Design Tools

BY : Mazhar Javed Awan

By: Mazhar Javed

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 To be covered…

DATA FLOW DIAGRAM

Context Diagram
Diagram 0
Detailed DFD

By: Mazhar Javed

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 What are Data Flow Diagrams?

Data flow diagrams illustrate

how data is processed by a
system in terms of inputs and
outputs.
i.e. They show flow of data
through the organization
By: Mazhar Javed
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 Purpose/Objective
The purpose of data flow diagrams is to provide a
bridge between users and systems developers.

The diagram Features are:

Graphical: Eliminating need of thousands of words.

Logical Representations: Modeling WHAT a system

does, rather than physical model showing HOW it does
it.

Hierarchical: Showing systems at any level of detail.

By: Mazhar Javed

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 Data flow diagrams have the
objective of avoiding the cost of

User/developer
misunderstanding
a system.

By: Mazhar Javed

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 Description

Data Flow Diagrams

are composed of the
four basic symbols.

By: Mazhar Javed

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 Description

The External Entity

symbol represents
sources of data to the
system, or destinations
of data from the
system.
i.e. A Person, A System, or
an organization that sends
or receives data
By: Mazhar Javed
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 Description contd..

The Data Flow

symbol represents
movement of data.

By: Mazhar Javed

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 Description contd..

The Data Store

symbol represents
data that is saved on
some file or in a
table.
Student File,
Faculty File,
Result File.

By: Mazhar Javed

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 Description contd..

The Process symbol

represents an activity
that transforms or
manipulates the data
(A process transforms
incoming data flow
into outgoing data
flow).

By: Mazhar Javed

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 Constructing a DFD
Start with Context diagram which shows only a single
process (represents the entire system), and external
entities
Identify the functions to be performed
Show the information flow between functions and
identify data stores and external entities
Repeatedly elaborate on the DFD ( bottom up and
top down )
After each elaboration is complete validate the DFD:
• Identify missing functions
• Identify functions that need more detail
• Rearrange in higher order bubbles
• Identify features that do not meet with the user's approval

By: Mazhar Javed

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 Context Diagram

A context diagram provides the most

general view of an information system

By: Mazhar Javed

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 Context Diagram

Emphasis is on the relationship

between the system and its
environment.

By: Mazhar Javed

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 Context Diagram

System as a whole
is represented as a
bubble, and the
external entities are
shown as squares
from which input
flows and to which
output is directed
By: Mazhar Javed
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 Guidelines for designing a Context
data flow diagram

Start by placing a single process symbol

in the center of the page. The symbol
represents the entire information system,
and you identify it as process 0

Then place the external entities around

the perimeter of the page and use data
flows to connect the entities to the central
process
By: Mazhar Javed
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 Guidelines for designing a Context
data flow diagram
Do not show any data stores in a context
diagram because data stores are internal
to the system.

Place the external agents around the

central process and label them.

Create labeled input and output data flows

between the external entities and the
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central system.
By: Mazhar Javed
 Creation of a
Context diagram
Step By Step

Online
Examination
System
By: Mazhar Javed
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 Problem Statement

Consider the following problem.

There is an online examination system

in which faculty enters the questions
that are stored in the system. This
system requires the student to logon to
website. The system then asks student
the questions. At the end of the
examination results are send to both
student and faculty. At the same time
the result is saved for future reference.
By: Mazhar Javed
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 Step - 1

Start by placing a single process

symbol in the center of the page. The
symbol represents the entire
information system, and you identify
it as process 0

In our case System is ONLINE

EXAMINATION SYSTEM
By: Mazhar Javed
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 Context Diagram

Online
Examination
System

By: Mazhar Javed

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 Step - 2

Then place the external entities

around the perimeter of the page.

There are two entities involved in

the whole process
1- STUDENT (Taking Exam)
2- FACULTY (Creating Exam)
By: Mazhar Javed
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 Context Diagram

Online
Student Examination Faculty
System

By: Mazhar Javed

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 Step - 3
Create labeled input and output data flows between the entities
and the central system.

In our case
(For Student)
1- Student Logins to the system
2- Student is asked questions
3- Student answers the questions
4- Student is displayed his/her result
(For Faculty)
1- Faculty enters number of questions in the system
2- Faculty is told about the result of particular students who
took the exam.
(For System)
1- Save the questions entered by faculty
2- Check and save the result.
By: Mazhar Javed
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 Context Diagram

Login
Question Online Question
Student Answers Examination Faculty
Result
Result System

By: Mazhar Javed

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 Diagram 0

Diagram 0 is a diagram showing the

system itself
It pictures all the major processes
along with the external entities, data
stores and data flow.
Single top level diagram of the system
and does not describe each process
in detail.

By: Mazhar Javed

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 Building Diagram 0 for our
problem statement

Faculty Student

Enter login
Generate Process exam
and
questions Question
Validate Q

Quest results
Process Questions
Result for Process
Results Result for
Faculty
Student
By: Mazhar Javed
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 Some observations and hints

All Bubbles should be connected

At each Level there should be no
more than 5 - 7 sub bubbles
Refine only one Process Bubble at a
time
When refining the information flow:
information continuity must be
maintained
Deciding when to stop may be difficult
By: Mazhar Javed
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 When to stop decomposing

Reduced each process to a single decision or

calculation or single database operation
Data store represents data about a single entity
System user doesn’t want to see any more detail
Every data flow doesn’t need to be split further to
show the differences in data handling
Each business form or transaction, on-line
display, report is a single data flow

By: Mazhar Javed

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 How to get started building logical
DFDs

Start with a physical DFD, then get rid of all physical

references
Organize all the information in the problem by type
data (data flows, data stores, data elements)
people (sources/sink or physical)
activities (processes)
hardware/software (physical)
places (physical)
Build the decomposition diagram first to identify
activities (processes), then work on lower level
DFDs
By: Mazhar Javed
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 DFD Rule Review Checklist

All data flows should be labeled. (These are the most common
labeling omissions.)
If you can’t name a data flow, re-evaluate it’s existence -- is it really
a data flow?
External entities (or agent) are outside the system: sources or sinks
of data.
Individuals performing functions within the system are NOT entities
-- their functions are captured as processes.
If you find yourself naming a data flow a verb -- take another look --
it may be a process! Data flows should be noun clauses.
All external entities shown on sub-diagrams (Level 0+) should be
on the context level diagram.
Make certain your labels are meaningful
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