ipo diagrams input process output diagrams input process output diagrams are used to visually display the input processes and expected outputs of a system in a tabular format an input is data that is entered into the system either from a user or obtained from another location on the system a process is a series of steps that will be applied to the input data in order to convert it into the desired output and the output is the data that has been turned into information after processing which is basically the whole purpose of a system so below we're going to try to summarize what i've just said using the diagram so this is what the table kind of looks like we have a column for input a column for processing and a column for output the in the input column it's the data that we're going to be entering into the system and as i said it might come from a user or another location in the system in the middle column is the processing which is the series of steps that are going to be applied to input data okay in order to turn it into the desired output and then in the final column on the right is where we're going to put the output information so data that has been turned into information after processing which is in line with the purpose of the system that's what we want to see the specific output of information which obviously we hope is going to be of benefit to the user using the system so building upon this ipo diagrams also help us understand the relationship between these three elements okay the diagram shows the path of which data is entered into the system in the form of input and then how it's going to be processed by the system in the process column and then what is actually transformed into in order to make it the desired information which is the output of the system so we're seeing a bit of a relationship in the flow of the diagram so it's kind of giving us a bit of an elder algorithmic mindset in that we can kind of see it coming together okay in planning the relationship between our input processes and outputs now it's not always the case but sometimes it's a benefit writing the output first because usually we want to know what information are we going for what we want as our end product okay of our system or program as we might write the desired output first and then from there what inputs do we need to get to that desired output and then what processes will transform that input into the desired output so it's kind of obviously a process but we might want to start with the end result first and then work our way backwards okay in order to figure out what inputs we need to get your outputs and then what processes need to be applied to those inputs to make them our outputs there but that's just one way of going about it there so essentially in the input column what data needs to be entered for processing okay so we're linking our inputs to processing in the processing column what operations need to be applied to the data that was obviously entered in the input column in order to turn it into our expected output and then finally in our third column of output what is the expected result we want to see after processing so that is how they all kind of interlink together there so what we'll do now is we'll look at a quick example for a basic calculator so the program is going to be developed to allow a user to enter two different numbers the software is going to add subtract multiply or divide these numbers at the user's discretion displaying the result so let's use this ipo diagram we have here in order to do so and i'm going to do this as i kind of tried to illustrate in the previous slide and i'm going to say first and start off with my output and what i want is my output is essentially the result of the calculation okay so that's what needs to take place there what i've got to do next is i'm going to say well what am i going to be inputting to the system in order to do the processing so firstly i need number one because user is going to enter in two different numbers so i can put in their first number which the system then needs to save as a variable okay and i'm going to call that variable number one i'm also then going to put in number two and same thing we need to save that as a variable and i'm going to call that variable number 2. from here then as said at the description of the user we're going to actually say whether we want to add subtract multiply or divide and my program might have that as a case selection okay which allows for the user based on their input it will do one of those four operations okay and i'll need to set that up within my program from there then once that's been selected the calculation is to take place between number and num number one and number two based on what was selected by the user and then it needs to display that calculation result which is a process in itself which will end with that final output of the result of the calculation so i hope that gave you an understanding of how we can work backwards there okay starting with the output what inputs do i need to get that output and then starting to think what processes will help me turn that input into my output okay so basically i hope this video has given you an understanding of ipo diagrams and how they give us an understanding of what needs to go into our system in the form of inputs what processes will take place on the actual input and essentially how they'll turn it into the desired output we want from our system to help satisfy user needs