Help an idiot make a flow chart.

[StageLeft]

Anyone can read a flowchart easily but I haven't made one in literally years. I have a very simple window on an application that I'm trying to map to a flowchart. Here are the things that a person can do on this form:

- double click an account number on a list box: OPENS NEW WINDOW
- enter an account number into a text box
- click the OK button: OPENS NEW WINDOW IF AND ONLY IF ACCOUNT NUMBER IS IN TEXT BOX
- click close: CLOSES WINDOW
- click help: OPENS NEW WINDOW

So basically there are 4 actions and one of them (ok button) requires the condition of account number in text box.

Now I was basically planning on using some process entities, some decision entities, and a terminator one (for closing the window).

The problem is how do I basically map this out? I realize that visually this would be easier to explain but do I have an intial process which would be called "DO SOMETHIng" and then through a series of a crapload of yes/no decisions it identifies what the user is doing, such as:

Button clicked? If yes -> OK button clicked -> If yes -> Close button clicked? -> if yes

As you can see that would be full of diamonds (decisions) all over the damn place.

I suck help!!

 

[StageLeft]

Yes I know - lame thread, but still.

 

[pyonir]

sorry i can't help. i've only done flow charts using like MS paint.

 

[StageLeft]

🙁

 

[nihil]

flow charts are evil.

 

[isasir]

Well I never took Flow Charts 101 or anything, but I'll give this a shot.

Perhaps you start with "Window" icon or something like that at the top signifying the idle state. A loop should check if an action occurred. If no, then go back to idle state. If yes, then we ask if it was a button. If a button was pressed, check which button (Close, Help, OK) and each of these asks a few questions. If not a button, then a check for a double-click of the account number. The account number already being entered is checked as a segment of the OK button sequence and may end up tying into the double-click piece (not sure).

Hope that made sense and was sorta helpful. 🙂

 

[StageLeft]

<< If a button was pressed, check which button (Close, Help, OK) >>

OK but what flow chart entity is doing that? Decision objects are either a yes, no, so do I have to have a hierarchy of them?

 

[kranky]

Why can't you use a diamond that has the input from the top, then CLOSE on the left, HELP on the right, and OK from the bottom?

 

[isasir]

I think it needs to be a complex if statement

Was a button pressed? Y/N

If N then check for double-click.

If Y, then was this the OK button? Y/N

If N, then was this the Close button? Y/N

If N, then open new window (since it has to be Help)

 

[StageLeft]

<< Why can't you use a diamond that has the input from the top, then CLOSE on the left, HELP on the right, and OK from the bottom? >>

I dunno - is that proper flowchart technique? I can't find a tutorial on the net worth sh*t!

 

[Rallispec]

why do you need a flow chart? just sack up and write the program 😛


j/k... i'll see if i can come up with one for a fellow nissan fan.

 

[StageLeft]

<< why do you need a flow chart? just sack up and write the program 😛


j/k... i'll see if i can come up with one for a fellow nissan fan. >>

Some gay documentation!

 

[Rallispec]

i just realized i have no idea how to make a flow chart either (its been forever for me too). i coudl whip up some psuedo code really quick though. I've never been a fan of planning out programs beforehand though. I usually just dive right into them after doing some minor psuedo-coding.

 

[StageLeft]

<< i just realized i have no idea how to make a flow chart either (its been forever for me too). i coudl whip up some psuedo code really quick though. I've never been a fan of planning out programs beforehand though. I usually just dive right into them after doing some minor psuedo-coding. >>

Me too 😱

 

[Evadman]

Bink

That what ya lookin' for?

 

[StageLeft]

<< Bink

That what ya lookin' for? >>

Well I can build a basic one - I really need to know how to handle 3-4 choices instead of having to do a bunch of if/else with decision entities 😉

 

[Evadman]

Use a nested If statement 🙂

As for flow chart, ya got me. Maybe a long horizontal box with 3-4 choice lines dangling under it?