In my IT practical the teacher asked for both an algorithm and a flowchart for the same problem. They felt like the same thing to me. What is the actual difference?
Both describe the steps to solve a problem, but they differ in how they present those steps. An algorithm is a step-by-step solution written in plain language, listed as numbered steps from start to finish. It is easy to write and read but is in words. A flowchart is a diagram that shows the same steps using standard symbols: an oval for start and stop, a parallelogram for input and output, a rectangle for processing, and a diamond for decisions, all joined by arrows showing the flow. A flowchart makes the logic and decision points visual and easier to follow at a glance. So an algorithm is the written form and a flowchart is the pictorial form of the same logic; both come before actual coding.
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