Data Flow Diagram Date: 17 Sep, 2014

DATA FLOW DIAGRAM
Date: 17 Sep,2014
 DFDs show the flow of data from external entities
into the system, showed how the data moved from
one process to another, as well as its logical
storage.
 DFDs are an important technique for modeling a

system’s high-level detail by showing how input
data is transformed to output results through a
sequence of functional transformations.
DFDs consist of four major components:
 Entities
 Processes
 Data stores
 Data flows.
ENTITY
 An entity is the source or destination of data.

 The source in a DFD represents these entities that
are outside the context of the system.
 Entities either provide data to the system
(referred to as a source) or receive data from
it(referred to as a sink).
 Entities are often represented as rectangles.
 Entities are also referred to as agents, terminators, or
source/sink.
 The process is the manipulation or work that
transforms data, performing computations, making
decisions (logic flow), or directing data flows based
on business rules.
 In other words, a process receives input and
generates some output. Process names (simple
verbs and dataflow names, such as “Submit
Payment” or “Get Invoice”).
 Processes can be drawn as circles or a segmented
rectangle on a DFD, and include a process name and
process number.
 A data store is a holding place for information
within the system.
 Files and tables are considered data stores.
 Data store names (plural) are simple but
meaningful, such as “customers,” “orders,” and
“products.”
 Data stores are usually drawn as a rectangle with
the right hand side missing and labeled by the name
of the data storage area it represents.
 Data flow is the movement of data between the
entity, the process, and the data store.
 Data flow shows the flow of information from its
source to destination.
 Data flow is represented by an arrow, showing the
direction of flow.
 Information always flow to or from a process.
 Each data flow may be referenced by the processes
or data stores at its head and tail, or by a description
of its contents.
• All processes must have at least one data flow in
and one data flow out.
• All processes should modify the incoming data,
producing new forms of outgoing data.
• Each data store must be involved with at least one
data flow.
• Each external entity must be involved with at least
one data flow.
• A data flow must be attached to at least one
process.
No process can have
only outputs or only
inputs…processes
must have both
outputs and inputs.
Process labels should be verb phrases.

All flows to or from a data store must move
through a process.
Data store labels should be noun phrases.

No data moves directly between external entities
without going through a process.
Interactions between external entities without

intervening processes are outside the system and
therefore not represented in the DFD.
Source and sink labels should be noun phrases.
CONTEXT LEVEL DFD
 Basic form of DFD.

 Show how the entire system works at a glance.
 There is only one process in the system.
 All the data flows either into or out of this process.
 Context level DFD’s demonstrates the interactions
between the process and external entities.
 They do not contain Data Stores.
Context diagram
shows the
system
boundaries,
external entities
that interact with
the system, and
major
information flows
between entities
and the system.
NOTE: only one process symbol, and no data stores shown.

LEVEL-1 DFD
 Give an overview of the full system.

 Look at the system in more detail.
 Major processes are broken down into sub-processes.
 Level 1 DFD’s also identifies data stores that are used
by the major processes.
 Examine the Context Level DFD.
 Like the Context Level DFD’s, all entities, data stores
and processes must be labelled.
Level-0 DFD
shows the
system’s major
processes,
data flows, and
data stores at
a high level of
abstraction.
Processes are labeled 1.0, 2.0, etc. These will be

decomposed into more primitive (lower-level) DFDs.

Data Flow Diagram Date: 17 Sep, 2014

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DATA FLOW DIAGRAM

 DFDs are an important technique for modeling a

 An entity is the source or destination of data.

Process labels should be verb phrases.

Data store labels should be noun phrases.

Interactions between external entities without

 Basic form of DFD.

NOTE: only one process symbol, and no data stores shown.

 Give an overview of the full system.

Processes are labeled 1.0, 2.0, etc. These will be

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