Subj : Re: Flowchart software that supports top down development? To : comp.programming,microsoft.public.vb.general.discussion,microsoft.public.visio.developer From : LurfysMa Date : Tue Jul 26 2005 10:27 pm On Wed, 27 Jul 2005 03:42:51 GMT, CBFalconer wrote: >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. I agree that it can work if done properly. Now, do you know of a flowcharting tool that will do most of the clerical part of keeping track of the links (stubs)? -- .