Design NotationsStructure diagrams

Programmers use flow charts and structure diagrams to help design how their programs will operate and how data will flow through their software.

Part ofComputing ScienceRevise: Software design and development

Structure diagrams

Another way of representing a program design is to use a structure diagram. Structure diagrams break down a problem into smaller sections. These smaller sections can then be worked on one at a time.

This can be good for big projects where a large problem can be split into smaller tasks for separate groups, or individuals, to work on.

Below is an example of how a structure diagram might be used to break a large problem down.

Making an omelette.

This shows how you can take a complex problem and start breaking it down into more manageable chunks.

In reality, a complex project like building a house would have many more stages, but this example shows that structure diagrams can help to break down problems when designing a program.

You would most likely use a structure diagram if you were designing a game and wanted to break down the overall design problem into individual elements.

Process of creating a baseball game.