Flow Chart Software

[Dave Liquorice]

Looking for some cheap (aka free of FOSS) flow chart software to just document a Python script. I've dug about and not really found what I'm looking for, namely but not exclusivly):

1) Desktop (Windows) app, not an online service.

2) Not a system that enables you to write a program and run it. Just linkable boxes with a text description and flow indicators.

3) Drag and drop of boxes with "elastic" links between them.

4) Inteligent auto arrange. ie you construct the flow with boxes overlapping, randomly, placed and linked together. Then it will move 'em about into a nice layout with minimal crossing of paths.

5) Decision boxes that have in built with "yes/no" labels on the outputs.

6) Sub-processes on seperate pages/documents, linked from the parent (and back).

Smartdraw Flowchart is almost there but only has a 7 day free trail and fails 3), 4) & 5) but I have a feeling 3) is because I havent worked out how to do it. The user interface is a little inconsistent (it changes box shape and breaks links between boxes if you try and move boxes about) and not 100% intuative but not bad. 6) it does well.

Pencil and Flowgorithm I didn't get very far with.

[Adrian Brentnall]

Did you look at Chartist?

I think the only item on your wishlist that it doesn't do is the Auto-arrange... but I've not used it for several versions, so I'm not certain. 30-day free trial...

Adrian

I used it extensively back in the days when I was doing Quality consultancy - it was an excellent, fast, way of creating process flowcharts for dropping into procedures (written in Word)

[Roger Mills]

Have you looked at Visio - which comes/came with some versions of MS Office?

[Paul Herber]

Visio has *never* come as part of MS Office, it's always been an add-on at a price.

[Paul Herber]

Well, I never knew that, and I'm supposed to be an expert on Visio. However, are you sure you didn't need to buy a seperate licence for it?

[Mark Hempstead]

might be worthwhile looking at

- they have both web and desktop version

[jkn]

possibly a bit overkill for your immediate needs, but perhaps Astah Community edition?

It's a Java app (cross-platform), really for doing UML diagrams. But it also allows you to draw flowchartsm (and UML 'statechart diagram's, which might be better for you anyway). I think it has most of your other criteria.

HTH Jon N

[dennis]

IIRC its included in office365.

[Paul Herber]

No, it is not included. It is available as an add-on at a cost (but not in the Home or Personal versions of Office 365).

[Dave W]

There is no trace of Visio on my Office 2003 Professional Edition. However Word 2003 has a flowchart facility where you can add shapes and connect them. When the shapes are dragged, they stay connected. (You have to assemble them on a Drawing Canvas for them to connect).

[Fredxx]

If cost is an issue, the Libre Office has Draw and Impress near equivalents to Visio and Powerpoint, respectively.

I think Visio only comes with more expensive versions of MS Office?

[Roger Mills]

Could be. Maybe the Enterprise edition, or somesuch?

[JoeJoe]

I just had a look through my pile of old software CDs, and found a copy of MS Visio 2003 that I received from my employers at the time to install at home - one of those licences that were valid for both home and workplace use.

The company I worked for at the time is no longer in business. I'll be happy to put it for you somewhere to download if you like?

[Dave Liquorice]

Played with the online version and got on with it very well. I've produced what I wanted with very little fuss. The UI is "normal" and doesn't do "odd" things. Indeed it has some nice features vertical and horizontal alignment lines for edges and centers come and go as you drag a box about along with page H & V centers. You can pick up and move either end of a connection, you can even leave an end "dangling" do something else and come back to it. The shapes and styles are defined by XML, which you can edit within the program. I've downloaded the desktop version and will be using that from now on. It's FOSS. so no trial period or cash required. B-)

Of the other software mentioned that I looked at:

Viso - no trial version to see if it does what I want and works the way I want to. But it would have to be *very* good to move Draw.io from the top spot.

Chartist - First use I didn't get very far, even connecting boxes felt inconsistent (you have to let go the button with the pointer in exactly the right place but no indication that you're are in the right place, unlike draw.io). The right click UI is a cascade of standard menus, works but clunky.

Astah - need to create a login to download the community version. eh?

Smart Draw - Loosely similar to draw.io but the UI does odd things like change shapes when you move things and/or break connections. It's also installed something that runs in the background as occasionally I get a notification "do I want any help". Stop nagging...

Thanks guys.

[Adrian Brentnall]

HI Dave OK on Chartist - I was using it probably 20 years ago - and, at the time, it was fairly cheap and did what I needed to do (mostly process flowcharts) I seem to recall that the lines/arrows could connect to several points one each side of a square, rectangle etc - and there used to be an option to have 3 or 7 connect points per side. Zooming in showed the connect points as 'dashes' against the outline of the object, and you could drag the end of the line to connect with the one that you wanted.... but it was 20 years ago! Adrian

[dennis]

There is a free trial download on office.com, I don't know how long it lasts.

[Dave W]

Thank you for the link - it looks like a superb program and I have now installed it.

[Dave Liquorice]

It's still like that, but the acceptance area for the connection points is very small and I don't think quite matches the visible "dashes". ie the dashes extend outside the shape but the acceptance area doesn't. In draw.io when you are on target a large green circle appears around the point.

Chartist is probably second place.

[Adrian Brentnall]

As I say, it was a while back - but I do recall having to zoom in and 'correct' where the lines were attaching sometimes.

Have fun! Adrian

[ChrisK]

Try

Runs offline as a Java application

Chris K