FLOW CHARTING

Nihar Ranjan Roy

What is a Flowchart?
A flowchart is a diagram that depicts the flow of a program. The figure shown here is a flowchart for the addition of two numbers.
START Display message Please enter two numbers Read two Numbers Calculate the Sum Display Sum END
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Basic Flowchart Symbols

Notice there are three types of symbols in this flowchart: rounded rectangles parallelograms a rectangle Each symbol represents a different type of operation.
Name ovals or rounded rectangles (terminals) Arrows parallelograms Rectangle Meaning Start or end of a process Flow of control Processing (indicates a process such as a mathematical computation or variable assignment)
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Symbol

Input/output

Flow of control in flow chart

Please enter two numbers START

Output operation

Display message Please enter two numbers Read two Numbers

Calculate the Sum

Display Sum

END

Nihar Ranjan Roy

Flow of control in flow chart

Please enter two numbers 12 13 START
Display message Please enter two numbers

Read operation

Read two Numbers

Calculate the Sum

Accept the value and store them into variables Fno Sno

Display Sum

END

Nihar Ranjan Roy

Flow of control in flow chart

Please enter two numbers 12 13 START
Display message Please enter two numbers Read two Numbers

Processing /calculation
Processing/calculate Sum=Fno+Sno

Calculate the Sum

Display Sum

END

Nihar Ranjan Roy

Flow of control in flow chart

Please enter two numbers 12 13 25 START
Display message Please enter two numbers Read two Numbers

Calculate the Sum

Output

Display Sum

END

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Four Flowchart Structures

Sequence Decision Repetition Case

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Sequence Structure
A series of actions are performed in sequence The addition of two numbers was a sequential activity

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Decision Structure
One of two possible actions is taken, depending on a condition. A new symbol, the diamond, indicates a yes/no question. If the answer to the question is yes, the flow follows one path. If the answer is no, the flow follows another path

NO

YES

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PROBLEM

Accept two numbers and find the square of the biggest no

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Decision Structure
In the flowchart segment below, the question is x < y? is asked. If the answer is no, then process A is performed. If the answer is yes, then process B is performed.

NO x < y?

YES

Code in C
If (x<y) Square=y*y; Else Square=x*x;

Square=y*y Square=x*x

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Repetition Structure A repetition structure represents part of the program that repeats. This type of structure is commonly known as a loop.

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Repetition Structure
Notice the use of the diamond symbol. A loop tests a condition, and if the condition exists, it performs an action. Then it tests the condition again. If the condition still exists, the action is repeated. This continues until the condition no longer exists.

YES Condition?

No

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Repetition Structure
In the flowchart segment, the question is x < y? is asked. If the answer is yes, then Process A is performed. The question is x < y? is asked again. Process A is repeated as long as x is less than y. When x is no longer less than y, the repetition stops and the structure is exited.

YES x < y?

Do some Processing

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PROBLEM

Print your name 5 times

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Repetition Structure
The flowchart segment below shows a repetition structure expressed in C as a while loop.
i=0

Flowchart
YES
Print name i=i+1

C Code
i=0; while (i < 5) { puts(nihar Ranjan roy); i=i+1; }
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i< 5?

Caution: Controlling a Repetition Structure

The action performed by a repetition structure must eventually cause the loop to terminate. Otherwise, an infinite loop is created. In this flowchart if i is never changed. Once the loop starts, it will never end. QUESTION: How can this flowchart be modified so it is no longer an infinite loop? i=0;

C Code

while (i < 5) { puts(nihar Ranjan roy); }

YES i< 5?

Print name

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Controlling a Repetition Structure

ANSWER: By adding an action within the repetition that changes the value of i.

i < 5?

YES

Print name

i=i+1

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Case Structure
One of several possible actions is taken, depending on the contents of a variable.

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Case Structure
The structure below indicates actions to perform depending on the value in years_employed.

CASE years_employed

1
bonus = 100

2
bonus = 200

3
bonus = 400

Other
bonus = 800

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Case Structure

If years_employed = 2, bonus is set to 200 If years_employed = 1, bonus is set to 100

If years_employed = 3, bonus is set to 400

CASE years_employed

If years_employed is any other value, bonus is set to 800

1
bonus = 100

2
bonus = 200

3
bonus = 400

Other
bonus = 800

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Connectors
Sometimes a flowchart will not fit on one page. A connector (represented by a small circle) allows you to connect two flowchart segments.

A
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Connectors

The A connector indicates that the second flowchart segment begins where the first segment ends.

START

END A

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Modules
A program module (such as a function in C) is represented by a special symbol.

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Modules

The position of the module symbol indicates the point the module is executed. A separate flowchart can be constructed for the module.

START

Read Input.

Call calc_pay function.

Display results.

END

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Problem

Design an algorithm and flow chart for converting an integer number to its binary equivalent.

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