Assignment - File Access and Flowcharts

Critical Review

Outputting to a File using Raptor

The Output symbol is used to output data to a text file. When an Output symbol is reached during Raptor program execution, the system determines whether or not output has been redirected. If output has been redirected, meaning an output file has been specified, the output is written to the specified file. If output has not been redirected, it goes to the Master Console.

One version of redirecting output to a file is by creating a call symbol and adding the following: Redirect_Output("file.txt")

Note: If the file specified already exists, it will be overwritten with no warning! All of the file's previous contents will be lost!

The second version of Redirect_Output redirects output with a simple yes or true argument: Redirect_Output(True)

This delays the selection of the output file to run time. When the Call symbol containing Redirect_Output is executed, a file selection dialog box will open, and the user can specify which file is to be used for output.

After a successful call to Redirect_Output, the program writes its output to the specified file. To reset Raptor so that subsequent Output symbols write their output to the Master Console, another call to Redirect_Output is used, this time with a False (No) argument: Redirect_Output(False)

After this call is executed, the output file is closed, and subsequent outputs will again go to the Master Console.

There is no Append option in Raptor.

Input to a File using Raptor

This is done the same way, except Redirect_Input( ) is called.

To pull something in from a file, the input symbols are used.

This lab requires you to create a flowchart for the blood drive program in Lab 10.1. Use an application such as Raptor or Visio.