Flowcharting Techniques Adherence to standard techniques for the preparation of flowcharts of data processing systems and procedures greatly increases effectiveness of communication between the programmer analyst and the many groups with whom he deals. The manual describes in detail the preparation of system and program flowcharts. The symbols used are those provided by the new IBM Flowcharting Template (X20-8020), which contains cutouts for all flowchart symbols. The template envelope gives uses for the symbols. The Flowchart Worksheet (X20-8021) is a means of standardizing documentation. It provides space for drawing program flowcharts and contains an rea for identification ofthe job, including application, procedure, date and pagination. 6C2081521CONTENTS Introduction Summary of New Symbol an Changed Meanings pit Composite Symbols... . . - pa0Gu00006 Other Improvements and Features |. ‘Symbols in Three Groups. =. 2 ee ee ee Checklist Summary of Changes... 2 2. ee ee ee Flowcharting Template... - bo0pa055050050c06 ‘System and Program Flowcharts. © 2. 6 0 ee ee ee Basic Symbols... - 6005 80050d0cc0000 Situation 1: Symbols Other Than the Basic Symbols. . - . . - + Situation 2: Depicting Selected Portions of a Processing Run Situation 3: Flowcharting to Document the Devices Used : Situation 4: Specific Punched Card Equipment Symbols ina System Flowchart Situation 5: Program Flowchart Depicting Elementary Decision Logic with Alternative Processing Paths - oe Situation 6: Communication Link and Other Specific Symbols... Situation 7: Recommendations for Flowcharting with Communication Links Situation 8: Magnetic Tape Symbol... = 2 2 ee ee Situation 9: Program Flowcharting . . 500 : Situation 10: Depicting Decision Techniques, Test Setigs, and Paral Mode « a Situation 11: Striping Convention... rr er Situation 12: Fowcharing andthe Source Progam « bHoooooG50 ‘System/360 Flowchart... rer : Flowcharting Pointers... 909000050 000G Major Revision (Reprinted March 1970) This edition, C20-8152-1, isa major revision of, and obsoletes C20-8152.0. Copies of this and other IBM publications can be obtained through IBM branch office. Address comments concerning the contents of this publication to: IBM, Technical Publications Department, 112 East Post Road, White Pains, N. Y. 10601 © Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 1969,INTRODUCTION ‘The use of data processing equipment has focused attention upon the necessity for an orderly repre- sentation of information flow. The sequence in which operations are to be executed should be pre- cisely stated. The data and the sequence of operations to be performed upon the data together constitute the information flow. ‘A flowchart isa diagram that shows the operations performed in an information processing system ‘and the sequence in which the operations are performed. Flowchart symbols are used to represent the operations and sequence of operations. While flowcharts are widely used in the field of information processing, they are occasionally misin- texpreted because of a lack of uniformity in the meaning and use of specific symbols. To reduce these misunderstandings, the flowchart symbols used comply with the requirements of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Recommendation’on Flowchart Symbols for Information Processing. ‘Asa preliminary section to this major revision of Flowcharting Techniques (C20-8152),a “ of New Symbols and Changed Meanings” is given below. This provides an option whereby the reader may, by reading the summary only, determine to what degree his present usage conforms to the ISO Recommendation and the changes required. Alternatively, the beginning student of data processing - may skip this section and proceed to study the text, which uses examples.