An investigation of the utility of flowcharts during computer program debugging

doi:10.1016/S0020-7373(84)80074-7

International Journal of Man-Machine Studies

Volume 20, Issue 4, April 1984, Pages 357-372

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0020-7373(84)80074-7 Get rights and content

Abstract

An experiment was performed to investigate whether flowcharts improved the speed and efficiency of computer program debugging. Twenty-four subjects were given six problems, each a program containing one error. The errors could be located by studying the behaviour of the program. The subjects were divided into three groups of eight and were given the programs either as a listing, a Standard notation fiowchart or as a Bowles structure diagram. No significant differences were found between these three conditions for any of the three dependent variables, but there were differences in performance between problems. The analysis of performance variation across conditions and problems implies that fiowchart usefulness may not be a clear-cut issue. The results suggest that both the nature of the task and the individual programmer characteristics are important determinants of fiowchart utility. A framework is presented which emphasizes these factors and which is generalizable to other aspects of programming performance.

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An investigation of the utility of flowcharts during computer program debugging

Abstract

International Journal of Man-Machine Studies

International Journal of Man-Machine Studies

Formats for presenting procedural instructions

Journal of Applied Psychology

An experimental study of flowcharts as an aid to the identification of procedural faults

Ergonomics

Experimental studies of flowchart use at different stages of program debugging

Ergonomics

Anaphoric relations, comprehension and readability

Conditional program statements and their comprehensibility to professional programmers

Journal of Occupational Psychology

IF's and THEN's: is nesting just for the birds?

Software—Practice and Experience

Pictures of programs and other processes, or how to do things with lines

Behaviour and Information Technology

Analysis of beginners' problem solving strategies in programming

The comprehensibility of printed instructions and the flowchart alternative

Human Factors