Data Flow Diagrams

Structural Analysis
⚫ Based on
⚫ Top Down decomposition approach
⚫ Divide and conquer principle
⚫ Each function is considered individually’
⚫ Decompose functions totally
⚫ Graphical representation using DFD
⚫ It shows different functions
⚫ Data interchange amongst proesses
Content
⚫ Developing Data Flow Diagrams(DFD)
⚫ a) What are DFDs?
⚫ b) Symbols used in DFD
⚫ c) Rules of data flow
⚫ d) Good style in drawing DFD
⚫ Describing systems with DFD & Levelling DFDs
⚫ Logical & Physical DFDs
 WHY DFD ?

Provides an overview of
-What data a system processes
-What transformations are performed
-What data are stored
-What results are produced and where they flow
 WHY DFD ?

- Graphical nature makes it a good communication tool

between
-User and analyst
-Analyst and System designer

-Structure of DFD allows starting from a broad overview

and expand it to a hierarchy of detailed diagrams
WHAT ARE DATA FLOW DIAGRAMS (DFD’s)
DFDs models the system by depicting
▪ External entities from which the data flows and
where results terminate
▪ Processes which transform data flows
▪ Data stores from which the data are read or into
which data are written by the processes.
 SYMBOLS USED IN DFD

PROCESS
Employee
Details 1.Pay
roll Payslip

Work
▪
days
A circle represents a process

▪ Straight lines with incoming arrows are input data flows

▪ Straight lines with outgoing arrows are output data flows

▪ Processes are given serial numbers for easy reference

▪ Labels are assigned to Data flow. These aid documentation

 SYMBOLS USED IN DFD

EXTERNAL ENTITIES

Place
Customer Employee
order Pay
slip

▪ A Rectangle represents an external entity

▪ They either supply data or receive data

▪ They do not process data

 SYMBOLS USED IN DFD

DATA STORES

Inventory Writing Reading

▪ A Data Store is a repository of data

▪ Data can be written into the data store
This is depicted by an incoming arrow
▪ Data can be read from a data store
This is depicted by an outgoing arrow
▪ External entity cannot read or write to the data store

▪ Two data stores cannot be connected by a data flow

 RULES OF DATA FLOW

• Data can flow from

-external entity to process
-process to external entity
-process to store and back
-process to process

• Data cannot flow from

-external entity to external entity
-external entity to store
-store to external entity
-store to store
A Data store DS1 Inventory
Customer

A Data DS Order Employee

store 2
 DATA FLOW DIAGRAMS

An alternate notation is often used

3 Label
A Process
Store
Issue Name

A Data store DS1 Inventory Name

Label
 GOOD STYLE IN DRAWING DFD

▪ Use meaningful names for data flows, processes and data stores.

▪ Use top down development starting from context diagram and successively
levelling DFD

▪ Only previously stored data can be read

▪ A process can only transfer input to output .It cannot create new data

▪ Data stores cannot create new data

 DESCRIBING A SYSTEM WITH A DFD

▪ An entire system is represented by one DFD which gives the

system’s overview

▪ It is called a context diagram

▪ It gives little detail & is also known as the top level DFD

▪ Context diagram of canteen management is shown

 Creating Data Flow Diagrams
Steps:

1. Create a list of activities

2. Construct Context Level DFD
(identifies external entities and processes)
3. Construct Level 0 DFD
(identifies manageable sub process )
4. Construct Level 1- n DFD
(identifies actual data flows and data stores )
5. Check against rules of DFD
DFD Naming Guidelines

⚫ External Entity 🡪 Noun

⚫ Data Flow 🡪 Names of data
⚫ Process 🡪 verb phrase
⚫ a system name
⚫ a subsystem name
⚫ Data Store 🡪 Noun
 CONTEXT DIAGRAM OF MESS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

order
Students Requisitions Vendors

Payments
Supplies
Payments
Canteen
Bills Manageme
nt Canteen
Daily rate
System secretary
Menu
Perishable
Items
Item needed
Each day
Overdue Bills

Canteen Overdue Chief warden

manager Payments
 LEVELLING DFD

▪ A context diagram gives an overview

▪ It should be split into major processes which give greater detail.

▪ Each major process is further split to give more detail.

▪ Each major process is further split to give more detail

 WHY LEVEL DFD?

▪ If a DFD is too detailed it will have too many data flows and will
be large and difficult to understand

▪ Start from a broad overview. Expand to details - Idea similar to

using procedures and linking these with a main program

▪ Each DFD must deal with one aspect of a big system

 EXPANDED DFD FOR CANTEEN MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Canteen
Students Secretary Chief Warden

Payments Update daily Unpaid

rate bills

Itemized bills 1 Items used each day

Billing
system

Order
Student billing
Expenses Information + bills

No of meals Canteen
manager
 EXPANDED DFD FOR HOSTEL MESS MANAGEMENT
•Continued
Low stock (today+2)

2 Items to be issued
Vendor supplies Stores
Vendors issue
canteen
Order Vegetables and Items used Manager
Control today
system
Menu
Vendor data
Stores
inventor
Order data canteen
y
Secretary
Vegetables order 3
Vegetab Vegetables
les
Orders orderin
(vegetables) g Vendor data
(vegetables)
 EXPANDED DFD-BILLING SYSTEM

Payments
Itemized
1.2
bills 1.3 Unpaid
Calculate Bills Chief
Student’s Reconcil bills
Canteen warden
bills e
Secretary
paymen Students data
Students ts
Extras/
data
Rebates Daily rate
1.4 1.1 average
Find no Calculat (upto date)
Of meals e
No of meals to cook Daily
rate
Expenses
Canteen data
Students Manager
data Items rate
data
 LEVELLING RULES

▪ If process p is expanded, the process at the next level are

labeled as p.1,p.2 etc.

▪ All data flow entering or leaving p must also enter or leave its
expanded version.
▪ Expanded DFD may have data stores
▪ No external entity can appear in expanded DFD
▪ Keep the number of processes at each level less than 7.
 ILLEGAL CONSTRUCTS IN DFD

▪ No loops are allowed in DFD

▪ A process cannot be a pure decision

Actual daily Actual rate > Standard

rate Compar rate
e
Standard daily Actual rate <= Standard
rate rate
▪ A single data flow should not be split into many flows with
different labels

▪ No data flow allowed between data stores

 ILLEGAL CONSTRUCTS IN DFD

Get
Record
students Calculate
extra/ Bill
rebates Ask for next
record record

Extra/rebate
store • Not correct as loop is formed
 LEVELLING EXAMPLES

Low stock item

No of meals to
be cooked
Canteen manager (today +2)
Items to be used
on

Items issued

Low message stock 2

Stores
issue
Order for items Canteen secretary
and
Menu for
control
(Today +2)
system
Vendor supplies

Order

Stores inventory Vendor

Vendor

Stores issue control system process

 LEVELLING EXAMPLES

2.1
Inventory 2.2
update Create
Canteen manager And order
Items used low stock Low stock for vendor
today warning item

Items needed
From 2.3
Vendor Stores inventory Order Vendor data
supplies
Vendor
Order to vendor

2.3
2.4
Calculate
Check Item
Items
availability
Canteen secretary needed
Items needed Low stock items
Menu
today today
No of meals to Stores
today inventory
 LEVELLING EXAMPLES

Top
Ext A Level Ext B
process

Ext A 1 2 4 Ext B

F F
1 4
3

Process Process
1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2
Ext A . . . . . .
1 2 4 1 2 3
F
1 1
.
3
3 3 3 4 4 4
. . . Ext B . . .
1 2 4 3 1 2
F
3 4
.
3
 LOGICAL AND PHYSICAL DFD

▪ DFD’S considered so far are called logical DFDs

▪ A physical DFD is similar to a document flow diagram.

▪ It specifies who does the operations specified by the logical DFD

▪ Physical DFD may depict physical movements of the goods

▪ Physical DFDs can be drawn during fact gathering phase of a life cycle
 PHYSICAL DFD FOR ENCASHING CHEQUE

Cash

Token
Clerk Cashier
Verify A/C Verify
Signature Token
Customer Cheque Update Cheque with Take
Token Balance Token number Signature

Store cheques Entry in

Day
Bad Cheque
Book
Customer
Accounts
 LOGICAL DFD FOR CHEQUE ENCASHMENT

Retrie Store
Check
ve Token
Balanc Cheque with
Custo Cheque Token no
e,
mer &
Issue
Recor chequ
token
d es
Token Slip Cheque store
Or cheque With token no.
Cheque Customer
accounts Updat
Search
e
&
Customer Daily
match
Cheque with cash
token
token book
Token Slip Day
Cash book
Example 2
Course Registration System
Example 3

Hotel Management System

Creating Data Flow Diagrams
Lemonade Stand Example
 Creating Data Flow Diagrams
Example Steps:
The operations of a simple 1. Create a list of activities
lemonade stand will be used 2. Construct Context Level DFD
to demonstrate the creation (identifies sources and sink)
of dataflow diagrams.
3. Construct Level 0 DFD
(identifies manageable sub processes )
4. Construct Level 1- n DFD
(identifies actual data flows and data stores )
 Creating Data Flow Diagrams
Example 1. Create a list of activities

Think through the activities

that take place at a
lemonade stand.
Customer Order
Serve Product
Collect Payment
Produce Product
Store Product
 Creating Data Flow Diagrams
Example 1. Create a list of activities

Also think of the additional

activities needed to support
the basic activities.
Customer Order
Serve Product
Collect Payment
Produce Product
Store Product
Order Raw Materials
Pay for Raw Materials
Pay for Labor
 Creating Data Flow Diagrams
Example 1. Create a list of activities

Group these activities in

some logical fashion,
possibly functional areas.
Customer Order
Serve Product
Collect Payment

Produce Product
Store Product

Order Raw Materials

Pay for Raw Materials

Pay for Labor

 Creating Data Flow Diagrams
Example 2. Construct Context Level DFD
(identifies sources and sink)
Create a context level
diagram identifying the Context Level DFD
sources and sinks (users).
Sales Forecast
Order 0.0
CUSTOME Lemona Production EMPLOYE
Customer Order R Product Served de Schedule E
Pay
System
Serve Product Payment Time Worked
Collect Payment Received Goods
Payment
Purchase Order
Produce Product
Store Product VENDOR

Order Raw Materials

Pay for Raw Materials

Pay for Labor

 Creating Data Flow Diagrams
Example 3. Construct Level 0 DFD
Create a level 0 diagram (identifies manageable sub processes )
identifying the logical Level 0 DFD
subsystems that may exist.
1.0
Sale
Customer Order Sales Forecast
Customer Order
Product Ordered
Serve Product
Payment
Collect Payment CUSTOME
2.0
Production EMPLOYE
Producti
R Schedule E
Product Served on
Produce Product
Received Goods Inventory
Store Product
3.0
VENDOR Procure- Order
Purchase Order
Order Raw Materials ment Decisions
Pay for Raw Materials Payment
Pay Time Worked

Pay for Labor 4.0

Payroll
 Creating Data Flow Diagrams
Example 4. Construct Level 1- n DFD
Create a level 1 (identifies actual data flows and data stores )
decomposing the processes Level 1 DFD
in level 0 and identifying CUSTOME
data stores. R
Customer Order
Request for
Customer Order ORDER Forecast
1.1
Serve Product Record
Collect Payment Order
1.3
Produce
Severed Order Sales
Produce Product Payment Forecast
Sales Forecast
Store Product 1.2
Receiv
e PAYMENT
Payme
Order Raw Materials nt
Pay for Raw Materials
1.0
Pay for Labor Sale
 Creating Data Flow Diagrams
Example 4. Construct Level 1 (continued)
Create a level 1
decomposing the processes Level 1 DFD
in level 0 and identifying
Product Order
data stores.
ORDER
Customer Order 2.1
Quantity
Serve
Serve Product Product Severed
Collect Payment RAW
Production
MATERIALS
Schedule
Produce Product 2.2
Produc
Store Product Quantity Used
e
Product
INVENTOR
Order Raw Materials Production TY

Pay for Raw Materials Data

2.0 2.3 Quantity Produced
Productio Store & Location Stored
Pay for Labor n Product
 Creating Data Flow Diagrams
Example 4. Construct Level 1 (continued)
Create a level 1
decomposing the processes Level 1 DFD
in level 0 and identifying Order Decision
PURCHASE
data stores. 3.1 ORDER
Produce
Purchase
Customer Order Order Quantity On-Hand
Serve Product Quantity
RAW
MATERIALS
Collect Payment Received Received
Goods
3.2
Produce Product Receive
Items
Store Product RECEIVED
ITEMS
Payment Approval
Order Raw Materials
VENDOR
Pay for Raw Materials 3.3
Pay
3.0 Vendor
Pay for Labor Procure-
ment
Payment
 Creating Data Flow Diagrams
Example 4. Construct Level 1 (continued)
Create a level 1
decomposing the processes Level 1 DFD
in level 0 and identifying Time Worked
TIME
data stores. 4.1
Record CARDS
Time
Customer Order Worke Employee ID
d
Serve Product EMPLOYEE
Collect Payment
Payroll Request
4.2 Unpaid time
Produce Product Calcula
te
cards
Store Product Payroll PAYROLL

Payment Approval
Order Raw Materials
4.3
Pay for Raw Materials Pay
Employe
e PAYMENTS
Pay for Labor 4.0
Payroll
Payment
 Process Decomposition
1.2
1.1
1.0 Receive
Record
Sale Payme
Order
nt

2.2
2.0 2.1 2.3
Produc
Product Serve Store
e
ion Product Product
Product
0.0
Lemona
de 3.1
System Produc
3.0 3.2 3.3
e
Procure- Receive Pay
Purcha
ment Items Vendor
se
Order

4.1 4.2 4.3

4.0 Record Calculat Pay
Payroll Time e Employ
Worked Payroll ee

Context Level Level 0 Level 1

Exercise:
Bus Garage Repairs
 DFD Example: Bus Garage Repairs

⚫ Buses come to a garage for repairs.

⚫ A mechanic and helper perform the repair, record the
reason for the repair and record the total cost of all
parts used on a Shop Repair Order.
⚫ Information on labor, parts and repair outcome is
used for billing by the Accounting Department, parts
monitoring by the inventory management computer
system and a performance review by the supervisor.
DFD Example: Bus Garage Repairs
⚫ External Entities: Bus, Mechanic, Helper,
Supervisor, Inventory Management System,
Accounting Department, etc.
⚫ Key process (“the system”): performing repairs and
storing information related to repairs
⚫ Processes:
⚫ Record Bus ID and reason for repair
⚫ Determine parts needed
⚫ Perform repair
⚫ Calculate parts extended and total cost
⚫ Record labor hours, cost
DFD Example: Bus Garage Repairs
(cont’d)
⚫ Data stores:
⚫ Personnel file
⚫ Repairs file
⚫ Bus master list
⚫ Parts list
⚫ Data flows:
⚫ Repair order
⚫ Bus record
⚫ Parts record
⚫ Employee timecard
⚫ Invoices
 Bus Garage Context Diagram
Bus

Mechanical Fixed
problem mechanical
to be repaired problems

Repair Supervisor
Helper Labo Bus summary
r Repair
Process List of
System parts used Inventory
Labo Management
r Labor, System
parts cost
details
Mechanic

Accounting
Example 3

Customer Support System

 Subsystems and Events

56
 Context Diagram for
Customer Support System

57
 Content

⚫A Library Membership automation

Software (LMS) should support the
following three options:
⚫New member,
⚫Renewal,
⚫Cancel membership.

58
 Example: LMS
⚫When the new member option is
selected,
⚫The software asks details about the
member:
⚫Name,
⚫Address,
⚫Phone number, etc.

59
 Decision Tree
- Get details
- Create record
- Print bills
New member

- Get Details
User Renewal - Update record
input - Print bills
Cancel
- Get Details
- Print Cheque
- Delete record
Invalid option

- Print error message

60
Exercise
⚫ Draw DFD for your project