The Control structure Diagram: an automated graphical representation for software

Abstract

A description is given of the Control Structure Diagram (CSD), a graphical stepwise refinement tool for use in the development and maintenance of software. The CSD can be used as a natural extension to popular high-level representations such as data-flow diagrams and structure charts. It includes graphical constructs for refinement, sequence, concurrency, selection, iteration, and exit, which are clearly distinguishable, have meaningful connotations, and provide for a high degree of connectivity in the CSD. The CSD is easy to use manually since it can be virtually superimposed on structured pseudocode or source code. A fully operational prototype CSD editor was designed and implemented to provide extensive automated support for the CSD, thus making it especially suitable for use in rapid prototyping environments.<>