Which symbols are commonly used in flowcharts?

• A. Color swatches, grid lines, and decorative icons.
• B. Terminator symbols, input/output symbols, decision symbols, and process boxes.
• C. Origin markers, copyright stamps, and timestamps.
• D. Actors, scenes, and dialogue boxes.

Answer: (B)

Flowcharts use a standard set of shapes to represent different kinds of actions in a process, so the diagram communicates the sequence and type of steps clearly. The common shapes include a terminator for the start and end, an input/output symbol for data entering or leaving the process, a decision diamond for branching based on a condition, and a rectangle for a normal processing step. Using these shapes consistently helps anyone reading the chart quickly identify what happens at each point, where decisions occur, and how the flow proceeds.

Other options aren’t standard flowchart symbols: color swatches, grid lines, and decorative icons are visual touches, not steps in a process. Origin markers, copyright stamps, and timestamps are metadata or documentation marks, not actions in the workflow. Actors, scenes, and dialogue boxes belong to narratives or scripts, not flowchart notation.