HOW TO DRAW A

FLOWCHART
Ms. Madeleine D. Mendoza
 >Flowcharts
WHY are helpful
A FLOWCHART? in understanding a complicated
process. This is especially true if you have to make
decisions and do different steps depending on those
decisions. By looking at a flowchart you can visually
follow different paths through the chart
>effective to visualize something graphically that it is to
describe it with words.
>explain a process clearly through symbols and text
>Common alternate names include: flowchart, process
flow chart, process map, process chart, business
process model, process model, process flow diagram,
work flow diagram, business flow diagram, or just flow
diagram

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All flowcharts start and end with the terminator or
terminal shape. This is a rounded rectangle and is shown
below. You use this same shape for both the start and the
end. You will see some charts with slightly different
terminal shapes. For example, sometimes an oval is used.
This is because there is no golden standard for
flowcharting. Different companies and different technical
areas use different shapes. There are a few basic rules and,
beyond that, you can create your own rules for your
organization. If you add your own shapes, it is important
that you explain what they are used for, so others can
understand your chart.
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Title
It is good to have a title on your chart. Just click on the
word "Text" in the HOME menu in EDRAW and use a
larger font size.

To read a flowchart, you follow the arrows from shape to

shape. To draw a line in EDRAW, click on the line in the
stencil at the left and then drag the mouse to draw the line
in your chart. It is faster to place all your shapes first and
then draw all the lines at once.
 

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Decision

The decision shape asks a question. "Are you under 65

years of age?" If you are less than 65 years old, you follow
the arrow going down out of the decision shape. If you are
65 or older, you follow the arrow to the right.
 

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 Process
The rectangle is used for activities or action steps. These
are things that must be done.
 
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Circle
A circle containing a letter or number means that this chart
connects to another chart on a different page. The same
circle and number are then the entry point on the new
page. It is best not to use these, but sometimes they are
necessary.

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 PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

THE CHART SHOWN COULD BE PART OF THE 2006

FEDERAL INCOME TAX RETURN INSTRUCTIONS. YOU
START AT THE TOP AND FOLLOW THE ARROWS FROM
SHAPE TO SHAPE. FLOWCHARTS USUALLY GO FROM
TOP TO BOTTOM OR LEFT TO RIGHT, BUT YOU CAN
DO WHATEVER YOU WANT. THE CIRCLE WITH THE
LETTER B REFERS TO A CHART ON A DIFFERENT
PAGE. YOU WOULD FIND THAT PAGE AND LOOK FOR
A B IN A CIRCLE. ALMOST ALL FLOWCHART CAN BE
DONE WITH ONLY THESE FOUR SHAPES. 
What do the different flowchart shapes mean?

Terminal  or Terminator Shape

This shape tells you where the flowchart begins and ends.
It shows the entry point of your flowchart and the exit
point. To designate the start of your flowchart, you would
fill this shape with words like Start or Begin. The words
you use are up to you

FIGURE 1–2 The prototyping cycle..

 TO DESIGNATE THE ENDING POINT OF THE CHART, THIS
SHAPE IS FILLED WITH WORDS LIKE END, EXIT, OR RETURN.

Usually a flowchart has one starting point. However, a flowchart can

have as many ending points as needed. Sometimes you see this shape
drawn as an oval as shown below. That is fine.
Lines with Arrows

You read a flowchart by following the lines with

arrows from shape to shape. The lines with arrows
determine the flow through the chart. Flowcharts are
usually drawn from top to bottom or left to right.
Numbering shapes is optional. Numbering is helpful if
you have to refer to a shape in a discussion Numbering
does not determine the flow of control. That is
determined by the lines with arrows.
Rectangle
In most flowcharts, the rectangle is the most common
shape. It is used to show a process, task, action, or
operation. It shows something that has to be done or an
action that has to be taken. The text in the rectangle
almost always includes a verb.
Decision
A decision asks a question. The answer to the question
determines which arrow you follow out of the decision
shape. For example, in the shape below, if it is cloudy,
you follow the arrow down near the word Yes. If it is
not cloudy, you follow the arrow to the right near the
word No.
The arrows flowing from the decision shape are usually
labeled with Yes, No or True, False. But you can label them
any way you want as long as the meaning is clear. This
shape has one input arrow. It is usually at the top, but can be
on any corner. The decision shape can have two or three exit
points. If you need more than 3 exit points, then you can use
either of the methods shown below
If you need to connect to another page or another section of
the chart, and can't draw a line, you can use a circle. You
draw the line to the circle and label the circle with a letter.
Then you place a copy of the circle where you want the flow
to continue. This should be avoided, but sometimes is
necessary. Originally the circle was used only to reference
another part of the chart and the off page connector, shown
later, was used to go to another page. However, the circle is
now often used for both
Input/Output

A parallelogram is used to show input or output. Examples

of input are receiving a report, getting an e-mail, getting an
order, receiving data in some format, etc. Examples of
output are generating a report, sending an e-mail, faxing a
message, etc
Off Page Connector

This shape means the flow continues on another page.

A letter or page number in the shape tells you where to
go. It is an alternative to using a circle
Stored Data
This shape represents stored data. The data may be stored on
a hard drive, magnetic tape, memory card, of any storage
device. 

Database
A cylinder represents a data file or database. This shape can
also represent the magnetic disc itself. A hard drive is referred
to as direct access storage since any sector on the drive can be
accessed. A tape is sequential access storage as the data has to
be read sequentially.