Chapter 3
Chapter 3
SIMULATOR
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CHAPTER 3
System Design
A data-flow diagram has no control flow — there are no decision rules and no loops.
Specific operations based on the data can be represented by a flowchart.
There are several notations for displaying data-flow diagrams. The notation presented
above was described in 1979 by Tom DeMarco as part of structured analysis.
For each data flow, at least one of the endpoints (source and / or destination) must exist
in a process. The refined representation of a process can be done in another data-flow
diagram, which subdivides this process into sub-processes.
The data-flow diagram is a tool that is part of structured analysis and data modelling.
When using UML, the activity diagram typically takes over the role of the data-flow
diagram. A special form of data-flow plan is a site-oriented data-flow plan.
DFD consists of processes, flows, warehouses, and terminators. There are several
ways to view these DFD components.
Process
Data flow
Data flow (flow, dataflow) shows the transfer of information (sometimes also material)
from one part of the system to another. The symbol of the flow is the arrow.
The flow should have a name that determines what information (or what material) is
being moved. Exceptions are flows where it is clear what information is transferred
through the entities that are linked to these flows.
Material shifts are modelled in systems that are not merely informative. Flow should only
transmit one type of information (material).
The arrow shows the flow direction (it can also be bi-directional if the information
to/from the entity is logically dependent—e.g. question and answer). Flows link
processes, warehouses and terminators.
Warehouse
The warehouse (datastore, data store, file, database) is used to store data for later use.
The symbol of the store is two horizontal lines, the other way of view is shown in the
DFD Notation.
The name of the warehouse is a plural noun (e.g. orders)—it derives from the input and
output streams of the warehouse. The warehouse does not have to be just a data file but
can also be, for example, a folder with documents, a filing cabinet, or a set of optical discs.
Therefore, viewing the warehouse in a DFD is independent of implementation.
The warehouse is represented by two parallel lines between which the memory name is
located (it can be modelled as a UML buffer node).
Terminator
The terminator is an external entity that communicates with the system and stands outside
of the system. It can be, for example, various organizations (e.g. a bank), groups of people
(e.g. customers), authorities (e.g. a tax office) or a department (e.g. a human-resources
department) of the same organization, which does not belong to the model system.
The terminator may be another system with which the modelled system communicates.
UML Diagram
In the design of a system, a number of classes are identified and grouped together
in a class diagram that helps to determine the static relations.
Activity Diagram
Activity diagrams are constructed from a limited number of shapes, connected with
arrows. The most important shape types:
Arrows run from the start towards the end and represent the order in which
activities happen.
UML activity diagrams in version 2.x can be used in various domains, e.g.
in design of embedded systems. It is possible to verify such a specification
using model checking technique.
While a use case itself might drill into a lot of detail about every possibility, a
use-case diagram can help provide a higher-level view of the system.
It has been said before that "Use case diagrams are the blueprints for your
system".[1]
Due to their simplistic nature, use case diagrams can be a good communication
tool for stakeholders.
The drawings attempt to mimic the real world and provide a view for
the stakeholder to understand how the system is going to be designed.
Siau and Lee conducted research to determine if there was a valid situation for
use case diagrams at all or if they were unnecessary.
What was found was that the use case diagrams conveyed the intent of the system
in a more simplified manner to stakeholders and that they were "interpreted more
completely than class diagrams".
o On the other hand, a data dictionary is a data structure that stores metadata, i.e.,
(structured) data about information.
o The software package for a stand-alone data dictionary or data repository may
interact with the software modules of the DBMS, but it is mainly used by the
designers, users and administrators of a computer system for information resource
management.
o If a data dictionary system is used only by the designers, users, and administrators
and not by the DBMS Software, it is called a passive data dictionary. Otherwise, it is
called an active data dictionary or data dictionary.
o Database users and application developers can benefit from an authoritative data
dictionary document that catalogues the organization, contents, and conventions of
one or more databases.
o Another important piece of information that a data dictionary can provide is the
relationship between tables. This is sometimes referred to in entity-
o In an active data dictionary constraints may be placed upon the underlying data. For
instance, a range may be imposed on the value of numeric data in a data element
(field), or a record in a table may be forced to participate in a set relationship with
another record-type.
o Additionally, a distributed DBMS may have certain location specifics described within
its active data dictionary (e.g. where tables are physically located).
o The data dictionary consists of record types (tables) created in the database by
systems generated command files, tailored for each supported back-end DBMS.
Oracle has a list of specific views for the "sys" user. This allows users to look up the
exact information that is needed.
o Command files contain SQL Statements for CREATE TABLE, CREATE UNIQUE
INDEX, ALTER TABLE (for referential integrity), etc., using the specific statement
► ADMIN TABLE
► SIGNUPTWO TABLE
► SIGNUTHREE TABLE
► BANK TABLE
► LOGIN TABLE
ATM DASHBOARD