Chart v1.23 is Copyright 1992-1993 Andrew Sprott. All rights reserved.
Welcome to Chart. Here is a short description of the files on this disk that are part of the Chart package:
CHART.COM The FlowChart program
CHART.HIS Release history for this and previous versions of Chart
CHART.DOC This file
CHART.PJT PcWord project file for the documentation of Chart
CHART.FLO A flowchart that outlines how Chart functions
DRINKS.FLO An example flowchart
CMAIN.86 Assembler source for Chart
CFLOW1.86
CFLOW2.86
CSUB1.86
CSUB2.86
CSUB3.86
CPRINT.86
CSYS.86
CWORK.86
FLOW.BAT Batch file to start the flowchart program
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This program is a flowchart authoring program. It allows you to create, and edit flowcharts. You can save your work to disk and read it back, but there are no facilitys for printing your work onto paper. I have tried to do it, but I just gave up after three attempts.
There are HyperText links from this document to the assembler (*.86) source code. In order to use the HyperText links you should be reading this documentation inside PcWord or with the program HYPEREAD.COM supplied with this package.
Any text that is highlighted - that shows brighter - is linked, like a cross reference, to other text or parts of the source code. To 'step' into the linked code press F9 and again if there is more linked text that you want to look at. Then, to return to the previous text, press F10.
Press F1 for help on the other keypresses. The program will remember upto 50 steps, after that, all previous steps will be forgotten.
Main menu
To run CHART enter CHART at the dos prompt and key <ENTER> In order to use the options to load or save a flowchart, you will need a general understanding of DOS and filenames. When you want to load a flowchart then CHART will want to know what the name of your flowchart is and in what directory it is in.
There is a demonstration flowchart included called DRINKS.FLO in the SOURCE directory. If the current directory is the same directory you installed this package, then just enter SOURCE\DRINKS.FLO after you have pressed 2 to load a flowchart.
Navigating a flowchart
Unless you are told otherwise, the flowchart should be loaded into memory. Now press 3 to have a look at the flowchart itself.
At the top of the screen are the options available. The first letter of each option will be highlighted, that is it will be printed in reverse video. To select one of the options you simply press the highlighted letter.
The editing screen displays three boxes in a flowchart - sometimes 2 if you are at the end or start of the flowchart. The box in the centre of the screen is the current box and the text of that box will be highlighted.
If you have a look at the highlighted text you will find that it will be either a question or a statement. For example, the first box in the example flowchart asks the question 'Do you want a drink?'
So there are two possible answers and there are two possible routes leading from this box; one for each answer. If you press Y then you will move to another box that asks 'Do you want coffee?' with more possible routes and so on.
And if we return to the first box and answer N for no to the question 'Do you want a drink' then we will move to a different kind of box which simply says 'Bye!' with no more routes.
So, basically we have two types of boxes; one that simply describes a function or process and moves to the next box, and another that asks a question and leads to another box depending on the answer.
If you use the up/down/left keys you can navigate through the flowchart. Each route leading from the highlighted box will be marked with an F for forward, Y for yes route and N for no route.
So if the route leading downwards to the bottom box - from the highlighted box - is the Y route and the answer to the question of the highlighted box is yes then press Y or the down arrow key. But if the answer to the question is no then press N or the left arrow key.
Overview
Editing commands are single keypress functions, which are displayed on the top of the screen, once inside the editor. The current box is displayed in the centre of the screen with its leading parent box above it and a following child box below it.
Sub charts can be linked to any box, the idea being to keep the root flowchart simple and easily readable with boxes in the root flowchart leading to more consise subcharts breaking the project down into the nitty gritty.
Commands
There are 22 single letter commands in the editor that may not be all available at any given time. Also the four cursor keys can be used to move around the flowchart.
Each option is laid out as follows:
C Create box
Once this function has been invoked - by keying 'C' - you will be prompted for the new boxes descripter string. The descripter string is the string that is displayed inside the box and can be no longer than 128 characters. If the box has no routes leading from it then it is possible to select a choice route. The choice routes are Y for yes, N for no or S for single box if you want to cancel the choice route. Once a route is selected - the option letter will be displayed in brackets next to the current box number in the centre - a box can be created leading from that route.
B Branch to another existing box
If another box exists and no other routes from the current box lead to it then the current box can be linked to it. First select a route - if you want the box to be a choice box - and key B. Then you will be asked to choose a box to branch to. To do this you have to move through the flowchart - or key G to jump directly to the box if you know its number - by either using the cursor keys or the single letter commands to move to another box from the current box. P moves to the previous box - the leading parent box - or Y, N or F to move to the leading box(s) from the current box.
Once you are at the box you want to link - the box that is in the centre of the screen and is highlighted - you can key L to link it and you will be returned to the original box with the route to the linked box displayed either below your original box or to the left of the lower stem.
Y, N, F and P path commands.
Once there is more than one box you can move backwards anf forwards through the chart here is a summary of the functions:
F Forward. This is the route selector for a single function box - that has one route - you can also key the down arrow if there is a following box.
Y and N are the route selectors for a choice box they are the same as the F command execpt when they are being used to select a route that hasn't been linked.
P move to previous box. This is mainly for editing as the logical structure of flowcharts prohibits the movement to a previous box unless it has been linked via the branch command.
Note, if you are unable to move back with this function, then press HOME and a route will be linked to the first box in the chart/sub-chart.
E erase box.
If there is one or no fixed routes - boxes that are created from the current box - then that box can be erased by keying E. NOTE there is no undo feature yet.
I Insert box.
Once this option has been selected the function descripter of the new box to be inserted BEFORE the current box will be prompted for. Once the descripter has been entered, you select a route to link to the current box. If the new box is to be a single function box then just key L to link the new box to the current box otherwise key Y or N followed by L.
J Create subchart.
Your whole flowchart can be structed like a tree with the root chart at the top and further subcharts linked to the boxes of the root chart and further subcharts linked to boxes of the subcharts linked to the root chart and so on.
To create a subchart key J and you will be prompted for the function descripter of the first box in the subchart. Once this has been done this box will be displayed on the screen with no other boxes. Don't worry, you havent lost the other boxes, they are in the parent chart. The number of the parent box of the subchart will be displayed next to the number of the box next to the box descripter and - if you are a few subcharts down - any other parent subcharts.
You can now edit the subchart the same way as before. When you want to terminate the subchart and return to the parent box of the subchart, then key T. If there is than one route leading from the parent box then you will be asked to choose a route to link the subchart, once a route is selected then key T again to terminate the subchart.
R)unlink branch.
Routes that have been linked to other boxes by either using the Branch option or Terminate option, can be unlinked by keying R. If there is more than one route then you will be asked which route to unlink, then key R.
NOTE, you will not be able to unlink a route if it is the only link to the trailing box.
Also, it may be possible that, because a link to a box can be redirected, the chart can get split up. That is, you may not be able to move backwards through the chart, or sub-chart, to the first box.
You can restore links to old boxes further back in the chart by either using the M)renumber option or just by pressing HOME. Either of these options will create a link from the current box to the first box in the chart/sub-chart.
D or U down/up to/from subchart.
If a box is the parent of a subchart - a D in brackets will be by the side of the leading stem of the box - then by keying D you can 'descend' to the subchart. And likewise if you are in a subchart then you can key U to 'ascend' to the parent chart.
The U function is different from moving from a subchart using one of the route operators; if you key U then you will return to the parent box of the subchart, but if you key Y, N, or F and leave the subchart to the parent chart then you will move to the route that leads from the parent box. However, if the parent box of the subchart is a step parent (see next item) and the leading route hasnt been linked, or the leading route has been unlinked then you will return to the parent box.
K copy subchart.
This option will be available whether there are any subcharts in the chart or not. It is the same as the insert function. First you will be asked to choose a subchart, you can cancel the operation by keying C. Then when you have found the subchart you want to copy - you can only copy subcharts that have the square brackets '[]' around the D by the stem - you key L to link it. Then you will be asked to choose a route to link the copied subchart unless the subchart parent is a single function box.
X change functionality of box
If the box is a unary or single function box then it will be converted into a decision box. The 'yes' route will inherit any leading route.
If the box is a decision box and the only fixed route - ie. one that was created - is the Yes route then it will be moved to the No route.
If the box is a decision box and the only fixed route - ie. one that was created - is the No route then it will be converted to a single function box.
G Goto box.
If you know the number of the box you want to move to then enter the number - after pressing G - followed by <ENTER>.
If the error 'No such box' is reported and you want box 1 then renumber the chart so that all boxes that have been erased are stripped out of the chart and try again.
H Search for matching string in box descripter.
Simply enter the search string - eg. a word, words or sentance etc. - and key ENTER. The search will start from the box FOLLOWING the current box in ascending order to the last box number. So if you want to search the whole chart then goto box 1 with the G option.
So repeating this function - after the string was found - will continue the search with the next box.
O merge flowchart from disk as sub-chart of current box.
If the current box is NOT the parent of a sub-chart then a sub-chart can be read from disk and linked to the current box.
Once this option is selected, enter the 'path\filename' of your sub-chart on disk - ie. any chart you have saved previously. Press ENTER and the sub-chart will be merged with the current box.
boxmarks.
There are 9 boxmarks available that behave the same way as your average bookmarks in a word processor. You simply mark a box that you want to return to with one of the function keys F1 to F9. Then you press a digit key 0 to 9 to return to the same numbered boxmark.
Calling Chart from the background
If you go to the DOS shell from the main menu, you can then go into your text editor and call Chart from the background. You call it by pressing the middle 5 key on the numeric keypad when NUM-LOCK is off. To return to your application, select option 6 from the main menu.
Editing descripter strings and filenames.
The line editor accepts the following editing keypresses:
