Subj : Re: Flowchart software that supports top down development?
To   : comp.programming,microsoft.public.vb.general.discussion,microsoft.public.visio.developer
From : CBFalconer
Date : Wed Jul 27 2005 04:42 am

Phlip wrote:
> 
.... snip ...
> 
> Nobody does top-down like that any more. That technique was once
> promoted as "structural programming". It has a major flaw.
> 
> The flaw is you can't test the program and get perfect behavior
> until you code everything. (And the system you describe is _coding_,
> not designing or planning. If you get the flowchart wrong, the
> result will have bugs.

Bosh.  You aren't writing your 'structured' programs properly.  You
can fill in levels with a simple dummy function that just prints
"galomphing the flugel".  This way you will rapidly get to
something that just processes its input, and you can see any flaws
there.  Then you get around to expanding the other areas.

The point is that you get to something that runs and accepts input
very quickly.  As you continue refinement it does more and more,
with the various stubs reminders of what is yet to be done. 
Banishing the refinements to stub functions means you establish
those functional interfaces early.  Since they are still stubs you
can usually refine the interface without causing major upheaval.

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