What tools/framework/API(and the like) that let a user create a flowchart dynamically

Question

I want to create a web-based flowchart to source code translator.

My problem is I don't know what specific flowchart making tools/framework/API to let the user create dynamically a flowchart using basic flow-charting shapes that can be later translated to a particular programming language source code.

I'll be using only the basic shapes of flow-charting since this flowchart to source code translator will be used preferably to aid the learning of a novice programmer.

Answer 1

If this is in a commercial scenario, using a commercial graph drawing library like yFiles should be feasible.

With this library you can create your own flowchart editor:

• you can declare and create your own specific shapes and behaviors
• drag and drop, as well as interactive modification and creation of elements is supported
• you can add logic to prevent the user from making certain connections (like connecting the end node to the start node)
• the editor supports automatic snap-lines so that creating a nice diagram is made really easy.
• you can use automatic layout algorithms to rearrange the diagrams and/or the edge routings to get nice flowcharts where the information flow is nicely depicted (going from top to bottom or left to right, e.g.)

Take a look at this interactive set of demos (requires HTML 5 capable browsers) and especially this one. The latter shows the drag and drop feature, the automatic layout using a style that is great for flow-charts and the snapping and some more advanced features like grouping and partition grids.

Disclaimer: I work for the company that creates that library. There are other libraries (although not as powerful in my humble opinion). I do not represent my employer on SO/SE.