<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
