By Joel T. Patz

Flow Charting PDQ works as its name implies-pretty darn quick(ly)-so you'll find yourself producing charts, diagrams and trees in no time.

The package's simplicity camouflages some extremely powerful tools. You can easily access templates for a variety of processes, including electronics, ISO 9000, and Process Mapping and Auditing. You can build your own templates of shapes, adding company logos and other elements simply by cutting and pasting.

You can connect one shape to another with the highly practical QuickConnect Handle found in the middle of a highlighted shape. The program includes familiar drawing basics: changing front to back order, aligning objects and freezing them to prevent unwanted changes.

Tool Managers-ShapeManager, LineManager, TextManager and PictureManager-edit or set the attributes of a selected object. ShapeManager helps determine line thickness and color, fill color and pattern, and shadows effects. LineManager enables you to select the type of line path (free-angle, squared or curved), endcaps, and line style and color, and lets you add bypasses when one squared line crosses another. TextManager provides type styles, sizes and colors, and a variety of justification styles. To make all these helpful tools easier to use, there's a ToolShuffler button to the left of each toolbar.

PDQ doesn't rotate objects, and deleting objects doesn't automatically delete the connections between them.PDQ provides well-rounded tools without imposing a high learning curve.

--Info File--
Flow Charting PDQ
Price: $215
Pros: Easy to use; quick results
Cons: No drawing tools; cannot rotate objects; price
Platforms: Windows 95, NT
Disk Space: 5MB
RAM: 4MB
Patton & Patton Software
800-525-0082, 408-778-6557
WinMag Box Score: 4.0