Tripoli College for Computer

10
Technology
FIT312 System Analysis and Design
System Analysis

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Data Flow Diagrams
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 Learning Objectives
 Describe data flow diagrams
 Describe the symbols used in data flow
diagrams and explain the rules for their
use.

Data Flow Diagrams System Analysis & Design 2

 Learning Objectives

 Discuss how to create a set of data flow

diagrams in a sequence, from general to
specific
 discuss and draw the context diagram
 Discuss and draw a Diagram 0

Data Flow Diagram System nalysis and Design 3

 Process Model

• Process model
– A formal way of representing how a business
system operates
– Illustrates the activities that are performed
and how data moves among them

Data Flow Diagrams System Analysis & Design 4

 Data Flow Diagrams
Data Flow Diagrams – Introduction
• Can be used to provide a clear representation of
any business function.
• The technique starts with an overall picture of
the business and continues by analyzing each of
the functional areas of interest.
• This analysis technique can be carried out to
precisely the level of detail required.
• The technique exploits a method called top-
down expansion to conduct the analysis in a
targeted way.
Data Flow Diagrams System Analysis & Design 5
 Data Flow Diagrams

 Graphical representation of a system’s data and

how the processes transform the data, is known
as Data Flow Diagram (or DFD)
 DFD is one of the most important tools in a
structured system analysis. It presents a method
of establishing relationship between functions or
processes of the system with information it uses.
 DFD is a key component of the system
requirement specification, because it determines
what information is needed for the process
before it is implemented

Data Flow Diagrams System Analysis & Design 6

 Data Flow Diagrams

 Data flow diagrams are the most commonly

used way of documenting the process of current
& required systems.
 A data flow diagram (DFD) shows how data
moves through an information system but does
not show program logic or processing steps
 A set of DFDs provides a logical model that
shows what the system does, not how it does it

Data Flow Diagrams System Analysis & Design 7

 Data Flow Diagrams

• Data flow diagram supports 4 main activities:

 Analysis: DFD used to determine requirements of users
 Design: DFD used to map out plan and illustrate solutions to
analysts and users while designing a new system
 Communication: DFD is simple and easy to understand to
analysts and users
 Documents: DFD used to provide special description of
requirements and system design. DFD provide an overview
of key functional components of the system but it does not
provide any detail on these components.

Data Flow Diagrams System Analysis & Design 8

 Data Flow Diagrams

• DFD Symbols
o DFDs use four basic symbols that represent
processes, data flows, data stores, and
entities
o Symbols are referenced by using all capital
letters for the symbol name

Data Flow Diagrams System Analysis & Design 9

 Data Flow Diagrams

• Components of DF Diagrams
o Processes change data
o Data flows between processes
o External entities interact from outside
o Data stores hold data internally

Data Flow Diagrams System Analysis & Design 10

 Data Flow Diagrams
– Two different standard sets can be used
• DeMarco and Yourdan
• Gane and Sarson

Data Flow Diagrams System Analysis & Design 11

 Data Flow Diagrams
– Process symbol
• Receives input data and produces output
that has a different content, form, or both
• Contain the business logic which
determines how a system handles data
and produces useful information.
Business logic, also called business
rules, reflect the operational requirements
of the business.
Data Flow Diagrams System Analysis & Design 12
 Data Flow Diagrams

• Process name identifies a specific function

and consists of verb, and an adjective, if
necessary
• a process symbol can be referred to as a
black box, because the inputs, outputs, and
general functions of the process are
known, but the underlying details and logic
of the process are hidden

Data Flow Diagrams System Analysis & Design 13

 Data Flow Diagrams
– Data flow symbol
A data flow is a path for data to move
from one part of the information system
to anther
• Represents one or more data items
• The detailed content of the data flow
does not appear in the DFD

Data Flow Diagrams System Analysis & Design 14

 Data Flow Diagrams
• The symbol for a data flow is a line with
a single or double arrowhead
• A data flow name consists of a singular
noun and an adjective, if needed
• Is detailed in the data dictionary

Data Flow Diagrams System Analysis & Design 15

 Data Flow Diagrams

• At least one data flow must enter and one data

flow must exit each process symbol

Examples of
correct
combinations of
data flow and
process symbols.

Data Flow Diagrams System Analysis & Design 16

 Data Flow Diagrams

Examples of incorrect
combinations of data flow and
process symbols.
• APPLY INSURANCE
PREMIUM has no input and is
called a spontaneous
generation process.
• CALCULATE GROSS PAY
has no outputs and is called a
black hole process.
• CALCULATE GRADE has an
input that is obviously unable
to produce the output. This
process is called
a gray hole.

Data Flow Diagrams System Analysis & Design 17

 Data Flow Diagrams

– Data store symbol

• Represent data that the system stores
• A DFD does not show the detailed
content of data store
• The physical characteristics of a data
store are unimportant because you
are concerned only with a logical
model

Data Flow Diagrams System Analysis & Design 18

 Data Flow Diagrams

• Is a flat rectangle that is open on the

right side and closed on the left side
• A data store name is a plural name
consisting of a noun and adjectives, if
needed
• can be duplicated, one or more times,
to avoid line crossing.
• is detailed in the data dictionary

Data Flow Diagrams System Analysis & Design 19

 Data Flow Diagrams
– A data store must be connected to process with a data flow
– A data store must have at least one incoming and one outgoing data flow
– One exception when data store has no input data flow because it contains
fixed reference data that is not updated by the system

Examples of
correct uses
of data store
symbols in a
data flow
diagram.

Data Flow Diagrams System Analysis & Design 20

 Data Flow Diagrams

Examples of
incorrect uses of
data store
symbols:
two data stores
cannot be
connected
by a data flow
Without an
intervening
process, and each
data store should
have an outgoing
And incoming data
flow.
Data Flow Diagrams System Analysis & Design 21
Data Flow Diagrams - Entity Symbol
– Entity Symbol
• Symbol is a rectangle, which may be
shaded to make it look three-dimensional
• An entity name is the singular form of a
department, outside organization, other
information system, or person
• Name of the entity appears inside the
symbol
• A DFD shows only the external entities
that provide data to the system or receive
output from the system
Data Flow Diagrams System Analysis & Design 22
Data Flow Diagrams - Entity Symbol
• can be duplicated, one or more times, on the
diagram to avoid line crossing.
• determine the system boundary. They are external
to the system being studied. They are often beyond
the area of influence of the developer.
• go on margins/edges of data flow diagram
• Entities also called
• Terminators: because they are data origins or final
destination
• Source: for entity that supplies data to the system
• Sink: for entity that receives data from the system

Data Flow Diagrams System Analysis & Design 23

 Data Flow Diagrams

• Entity can be connected with a process only

Examples of
correct uses of
external
entities in a
data flow
diagram.

Data Flow Diagrams System Analysis & Design 24

 Data Flow Diagrams

Examples of
incorrect uses of
external entities.
An external entity
must be
connected by a
data flow to a
process, and not
directly to a data
store or to another
external entity.

Data Flow Diagrams System Analysis & Design 25

 Data Flow Diagrams

• Rules for connecting processes, data stores,

and entities in a DFD.

Data Flow Diagrams System Analysis & Design 26

 Creating a Set of DFDs

• Create a graphical model of the information

system based on your fact-finding results
• Create a set of DFDs by performing three main
tasks
 Step 1: Draw a context diagram, including all external
entities and the major data flow to or from them
 Step 2: Draw a diagram 0 DFD by analyzing the major
activities within the context process
 Include the external entities and major data stores
 Step 3: Draw the lower-level diagrams for each
complex process on Diagram 0

Data Flow Diagram System nalysis and Design 27

 Creating a Set of DFDs

• The procedure for producing a DFD is to:

 identify and list external entities providing inputs to the system
and receiving outputs from system
 identify and list inputs from external entities and outputs to
external entities
 create a context diagram with system at center and external
entities sending and receiving data flows
 identify the processes included within the system boundary
 identify the data connections between processes
 verify all data flows have a source and destination
 verify data coming out of a data store goes as input to a process
 review with "informed"
 explode and repeat above steps as needed

Data Flow Diagram System nalysis and Design 28

 Creating a Set of DFDs

• Draw a Context Diagram

 Context Diagram is going to be the simplest DFD ( will have the
minimum amount of symbols)
 First DFD in every business process
 Shows the context into which the business process fits
 Contains only one process, representing the entire system
 The process is given the number zero
 All external entities are shown on the context diagram as well as
major data flow to and from them
 The diagram does not contain any data stores

Data Flow Diagram System nalysis and Design 29

 Creating a Set of DFDs

• Draw a Context Diagram

Begin by reviewing the system requirements
to identify all external data sources and
destinations
Record the name of the entities and the name
and content of the data flows, and the
direction of the data flows

Data Flow Diagram System nalysis and Design 30

 Creating a Set of DFDs
• Example of information system, the example is
an order system that a company uses to enter
orders and apply payments against a customer's
balance
– External entities are
• CUSTOMER
• WAREHOUSE
• SALES REP
• BANK
• ACCOUNTING

Data Flow Diagram System nalysis and Design 31

 Creating a Set of DFDs
– Order information system consist of three
main processes
• FILL ORDER: which contains three sub
processes, VERIFY ORDER, PREPARE
REJECT NOTICE, and ASSEMBLE
ORDER
• CREATE INVOICE: no sub process
• APPLY PAYMENT: which contains four sub
processes POST PAYMENT, DEPOSIT
PAYMENT, PREPARE ACCOUNTING
ENTRY, and PAY COMMISSION
Data Flow Diagram System nalysis and Design 32
 Creating a Set of DFDs

Data Flow Diagram System nalysis and Design 33

 Creating a Set of DFDs

Context diagram DFD for an order system.

• Notice that the ORDER SYSTEM process is at the center
of diagram and five entities surround the process
• Three of the entities, SALES REP, BANK, and
ACCOUNTING, have a single incoming data flows for
COMMISSION, BANK DEPOSIT, and CASH
RECEEIPTS
• The WAREHOUSE entity has one incoming data flow
PICKING LIST that is a report, that shows the items and
their quantity, location, and sequence. The
WAREHOUSE entity has one outgoing data flow,
COMPLETED ORDER
• The CUSTMER entity has two outgoing data flows,
ORDER and PAYMENT, and two incoming data flows,
DataORDER
Flow DiagramREJECT NOTICE and
System nalysis INVOICE
and Design 34
 Creating a Set of DFDs

• Draw a Diagram 0 DFD

 The Context Diagram is a good starting point but it does not tell
us much about the system, and that is where low level DFDs
come into play.
 In Context Diagram we had only one Process, we will break up
this process into sub-processes.
 The Diagram that will result from this breaking-up is called
Diagram 0 (named so, because we are drawing a DFD that
further explains the Process number "0").
 How many sub-processes should we make out of Process 0?
There is no rule It all depends on the system

Data Flow Diagram System nalysis and Design 35

 Creating a Set of DFDs

• Draw a Diagram 0 DFD

 Diagram 0 is the explosion of the context level diagram
 Processes are numbered with an integer
 The process numbers do not suggest that the processes are
accomplished in a sequential order
 Each process always is considered to be available, active, and awaiting
data to be processed
 The major data stores and all external entities are included on Diagram 0
 A diverging data flow is a data flow in which the same data travels to two
or more different locations
 If same data flows in both directions, you can use a double-headed arrow
 To identify specific data flows into and out of a symbol, however, you use
separate data flows symbols with single arrowheads

Data Flow Diagram System nalysis and Design 36

 Creating a Set of DFDs
• Draw a Diagram 0 DFD
– If more detail were needed for any process in diagram 0,
you would draw a level 1 diagrams
– If more detail needed for any process in level 1 diagrams
, you would draw a level 2 diagrams, and so on
• Parent diagram
– The higher level diagram
• Child diagram
– The lower level diagram
• Functional primitive
– Processes that do not create a child diagram

Data Flow Diagram System nalysis and Design 37

 Creating a Set of DFDs
• You document the logic for a functional
primitive in a process description in the
data dictionary
• Later, when the logical design is
implemented as a physical system,
programmers will transform each functional
primitive into a unit of program code that
carries out the required processing steps.

Data Flow Diagram System nalysis and Design 38

 Creating a Set of DFDs

Data Flow Diagram System nalysis and Design 39

 Creating a Set of DFDs
diagram 0 for an order system.
Notice that process 0 on the order system’s context diagram is exploded to show three
processes, FILL ORDER, CREATE INVOICE, and APPLY PAYMENT
one data store, ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE
two new data flows, INVOICE DETAIL and PAYMENT DETAIL
One diverging data flow INVOICE
• Depending on the processing logic
• A CUSTOMER submit an ORDER, the FILL ORDER process either sends ORDER
REJECT NOTICE to the customer entity or sends PICKING LIST to the
WAREHOUSE entity
• A COMPLETED ORDER from the WAREHOUSE entity is input to the CREATE
INVOICE process, which output INVOICE to both CUSTOMER entity and the
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE data store
• PAYMENT processed by APPLY PAYMENT process requires INVOICE DETAIL
from ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE data store a long with the PAYMENT. APPLY
PAYMENT process outputs PAYMENT DETAIL to the ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE
data store and outputs COMMISSION to the SALES DEPT entity, BANK
DEPOSIT to the BANK entity, and CASH REEIPTS ENTRY to ACCOUNTING
entity

Data Flow Diagram System nalysis and Design 40

 Creating a Set of DFDs

• Drawing Guidelines
1. Draw the context diagram so that it fits on one page
2. Use the name of the information system as the
process name in the context diagram
3. Use unique names within each set of symbols
4. Do not cross lines
5. Provide a unique name and reference number for
each process
6. Obtain user input and feedback

Data Flow Diagram System nalysis and Design 41

 n k Y O U !
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Data Flow Diagrams System Analysis & Design 42