Data Flow Diagrams ¢ Agraphical tool, useful for communicating with users, managers, and other personnel. ¢ Used to perform structured analysis to determine logical requirements. e Useful for analyzing existing as well as proposed systems. ¢ Focus on the movement of data between external entities and processes, and between processes and data stores. ¢ A relatively simple technique to learn and use. Why DFD ? ¢ Provides an overview of- e What data a system processes ¢ What transformationsare performed e What data are stored + What results are produced and where they flow © Graphical nature makes it a good communication tool between- e User and analyst Analyst and System designerDFD elements e Source/Sinks (External entity) ° Processes ¢ Data Stores ‘- eData flows ‘ Symbols Used: Gane & Sarson DeMarco & Symbol Symbol Ranta Sprball cenaléocty | i | a Data store Gikee Di Name Ne Data flow _Name ae"Descriptions: o External Entity - people or organisations that send data into the system or receive data from the system. © Process - models what happens to the data i.e. transforms incoming data into outgoing data. o Data Store - represents permanent data that is used by the system. 0 Data Flow - models the actual flow of the data between the other elements. External Entities ¢ They either supply or receive data Source - Entity that supplies data to the system. Sink - Entity that receives data from the system. ¢ They do not process dataDelivery Slip Stores demand note Issue Slip Grade Detail Grade Report Produce Grade Report © Work or actions performed on data (inside the system) © Straight line with incoming arrows are input data flows © Straight lines with outgoing arrows are output data flows ¢ Labels are assigned to Data flow. These aid documentation Processes ¢ Can have more than one outgoing data flow or more than one incoming data flow 1.0 Graded Work Submitted Work Grade Student Student Grade Work [eee 30 Hours Worked Gross Pay Calculated Pay Rate ‘Gross PayProcesses ¢ Can connect to any other symbol (including another process symbol) e Contain the business logic, also called business rules Referred to as a black box Inventory Accepted Order Change Assemble ‘Order Data Flow Diagrams An alternate notation is often used: ¢ A Process e A Data StoreData Stores Dt Data Stores 2 - Stores 2D Data Stores Readit ‘Writing ding ¢ A Data Store is a repository of data e Data can be written into the data store. This is depicted by an incoming arrow e Data can be read froma data store. This is depicted by an outgoing arrow Data store Data Flow Data Flows e Data in motion e Marks movement of data through the system - a pipeline to carry data. e Connects the processes, external entities and data stores.‘Data Flow ° Generally unidirectional, If same data flows in both directions, double-headed arrow can be used. e Can represent flow between process and data store by two separate arrows Payment Detail 1 | Accounts Invoice Detat Receivable Post Payment Rules of Data Flow ¢ Data can flow from © Data cannot flow from v External entity to process « External entity to external y Process to external entity entity v Process to store and back « External entity to store v Process to process © Store to external entity * Store to store