Flow Charting

A FLOW CHART: This is a diagrammatical representation

of algorithm.
FLOW CHART can also be referred to as a kind of diagram
that represents an algorithm, work flow or process, showing
all the steps as boxes of various kind and their order by
connecting them with arrows.
This diagrammatic representation illustrates a solution
model to a given problem.
 Introduction
• We mentioned it already, that if we think of an
analyst as being analogous to an architect, and
a developer as being analogous to a builder,
then the most important thing we can do as
analysts is to explain our designs to the
developers in a simple and clear way.

• How do architects do this?

Various Boxes used in Designing Flowchart

START/ END CONNECTION

ARROW

PROCESS

INPUT/OUTPUT

SUBPROGRAM
DECISION
 Flowcharts
• So let’s say we want to express the
following algorithm:
– Read in a number and print it out.
START
 START

Read in A
 START

Read in A

Print A
 START

Read in A

Print A

END
 Flowcharts
• So let’s say we want to express the
following algorithm:
– Read in a number and print it out double the number.
START
 START

Read in A
 START

Read in A

Print A*2
 START

Read in A

Print A*2

END
Or alternatively...
START
 START

Read in A
 START

Read in A

B = A*2
 START

Read in A
B=A*2

can be
B = A*2 read as

“B gets the
value of A
multiplied by 2”
 START

Read in A

B = A*2

Print B
 START

Read in A

B = A*2

Print B

END
 Flowcharts
• So let’s say we want to express the
following algorithm:
– Read in a number, check if it is odd or even.
START
 START

Read in A
 START

Read in A

Does A/2
give a
remainder?
 START

Read in A

Does A/2
Print “It’s Odd” Yes
give a
remainder?
 START

Read in A

Does A/2 No
Print “It’s Odd” Yes Print “It’s Even”
give a
remainder?
 START

Read in A

Does A/2 No
Print “It’s Odd” Yes Print “It’s Even”
give a
remainder?

END
 Flowcharts
• So let’s say we want to express the
following algorithm to print out the bigger
of two numbers:
– Read in two numbers, call them A and B. Is A is bigger
than B, print out A, otherwise print out B.
START
 START

Read in A and B
 START

Read in A and B

A>B?
 START

Read in A and B

Print A Yes
A>B?
 START

Read in A and B

Yes No
Print A A>B? Print B
 START

Read in A and B

Yes No
Print A A>B? Print B

END
 Flowcharts
• So let’s say we want to express the
following algorithm to print out the bigger
of three numbers:
– Read in three numbers, call them A, B and C.
• If A is bigger than B, then if A is bigger than C, print out A,
otherwise print out C.
• If B is bigger than A, then if B is bigger than C, print out B,
otherwise print out C.
START
 START

Read in A, B and C
 START

Read in A, B and C

A>B?
 START

Read in A, B and C

Yes
A>C? A>B?
 START

Read in A, B and C

Yes No
A>C? A>B? B>C?
 START

Read in A, B and C

Yes No
A>C? A>B? B>C?

No No

Print C
 START

Read in A, B and C

Yes Yes No
A>C? A>B? B>C?

No No

Print A Print C
 START

Read in A, B and C

Yes Yes No Yes

A>C? A>B? B>C?

No No

Print A Print C Print B

 START

Read in A, B and C

Yes Yes No Yes

A>C? A>B? B>C?

No No

Print A Print C Print B

END
 Flowcharts
• So let’s say we want to express the
following algorithm:
– Print out the numbers from 1 to 5
START
START

Print 1
START

Print 1

Print 2
START

Print 1

Print 2

Print 3
START

Print 1

Print 2

Print 3

Print 4
START

Print 1

Print 2

Print 3

Print 4

Print 5
START

Print 1

Print 2

Print 3

Print 4

Print 5

END
Or alternatively...
 Flowcharts A=A+1

• If I say A = A + 1, that means “A gets the

value of whatever is in itself, plus 1”
• If A is 14
• It becomes 15
14 +1
A (old)

15
A (new)
START
START

A=1
 START

A=1

Is A==6?
 START

A=1

No
Is A==6? Print A
 START

A=1

A=A+1

No
Is A==6? Print A
 START

A=1

A=A+1

No
Is A==6? Print A
 START

A=1

A=A+1

No
Is A==6? Print A

Yes

END
 Flowcharts
• So let’s say we want to express the
following algorithm:
– Add up the numbers 1 to 5
 Flowcharts T=5

• But first a few points;

• If I say T = 5, that means “T gets the value
5”
 Flowcharts T=5

• But first a few points;

• If I say T = 5, that means “T gets the value
5”

T
 Flowcharts T=5

• But first a few points;

• If I say T = 5, that means “T gets the value
5”

T
 Flowcharts T=X

• If I say T = X, that means “T gets the value

of whatever is in the variable X”
 Flowcharts T=X

• If I say T = X, that means “T gets the value

of whatever is in the variable X”
• So if X is 14, then T will get the value 14.
 Flowcharts T=X

• If I say T = X, that means “T gets the value

of whatever is in the variable X”
• So if X is 14, then T will get the value 14.

14
X
14
T
 Flowcharts T=X+1

• If I say T = X+1, that means “T gets the

value of whatever is in the variable X plus
one”
 Flowcharts T=X+1

• If I say T = X+1, that means “T gets the

value of whatever is in the variable X plus
one”
• So if X is 14, T becomes 15, and X stays as
14.
 Flowcharts T=X+1

• If I say T = X+1, that means “T gets the

value of whatever is in the variable X plus
one”
• So if X is 14, T becomes 15, and X stays as
14.
+1 14
X
15
T
 Flowcharts T=T+X

• If I say T = T + X, that means “T gets the

value of whatever is in itself plus whatever
is in the variable X”
 Flowcharts T=T+X

• If I say T = T + X, that means “T gets the

value of whatever is in itself plus whatever
is in the variable X”
• If T is 14 and X is 9
• T becomes 23
• X stays at 9
 Flowcharts T=T+X

• If I say T = T + X, that means “T gets the

value of whatever is in itself plus whatever
is in the variable X”
• If T is 14 and X is 9
• T becomes 23 14 9
• X stays at 9 T(old) X
23
T(new)
 Flowcharts
• So let’s say we want to express the
following algorithm:
– Add up the numbers 1 to 5
START
START

Total = 0
START

Total = 0

A=1
 START

Total = 0

A=1

Is A==6?
 START

Total = 0

A=1

No
Is A==6? Total = Total + A;
 START

Total = 0

A=1

A=A+1

No
Is A==6? Total = Total + A;
 START

Total = 0

A=1

A=A+1

No
Is A==6? Total = Total + A;

Yes

END
 Flowcharts
• So let’s say we want to express the
following algorithm:
– Read in a number and check if it’s a prime number.
 Flowcharts
• So let’s say we want to express the
following algorithm:
– Read in a number and check if it’s a prime number.
– What’s a prime number?
 Flowcharts
• So let’s say we want to express the
following algorithm:
– Read in a number and check if it’s a prime number.
– What’s a prime number?
– A number that’s only divisible by itself and 1, e.g. 7.
 Flowcharts
• So let’s say we want to express the
following algorithm:
– Read in a number and check if it’s a prime number.
– What’s a prime number?
– A number that’s only divisible by itself and 1, e.g. 7.
– Or to put it another way, every number other than itself and 1
gives a remainder, e.g. For 7, if 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2 give a remainder
then 7 is prime.
 Flowcharts
• So let’s say we want to express the
following algorithm:
– Read in a number and check if it’s a prime number.
– What’s a prime number?
– A number that’s only divisible by itself and 1, e.g. 7.
– Or to put it another way, every number other than itself and 1
gives a remainder, e.g. For 7, if 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2 give a remainder
then 7 is prime.
– So all we need to do is divide 7 by all numbers less than it but
greater than one, and if any of them have no remainder, we
know it’s not prime.
 Flowcharts
• So,
• If the number is 7, as long as 6, 5, 4, 3, and
2 give a remainder, 7 is prime.
• If the number is 9, we know that 8, 7, 6, 5,
and 4, all give remainders, but 3 does not
give a remainder, it goes evenly into 9 so
we can say 9 is not prime
 Flowcharts
• So remember,
– if the number is 7, as long as 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2
give a remainder, 7 is prime.
• So, in general,
– if the number is A, as long as A-1, A-2, A-3, A-
4, ... 2 give a remainder, A is prime.
START
 START

Read in A
 START

Read in A

B = A -1
 START

Read in A

B = A -1

Is B = = 1?
 START

Read in A

B = A -1

No
Is B = = 1?
 START

Read in A

B = A -1

No
Is B = = 1?

Does
A/B give a
remainder?
 START

Read in A

B = A -1

No
Is B = = 1?

Yes
Does
A/B give a
remainder?
 START

Read in A

B = A -1

B=B-1 No
Is B = = 1?

Yes
Does
A/B give a
remainder?
 START

Read in A

B = A -1

B=B-1 No
Is B = = 1?

Yes
Does
A/B give a
remainder?
 START

Read in A

B = A -1

B=B-1 No
Is B = = 1?

Yes
Does
A/B give a
remainder?

No

Print “Not Prime”

 START

Read in A

B = A -1

B=B-1 No Yes
Is B = = 1? Print “Prime”

Yes
Does
A/B give a
remainder?

No

Print “Not Prime”

 START

Read in A

B = A -1

B=B-1 No Yes
Is B = = 1? Print “Prime”

Yes
Does
A/B give a
remainder?

No

Print “Not Prime”

END