Data Flow Diagram (DFD)

Data Flow
Diagram
(DFD)
Logical model verses
Physical model
 A Logical model shows what the system must
do , regardless of how it will be accomplished
physically. This model is also called a Business
Model, which is to solve a business problem
and meet the needs of the managers and users
 A Physical model, which is done in the design
phase, describes how the system will function,
including hardware, software, data storage and
other operational details
What is the Data Flow
Diagram?
A data flow diagram (DFD) shows
how data moves through an
information system. DFDs
represent a logical model that
shows what the system does, not
how it does it.
The Data Flow Diagram
Symbols
 The Data flow diagrams are drawn
using four basic symbols and they are
as follows:
 Processes
 Data flows
 Data stores
 External entities
DFD Symbols
GANE AND SARSON SYMBOL NAME YOURDON
APPLY
PAYMENT
APPLY
PAYMENT PROCESS
BANK DEPOSIT
BANK DEPOSIT
DATA FLOW
STUDENTS DATA STORE STUDENTS
CUSTOMER
CUSTOMER EXTERNAL ENTITY CUSTOMER
APPLY
PAYMENT
The Process Symbol
A process receives input data and
produces output that has a different
content or form or both. For instance,
the process for calculating pay uses
two inputs (pay rate and hours
worked) to produce one output (total
cost) Processes can be very simple
or complex.
BANK DEPOSIT
The Data Flow Symbol
 A data flow is a path for data to move
from one part of the information system
to another. A data flow in a DFD
represents one or more pieces data. For
example, a data flow could represent a
single data item such as a ‘student ID
number’ or a data flow could represent a
set of data, such as a class rooster with
student ID numbers and name for a
specific class.
STUDENTS
The Data Store Symbol

 A data store , or data repository, is used
in a data flow diagram to represent a
situation when the system must retain data
because one or more processes need to
use stored data at a later time. For
instance, instructors need to store student
scores on tests and assignments during
the semester so they can assign final
grades at the end of the term.
CUSTOMER
The External Entities

CUSTOMER
 An external entity is a person, department,

outside organization, or other information
system that provides data to the system or
receives output from the system. External
entities show the boundaries of the information
system and how the information system
interacts with the outside world. For example,
a customer submitting an order is an external
entity because the customer supplies data to
the system.
The External Entities (cont’d)
 Other examples of external entities
include:
 patient who supplies medical data
 a homeowner who receives a property tax
bill
 A warehouse that supplies a list of items in
stock
 An accounts payable system that receives
data from the company’s purchasing
system.
Rules of DFD
 Incorrect
usage of data
flow and
process
symbols
Rules of DFD (cont’d)
 Correct
combination
of data flow
and process
symbol
 Examples of
incorrect uses of
data store symbols:
two data stores
cannot be
connected by a data
flow without an
intervening process,
and each data store
should have an
outgoing and
incoming data flow.
 Correct usage of
data store symbols:
 Examples of
incorrect uses of
external entity
symbols: An
external entity must
be connected by a
data flow to a
process, and not
directly to a data
store or to another
external entity.
 Examples of
correct uses
of external
entities in a
data flow
diagram
What is wrong with this DFD? in
related rules we have discussed
What is a Context
Diagram?
A Context Diagram is a data
flow diagram that shows the
boundaries or scope of the
particular system. The context
diagram is a top-level view of
the information system.
How to draw the Context
Diagram?
 To draw a context diagram, you place
one process symbol representing the
entire information system in the center
of the page. Then you draw all the
external entities around the perimeter of
the page and use data flows to connect
the entities properly to central process.
You do not show any data stores in a
context diagram because data stores
are internal to the system.
Context diagram DFD for the
order system
Context diagram DFD for the
GRADING SYSTEM
Context diagram and diagram 0
for the grading system
END

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Data Flow

STUDENTS DATA STORE STUDENTS

The Data Store Symbol

The External Entities

 An external entity is a person, department,

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