flow chart
<programming> An archaic form of visual control-flow specification
employing arrows and "speech balloons" of various shapes.
Hackers never use flow charts, consider them extremely silly, and associate them
with COBOL programmers, card wallopers, and other lower forms of life. This
attitude follows from the observations that flow charts (at least from a
hacker's point of view) are no easier to read than code, are less precise, and
tend to fall out of sync with the code (so that they either obfuscate it rather
than explaining it, or require extra maintenance effort that doesn't improve the
code).
See also Program Design Language.
[Jargon File]
(1994-12-01)
Nearby terms:
Flops « floptical « Flow « flow chart » flow
control » flower key » FLOW-MATIC or FLOWMATIC
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