might use these to indicate items like
“create an invoice” or “review testing paperwork.”

Data
Symbols
Data symbols clarify where the data your flowchart references is being
stored. (You probably won’t use the paper tape symbol, but it definitely
came in handy back in the day.)

Input &
Output
Symbols
Input and output symbols show where and how data is coming in and out
throughout your process.

Merging &
Connecting
Symbols
Agreed-upon merging and connector symbols make it easier to connect
flowcharts that span multiple pages.

Additional
Useful
Flowchart
Symbols
The above are a few additional symbols that prove your flowcharting
prowess when put to good use.

Programming Flowchart Examples

Here is an example of the programming flowchart that explains how the logic flow works in
programming flowcharts. For example, a designer can record the process of adding two
numbers to an application.

Finding the most significant number among the three numbers: Programming flowchart:
With the help of a programming flowchart, determining the most significant number
becomes easy. The flow chart starts with a terminal name "start" and then gradually

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UNIVERSITY
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proceeds through the stage "declare variable a, b & c." The input for the program is "Read a,
b & c." The process of decision-making takes on from this part. First, the logic flow
determines if a is greater than b. If this is false, then it goes on to determine if b is greater
than c. If it is true, then the given command is "print b." If b>c ends with the decision false,
then "print c." If a>b is true on the first stage, then the command furthers with a>C. If the
decision is true, then the command is "print c," and if it is false, then "print a." The whole
process ends with the stop terminal.

Sample C++ program using the flowchart above

// C++ program to find largest of two numbers

#include <stdio.h>
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main(){
int num1, num2, num3, largest;

/*Input two numbers*/

cout << "Enter three numbers:\n";
cin >> num1;
cin >> num2;
cin >> num3;

/*check if a is greater than b*/

if (num1 > num2)
largest = num1;
else
largest = num2;
if (num2 > num3)
largest = num2;
else
largest = num3;

/*Print the largest number*/

cout << largest;
return 0;
}

(075) 600 - 1507

San Vicente West, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan
Bright future starts here ucu.edu.ph | [email protected]
 URDANETA CITY
UNIVERSITY
Owned and operated by the City Government of Urdaneta

Learning Activities/Tasks*
• Write an algorithm and flowchart that will accept the grade of a student and display
if the student is passed or failed. Where grade of 75 and above is passed otherwise
display failed. (use this online application to run your program
https://www.onlinegdb.com/online_c++_compiler or you may use your preferred
application)
• Summative test using google form.

Learning Resources
Software Engineering | Program Development Life Cycle (PDLC) - GeeksforGeeks.
(2018, November 2). Retrieved October 11, 2021, from GeeksforGeeks website:
https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/software-engineering-program-
development-life-cycle-pdlc/
Rajinikanth. (2021). C Tutorials - Program Development Life Cycle. Retrieved October
11, 2021, from Btechsmartclass.com website:
http://www.btechsmartclass.com/c_programming/C-Program-Development-
Life-Cycle.html

Compiled by:

CHRISTIAN C. MEQUIN
Subject Instructor

ELMER D. VALDEZ
Subject Instructor

(075) 600 - 1507

San Vicente West, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan
Bright future starts here ucu.edu.ph | [email protected]