Common Flowcharting Symbols

Vocabulary flashcards defining input/output, processing, storage, flow, and miscellaneous flowcharting symbols from ACC 403.

Document

An electronic or paper document or report

Multiple copies of one paper document

Illustrated by overlapping the document symbol and printing the document number on the face of the document in the upper right corner

Electronic output

Information displayed by an electronic output device such as a terminal, monitor, or screen

Electronic data entry

Electronic data entry device such as a computer, terminal, tablet, or phone

Electronic input and output device

The electronic data entry and output symbols are used together to show a device used for both

Computer processing

A computer-performed processing function; usually results in a change in data or information

Manual operation

A processing operation performed manually

Database

Data stored electronically in a database

Magnetic tape

Data stored on a magnetic tape; tapes are popular back-up storage mediums

Paper document file

File of paper documents; letters indicate file-ordering sequence: N = numerically, A-alphabetically, D = by date

Journal/ledger

Paper-based accounting journals and ledgers

Document or processing flow

Direction of processing or document flow; normal flow is down and to the right

Communication link

Transmission of data from one geographic location to another via communication lines

On-page connector

Connects the processing flow on the same page; its usage avoids lines crisscrossing a page

Off-page connector

An entry from, or an exit to, another page

Terminal

A beginning, end, or point of interruption in a process; also used to indicate an external party

Decision

A decision-making step

Annotation

Addition of descriptive comments or explanatory notes as clarification