A diagram can say a thousand words is a common phrase and is just as true in software engineering as it is for anything else. Creating diagrams of the system to be produced not only cuts down the number of words but also can increase efficiency and aid communication between different departments or even the customer. If a team member can scan over a diagram rather than having to read a huge section of text then they will be able to get the information they need much quicker.

One of the major advantages of using diagrams is the fact that diagrams tend to be specific. Most diagrams can only be read in one way whilst English text can have different meanings. This can potentially be a huge issue if text is misinterpreted by developers or even by the customer. As such diagrams provide a safe and concise way of presenting information.

For the first part of course you need to be aware of -

• Flow charts
• Data flow diagrams

Later on you will be made aware of

• Jackson structured programming diagrams
• Entity relationship diagrams