Introduction to
Flowcharting
Computer Science Principles
2013-2014
ASFA
1
START
What is a Flowchart? Display message
“How many
hours did you
work?”
• A flowchart is a Read Hours
diagram that depicts Display message
“How much do
the “flow” of a you get paid per
hour?”
program.
Read PayRate
• The figure shown here
is a flowchart for the Multiply Hours
by PayRate.
pay-calculating
Store result in
GrossPay.
program shown in Display
Program 1-1. GrossPay
END
2
Basic Flowchart START Terminal
Symbols Display message
“How many
hours did you
work?”
• Terminals Read Hours
– represented by rounded Display message
“How much do
rectangles you get paid per
hour?”
– indicate a starting or
ending point Read PayRate
Multiply Hours
by PayRate.
START Store result in
GrossPay.
Display
GrossPay
END Terminal
END
3
Basic Flowchart START
Symbols Display message
“How many
hours did you
work?”
• Input/Output Operations Read Hours
– represented by Display message
“How much do
parallelograms you get paid per
Input/Output
Operation
hour?”
– indicate an input or output
operation Read PayRate
Multiply Hours
by PayRate.
Display message Store result in
GrossPay.
“How many
Read Hours
hours did you Display
GrossPay
work?”
END
4
Basic Flowchart START
Symbols Display message
“How many
hours did you
work?”
• Processes Read Hours
– represented by rectangles Display message
“How much do
– indicates a process such as you get paid per
hour?”
a mathematical
computation or variable Read PayRate
assignment
Multiply Hours
by PayRate.
Process Store result in
Multiply Hours GrossPay.
by PayRate.
Store result in Display
GrossPay
GrossPay.
END
5
Four Flowchart Structures
• Sequence
• Decision
• Repetition
• Case
6
Sequence Structure
• A series of actions are performed in sequence
• The pay-calculating example was a sequence
flowchart.
7
Decision Structure
• The flowchart segment below shows how a decision
structure is expressed in C++ as an if/else statement.
Flowchart C++ Code
NO YES if (x < y)
x < y? a = x * 2;
else
Calculate a Calculate a a = x + y;
as x plus y. as x times 2.
8
Decision Structure
• The flowchart segment below shows a decision structure
with only one action to perform. It is expressed as an if
statement in C++ code.
Flowchart C++ Code
NO YES if (x < y)
x < y? a = x * 2;
Calculate a
as x times 2.
9
Repetition Structure
• The flowchart segment below shows a repetition structure
expressed in C++ as a while loop.
Flowchart C++ Code
while (x < y)
YES x++;
x < y? Add 1 to x
10
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 segment, x is never changed. Once the
loop starts, it will never end.
• QUESTION: How can this
YES
flowchart be modified so x < y? Display x
it is no longer an infinite
loop?
11
Controlling a Repetition
Structure
• ANSWER: By adding an action within the repetition that
changes the value of x.
YES
x < y? Display x Add 1 to x
12
Case Structure
If years_employed = 2, If years_employed = 3,
bonus is set to 200 bonus is set to 400
If years_employed = 1, If years_employed is
CASE
bonus is set to 100 years_employed any other value, bonus
is set to 800
1 2 3 Other
bonus = 100 bonus = 200 bonus = 400 bonus = 800
13
Connectors
•The “A” connector
indicates that the second START A
flowchart segment begins
where the first segment
ends.
END
A
14
Modules
START
•The position of the module
symbol indicates the point the Read Input.
module is executed.
•A separate flowchart can be Call calc_pay
function.
constructed for the module.
Display results.
END
15
Combining Structures
• This flowchart segment
shows two decision NO YES
structures combined. x > min?
Display “x is NO YES
outside the limits.”
x < max?
Display “x is Display “x is
outside the limits.” within limits.”
16
Review
• What do each of the following symbols
represent?
(Answer on next slide)
17
Answer
• What do each of the following symbols
represent?
Decision
Terminal
Input/Output
Operation Connector
Process Module
18
Review
• Name the four flowchart structures.
(Answer on next slide)
19
Answer
• Sequence
• Decision
• Repetition
• Case
20
Review
• What type of structure is this?
(Answer on next slide)
21
Answer
• Repetition
22
Review
• What type of structure is this?
(Answer on next slide)
23
Answer
• Sequence
24
Review
• What type of structure is this?
(Answer on next slide)
25
Answer
• Case
26
Review
• What type of structure is this?
(Answer on next slide)
27
Answer
• Decision
28
29
30
• Now we need to convert it to c++ code and
run it on dev ++ program:
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main () {
int num1=3;
int num2=4;
int sum = mum1+num2;
cout << sum;
//system("pause");
return 0;
}
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