I've encountered about 5 or 6 'program by flowchart' tools, and none of them were all that impressive.  They were either aimed at
complete beginners (PicAxe) or marketing gimmicks (the rest) to impress management.

Given the smallest PicAxes can only handle around 40 lines of code, most programmers would be happier with a text editor.

Still, given a high level language (and well structured) there's no reason a flowchart can't be used.  After all, the various visual
spice tools (sort of) do this.  The beginners robot language thread reminded me of this, LOGO would work well here.

One problem is most people draw flowcharts like they program, lines going off to the side of the page with a circled (F) in it, with
its mate on another page, the flowchart equivalent to a GOTO.

I once produced a flowchart that ran to around 80 pages, and each page was a discrete chunk of code (subroutine).  Page one was the
main loop.  Every other page was a subroutine.  The boxes on the page could represented an operation, or another subroutine, you
could see the effect it would have without having to follow it.  You followed the program by picking up the appropriate page,
putting it back when finished, the usual Call / Return pair.

If you were writing a tool, you'd need some way to represent the subroutines, and handle their inputs/outputs.  A subroutine becomes
another component in the toolbox, double click to expand & edit it.  Inputs listed at the top of the box, outputs at the bottom.  To
pass parameters, you link Outputs of one box to Inputs on another, or it can be done automatically.  (This is like the Query builder
in Access, it automatically links field in tables with identical names.)  All boxes have Input and Outputs, you decide what they
are.

I must play with a UML tool one day and see how that compares.

Tony



> -----Original Message-----
> From: piclist-bounces@mit.edu [mailto:piclist-bounces@mit.edu]On Behalf Of Hopkins
> Sent: Saturday, 16 July 2005 7:22 PM
> To: 'Microcontroller discussion list - Public.'
> Subject: RE: [OT]: Software design aids (was Re: [EE] Host interfacesoftware programming language)
>
>
> Yes I use the connections tool - great help.
>
> But I was hoping there was a more integrated tool to allow code to be
> generated and as you point out if the code is changed then the flow
> chart should be updated - now that would be great.
>
> Yes I have seen the PicAxe but find this system too limited for my use.
> Although I have not checked out there latest program.

-- 
http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive
View/change your membership options at
http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist