Do you draw flowcharts?

Hi everybody,

Do you draw flowcharts like this when creating apps? I’m currently doing Simon Game challenge and after hitting the wall and seeing my code going nowhere I came up with this idea. Actually, two charts can be drawn, one with general statements, like show this, play that, check if… and the other more specific, with named functions and all the variables. Eventually with that last chart it could be easier to write code. What do you think? Has anybody tried this approach? Do programmers use those? Are there any resources on the web on that subject?
I also think that flowcharts could help other people to understand your code better and even they can help programmers to quickly get back to project after long time.

Edit: Just noticed there is some practical info about flowcharts here: https://forum.freecodecamp.com/t/how-to-start-when-you-are-stuck/19427

Another interesting resource: http://www.slideshare.net/FelixDing/the-definitive-guide-to-web-flowcharts/25-Other_realworld_examplesAs_you_can

I also made a flowchart for my simon game. In the past I also made flowcharts for a chess game and a hangman game. I think it really helps you visualize the paths that your code will/should take.

I, too draw flow charts*. I also started around the simon game. I had a lot of time at work with pencil and paper, but no ability to code or look up documentation so I started just doing planning. I thought it was just a waste of time, but then when I went to write the code it worked wonderfully. Earlier programs where I went in without a plan and just started coding were a total mess. I now do that with everything, even just HTML (insofar as drawing the layout of the page and deciding what elements to use, how they will be nested etc.)

I don’t know if professional programmers do this, but I find it to be immensely helpful myself. Feels like all the time I put into planning comes back two-fold when I do the actual coding.

*though mine are not nearly as neat as yours.

gtrabbit, that’s not mine, that’s google’s :slight_smile:

I wish I could convince more people to start with a flow chart.

1 Like

I am just learning how to use flow charts, I can already see the value.
There is a free program on source forge called Dia that makes creating a flow chart easy.

2 Likes