Flow control is a technique used in computer networks and data communication to manage the rate of data transmission between devices. It ensures that a sender does not overwhelm a receiver with too much data at once, which can lead to data loss or congestion. Common methods of flow control include stop-and-wait, sliding window, and acknowledgment systems. In addition to networks, flow control is also important in programming and software development. It helps manage the execution of code by determining the order in which instructions are processed. This can involve structures like if statements, loops, and function calls to control the flow of execution based on specific conditions.