Chapter 6.

Data Modeling
Data Flow Diagram

Prepared by:
Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Hossain
Assistant Professor,
Dept. of CSE, BRAC University
 Models: Logical and Physical
Model – a pictorial representation of reality.
Just as a picture is worth a thousand words, most
models are pictorial representations of reality.

Logical model – a Physical model – a technical

nontechnical pictorial pictorial representation that
representation that depicts depicts what a system is or
what a system is or does. does and how the system is
Synonyms or essential implemented. Synonyms are
model, conceptual model, implementation model and
and business model. technical model.
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 What is a Data Flow Diagram?
•A data flow diagram (DFD) is a graphical
representation of the movement of data between
external entities, processes and data stores within a
system.

• Simply put, DFD’s show how data moves through

an information system.

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 External Agents
External agent – an outside person, unit, system, or
organization that interacts with a system. Also called
an external entity.

• External agents define the “boundary” or

scope of a system being modeled.
• As scope changes, external agents can
become processes, and vice versa.

Gane and Sarson shape DeMarco/Yourdon shape

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 Data Stores
Data store – stored data intended for later use.
Synonyms are file and database.
• Frequently implemented as a file or database.
• A data store is “data at rest” compared to a data flow
that is “data in motion.”
• Almost always one of the following:
Gane and Sarson shape
• Persons, Places, Objects etc

• Data stores depicted on a DFD store

all instances of data entities
(depicted on an ERD)
DeMarco/Yourdon shape
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 Process
Process – work performed by a system in
response to incoming data flows or
conditions. A synonym is transform.
• All information systems include
processes - usually many of them
• Processes respond to business
Gane and Sarson shape
events and conditions and transform
data into useful information
• Modeling processes helps us to understand the
interactions with the system's environment, other
systems, and other processes.
• Named with a strong action verb followed by object
clause describing what the work is performed on/for .
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 Data Flows & Control Flows
Data flow – data that is input to or output
from a process.
Data flow name
• A data flow is data in motion
• A data flow may also be used to represent the
creation, reading, deletion, or updating of
data in a file or database (called a data store).
Composite data flow – a data flow that
consists of other data flows.
Control flow – a condition or nondata Control flow name
event that triggers a process.
• Used sparingly on DFDs.

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 Simple Data Flow Diagram

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Common Process Errors on DFDs

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 Common Process Errors on DFDs

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 Data Flow Packet Concept
• Data that should travel together should be shown as
a single data flow, no matter how many physical
documents might be included.

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 Data Flows to and from Data Stores

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 Rules for Data Flows
• A data flow should
never go unnamed.
• In logical
modeling, data
flow names should
describe the data
flow without
describing the
implementation
• All data flows must
begin and/or end at
a process.

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 Diverging and Converging
Data Flows
Diverging data flow – a data flow that splits into
multiple data flows.
• Indicates data that starts out naturally as one flow, but
is routed to different destinations.
• Also useful to indicate multiple copies of the same
output going to different destinations.

Converging data flow – the merger of multiple

data flows into a single packet.
• Indicates data from multiple sources that can (must)
come together as a single packet for subsequent
processing.

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 Diverging and Converging
Data Flows

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 Exercise: Order food
• Draw a Data Flow Diagram (DFD) for “Food Ordering System”
considering the following scenarios:
•
Customer place an Order. The Order Food process receives the Order,
forwards it to the Kitchen, store it in the Order data store, and store
the updated Inventory details in the Inventory data store. The process
also delivers a Bill to the Customer. Manager can receive Reports
through the Generate Reports process, which takes Inventory details
and Orders as input from the Inventory and Order data store
respectively. Manager can also initiate the Order Inventory process by
providing Inventory order. The process forwards the Inventory order to
the Supplier and stores the updated Inventory details in the Inventory
data store.

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Payroll management system

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Patient Information system

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Process Decomposition

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 Process Decomposition
Decomposition – the act of breaking a system into
sub-components. Each level of abstraction reveals
more or less detail.

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 Decomposition Diagrams

Decomposition
diagram – a tool used to
depict the
decomposition of a
system. Also called
hierarchy chart.

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 Level 0 Diagram
• Shows all the processes that comprise the overall system
• Shows how information moves from and to each process
• Adds data stores

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 Level 1 Diagrams
• Shows all the processes that comprise
a single process on the level 0 diagram
• Shows how information moves from
and to each of these processes
• Shows in more detail the content of
higher level process
• Level 1 diagrams may not be needed
for all level 0 processes
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 Level 2 Diagrams
• Shows all processes that comprise a
single process on the level 1 diagram
• Shows how information moves from
and to each of these processes
• Level 2 diagrams may not be needed
for all level 1 processes
• Correctly numbering each process
helps the user understand where the
process fits into the overall system
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 Modern Structured Analysis
(More Commonly Practiced)
1. Draw context DFD to establish initial project scope.
2. Draw functional decomposition diagram to partition the
system into subsystems.
3. Create event-response or use-case list for the system to
define events for which the system must have a response.
4. Draw an event DFD (or event handler) for each event.
5. Merge event DFDs into a system diagram (or, for larger
systems, subsystem diagrams).
6. Draw detailed, primitive DFDs for the more complex event
handlers.
7. Document data flows and processes in data dictionary.

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 Structured Analysis Diagram
Progression (1 of 3)

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 Structured Analysis Diagram
Progression (2 of 3)

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 Structured Analysis Diagram
Progression (3 of 3)

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Context Data Flow Diagram

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 Context Data Flow Diagram
• Context data flow diagram - a process model used to
document the scope for a system. Also called the
environmental model.

1. Think of the system as a "black box."

2. Ask users what business transactions the system must
respond to. These are inputs, and the sources are external
agents.
3. Ask users what responses must be produced by the system.
These are outputs, and the destinations are external agents.
4. Identify any external data stores, if any.
5. Draw a context diagram.
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 Balancing
Balancing - a concept that requires that data flow diagrams
at different levels of detail reflect consistency and
completeness

• Quality assurance technique

• Requires that if you explode a process to another DFD to reveal
more detail, you must include the same dta flows and data stores

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 Manage Robot

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Manage Robot decomposed

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Here passenger input current location and destination address to set up destination
and estimate fare process and the process send estimate fare to the passenger. The
same process gather map information from Google map and rate from taxi rate data
base.

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 Class work

i. Draw level 1 DFD where set up destination and estimate fare process is
decomposed into two sub process as get distance and calculate fare. Data of
distance will sent from get distance to calculate fare.

ii. Draw Level 2 DFD for get distance sub process. Decompose get distance in
two sub process as get route and calculate distance. Data of route will sent
from get route to calculate distance.

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i. Draw level 1 DFD where set up destination and estimate fare process is decomposed
into two sub process as get distance and calculate fare. Data of distance will sent from
get distance to calculate fare.

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Draw Level 2 DFD for get distance sub process. Decompose get distance in two
sub process as get route and calculate distance. Data of route will sent from get
route to calculate distance.

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