Question

What are decision table and components and how to draw decision table?

Answer 1

• A decision table is a table, which may accompany a flowchart, defining the possible contingenciesthat may be considered within the program and the appropriate course of action for eachcontingency.
• Decision tables are necessitated by the fact that branches of the flowchart multiply ateach diamond (comparison symbol) and may easily run into scores and even hundreds.
• If,therefore, the programmer attempts to draw a flowchart directly, he is liable to miss some of thebranches.

A decision table is divided into four parts:

(i)Condition stub:It contains statements i.e., the factors to be considered in making adecision.

(ii)Action stub:It introduces one or more actions i.e., steps to be taken when a certaincombination of conditions exists.

(iii)Condition entries:It lists in its various columns the possible permutations of answers tothe questions in the condition stub.

(iv)Action entries:It lists in its columns corresponding to the condition entries, the actionscontingent upon the set of answers to the questions in that column.