TS 2730

TS 2730 is a standard for the graphic symbols used in flowcharts for information-processing systems, including automatic data-processing systems. In practical terms, it addresses the visual symbols that represent steps, decisions, and flow in process documentation, rather than the surrounding narrative or illustrative material.

The scope clearly separates the symbol set from explanatory text and decorative or illustrative drawings. That distinction matters because a flowchart symbol functions as the structural unit of the diagram, while labels, notes, or pictures may help explain it but are not part of the symbol system itself.

Why flowchart symbols matter in technical documentation

In general technical practice, flowchart symbols provide a common visual language for system analysis, software development, and data-processing documentation. Standardized symbols help teams show operations, branches, and sequence in a consistent way, making diagrams easier to read, compare, and maintain across projects and organisations.

For a standard in this subject area, the value lies in consistency: if the same symbol means the same thing across documents, the diagram becomes a dependable communication tool. TS 2730 focuses on that symbolic layer of information processing diagrams and excludes extra explanatory content, so its subject is the formal graphic notation rather than the full presentation of the system narrative.

• Graphic symbols used in flowcharts for information-processing systems and automatic data-processing systems
• The visual structure of the symbols themselves
• Explanatory or clarifying text placed inside or beside symbols is excluded
• Pictures or drawings used to animate the system are excluded