Raptor and visual logic©: a comparison of flowcharting tools for CS0

There are many challenges associated with introductory classes in computer science. For many students, this is their first experience with both programming and computer science. Increasing the level of success in this course will directly increase the number of students continuing towards graduation in computer science. As part of this introductory course, a number of tools and techniques are introduced. These include algorithms, flowcharts, pseudo-code, and a high level programming language. Choosing the correct mix of tools and techniques can increase the probability of student success. This paper compares two flowcharting tools, Raptor and Visual Logic©, as used in an introductory programming course for computer science majors. Raptor and Visual Logic© both allow students to create executable flowcharts. While both tools may be used in CS0, we believe that one is the preferred tool based on feature comparison.