I have started a web application and am now being asked to flowchart the app as it currently stands. I recongise that this should have been done previously (and tried to do early on, but a long story as to why it never got completed), but better late than never. My problem is that I've never really done a flow chart before and have some questions about how best to approach this. Can anyone point me in the right direction as to how best to approach creating a flow chart for a web application? I would be most appreciative. Everything is absolute. Everything else is relative.
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Flowcharting an application 2
- Thread starter Chopstik
- Start date
Hi Chopstik
I use smartdraw for all my flowcharting
it's fairly straight forward and free.![[smile]](/data/assets/smilies/smile.gif "[smile] [smile]")
There are tutorials for flowchart theory etc. also for someone that has not used a flowcharting workflow doagram before. examples also.
hope that helps out _________________________________________________________
for the best results to your questions: FAQ333-2924
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[sup] [/sub]
I use smartdraw for all my flowcharting
it's fairly straight forward and free.
There are tutorials for flowchart theory etc. also for someone that has not used a flowcharting workflow doagram before. examples also.
hope that helps out _________________________________________________________
for the best results to your questions: FAQ333-2924
[sub]01001111 01101110 01110000 01101110 01110100[/sub]
Does it have to be a flow chart? Seeing as how you're starting from scratch with this thing would there be any benefit of using UML?
I've never flow charted a web application, but I have done a few flow charts in my time. One of the benefits of doing the flowchart second is that it should match your app perfectly.
What you should do is break your application up into processes and then string those processes together in the sequence in which they execute.
I've never flow charted a web application, but I have done a few flow charts in my time. One of the benefits of doing the flowchart second is that it should match your app perfectly.
What you should do is break your application up into processes and then string those processes together in the sequence in which they execute.
- Thread starter
- #4
Onpnt, TomKane,
Thanks for the advice. I had come across SmartDraw before, but didn't realise that there were also tutorials with it as well. That should come in handy since, just from a brief glance, I think that what I have done up so far may be a little off the mark and will probably need to be scrapped and restarted.
As for UML, had heard of it but didn't realise what it was. I'll have to do some research on that as well. I guess one of the major reasons for needing a flow chart now is that the application is pretty lateral - meaning that users should be able to get from one process to another and there may not necessarily be a great deal otherwise in common with the two.
Either way, I think that both of these will get me off in the right direction. Thanks for the help! Everything is absolute. Everything else is relative.
Thanks for the advice. I had come across SmartDraw before, but didn't realise that there were also tutorials with it as well. That should come in handy since, just from a brief glance, I think that what I have done up so far may be a little off the mark and will probably need to be scrapped and restarted.
As for UML, had heard of it but didn't realise what it was. I'll have to do some research on that as well. I guess one of the major reasons for needing a flow chart now is that the application is pretty lateral - meaning that users should be able to get from one process to another and there may not necessarily be a great deal otherwise in common with the two.
Either way, I think that both of these will get me off in the right direction. Thanks for the help! Everything is absolute. Everything else is relative.
TonyU said
or use Word (creativity required)
What about drawing some images and doing it in a web page?
onpnt said
it's fairly straight forward and free.
Dude i was seconds from giving you a star for that, but alas the web site states it's just a free 30 day trial :-(
-pete
or use Word (creativity required)
What about drawing some images and doing it in a web page?
onpnt said
it's fairly straight forward and free.
Dude i was seconds from giving you a star for that, but alas the web site states it's just a free 30 day trial :-(
-pete
-
2
- #7
Maybe this will help a little:
do a search on your harddisk for "orgchart.exe"
If you're lucky enough to find it (I think it comes with some versions of MS Office) you have a very simple and straight-forward flowchart-app at your disposal!
Greetings, Dutch
do a search on your harddisk for "orgchart.exe"
If you're lucky enough to find it (I think it comes with some versions of MS Office) you have a very simple and straight-forward flowchart-app at your disposal!
Greetings, Dutch
Palbano: Yep, it's no longer free, but it was one of the few $100 software purchases I've made that was worth every single penny. I have the full and complete with 11 libraries and however many thousands of images version...I use it for all my documentation; from db designs to software designs to object modeling to network designs to making nifty little birthday cards for my litle brother 
-Tarwn [sub]01010100 01101001 01100101 01110010 01101110 01101111 01101011 00101110 01100011 01101111 01101101 [/sub]
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Get better results for your questions: faq333-2924
Frequently Asked ASP Questions: faq333-3048
-Tarwn [sub]01010100 01101001 01100101 01110010 01101110 01101111 01101011 00101110 01100011 01101111 01101101 [/sub]
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- Thread starter
- #9
Thanks for that tip, Tarwn. Coming from you (can I say that and not sound like a total rube at the same time?), that is a mighty high compliment to this software. I have just been looking at some of the documentation and doing stuff by hand for the moment, but may download the trial version and see how it goes. If as good as you and Onpnt have suggested, will see if I can convince the boss to try this instead. (Can I take this to mean that you would likely recommend over something such as Visio - which is what is currently on other people's systems here (though clearly not mine)?) Everything is absolute. Everything else is relative.
I would recommend this far and away over visio.
In fact the smartdraw site even has the lineup betwen visio and smartdraw (as well as several other products) and shows the extra functionality you get over visio better than I could explain it from scratch. Visio is sold as a charting program made by MS, thus they have the power of the name. SmartDraw is sold 100% on quality of product, so they have to keep it up to date and loaded with functionality in order to make sales.
It also has it owns free reader (like acrobat). Heres a couple details:
Saves into 6 smartdraw types, Win Metafile, Enhanced Metafile, bmp, pcx, tif, gif, jpg, pseudo html, encapsulalted postscript, autocad interchange, adobe illustrator, pdf, and a few others
It converts existing visio files for editing in smartdraw
Gives you private webspace to share smartdraw documents on
std version comes with 1000 symbols, pro plus (i have this one) comes with the 1000 symbols plus 11 more libraries (50,000 symbols+) for business, clip art, Electrical Eng., floor plans, Mechanical Eng., network design, softare design, medical & anatomy (to name a few)
Plus you can include stuff from office clip art
Plus you can copy and paste to and from office programs
60+ Built-in color templates that are totally customizeable including shadows and gradients
and on, and on
The only issue I have ever had with it was that I once reverse engineered a program that wouldn't fit in the 50" by 50" work area...
-Tarwn [sub]01010100 01101001 01100101 01110010 01101110 01101111 01101011 00101110 01100011 01101111 01101101 [/sub]
[sup]29 3K 10 3D 3L 3J 3K 10 32 35 10 3E 39 33 35 10 3K 3F 10 38 31 3M 35 10 36 3I 35 35 10 3K 39 3D 35 10 1Q 19[/sup]
Get better results for your questions: faq333-2924
Frequently Asked ASP Questions: faq333-3048
In fact the smartdraw site even has the lineup betwen visio and smartdraw (as well as several other products) and shows the extra functionality you get over visio better than I could explain it from scratch. Visio is sold as a charting program made by MS, thus they have the power of the name. SmartDraw is sold 100% on quality of product, so they have to keep it up to date and loaded with functionality in order to make sales.
It also has it owns free reader (like acrobat). Heres a couple details:
Saves into 6 smartdraw types, Win Metafile, Enhanced Metafile, bmp, pcx, tif, gif, jpg, pseudo html, encapsulalted postscript, autocad interchange, adobe illustrator, pdf, and a few others
It converts existing visio files for editing in smartdraw
Gives you private webspace to share smartdraw documents on
std version comes with 1000 symbols, pro plus (i have this one) comes with the 1000 symbols plus 11 more libraries (50,000 symbols+) for business, clip art, Electrical Eng., floor plans, Mechanical Eng., network design, softare design, medical & anatomy (to name a few)
Plus you can include stuff from office clip art
Plus you can copy and paste to and from office programs
60+ Built-in color templates that are totally customizeable including shadows and gradients
and on, and on
The only issue I have ever had with it was that I once reverse engineered a program that wouldn't fit in the 50" by 50" work area...
-Tarwn [sub]01010100 01101001 01100101 01110010 01101110 01101111 01101011 00101110 01100011 01101111 01101101 [/sub]
[sup]29 3K 10 3D 3L 3J 3K 10 32 35 10 3E 39 33 35 10 3K 3F 10 38 31 3M 35 10 36 3I 35 35 10 3K 39 3D 35 10 1Q 19[/sup]
Get better results for your questions: faq333-2924
Frequently Asked ASP Questions: faq333-3048
And no I don't work for them, I am just that impressed
-Tarwn [sub]01010100 01101001 01100101 01110010 01101110 01101111 01101011 00101110 01100011 01101111 01101101 [/sub]
[sup]29 3K 10 3D 3L 3J 3K 10 32 35 10 3E 39 33 35 10 3K 3F 10 38 31 3M 35 10 36 3I 35 35 10 3K 39 3D 35 10 1Q 19[/sup]
Get better results for your questions: faq333-2924
Frequently Asked ASP Questions: faq333-3048
-Tarwn [sub]01010100 01101001 01100101 01110010 01101110 01101111 01101011 00101110 01100011 01101111 01101101 [/sub]
[sup]29 3K 10 3D 3L 3J 3K 10 32 35 10 3E 39 33 35 10 3K 3F 10 38 31 3M 35 10 36 3I 35 35 10 3K 39 3D 35 10 1Q 19[/sup]
Get better results for your questions: faq333-2924
Frequently Asked ASP Questions: faq333-3048
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