Objective: Creating Data Flow Diagram

Software Engineering Lab # 03
LAB # 03
Objective
Creating Data Flow Diagram
A data flow diagram (DFD) maps out the flow of information for any process or system. A data
flow diagram explains business processes and activities in a clear, concise way by illustrating
how data flows through the system from one process to another. It is a structured, diagrammatic
technique representing external entities, logical storage, data sinks and data flows in the system.
A Data Flow Diagram (DFD) is a diagrammatic representation of the information flows within a
system, showing:
 how information enters and leaves the system,
 what changes the information,
 Where information is stored.
DFD’s SYMBOLS
1. External entity: an outside system that sends or receives data, communicating with the
system being diagrammed. They are the sources and destinations of information entering
or leaving the system. They might be an outside organization or person, a computer
system or a business system. They are also known as terminators, sources and sinks or
actors. They are typically drawn on the edges of the diagram.
Data must always originate somewhere and must always be sent to something e.g., a
person, a device, a sensor, computer-based system
2. Process- A data transformer (changes input to output): any process that changes the
data, producing an output. It might perform computations, or sort data based on logic, or
direct the data flow based on business rules. A short label is used to describe the process,
such as “Submit payment.”
Data must always be processed in some way to achieve system function e.g., compute taxes,
determine area, format report, display graph
 Enter customer details
 Register new students
 Validate sales orders.
3. Data store: files or repositories that hold information for later use, such as a database
table or a membership form. Each data store receives a simple label, such as “Orders.”
A data store represents the storage of persistent data required and/or produced by the
process.
4. Data flow: the route that data takes between the external entities, processes and data
stores. It portrays the interface between the other components and is shown with arrows,
typically labeled with a short data name, like “Billing details.”
A data flow represents the flow of information, with its direction represented by an arrow
head that shows at the end(s) of flow connector.
Each DFD may show a number of processes with data flowing into and out of each process. If
there is a need to show more detail within a particular process, the process is decomposed into a
number of smaller processes in a lower level DFD. In this way, the Content Diagram or Context-
Level DFD is labeled a “Level-0 DFD” while the next level of decomposition is labeled a
“Level-1 DFD”, the next is labeled a “Level-2 DFD”, and so on
DFD RULES AND TIPS

 Each process should have at least one input and an output.
 Each data store should have at least one data flow in and one data flow out.
 Data stored in a system must go through a process.
 All processes in a DFD go to another process or a data store.
 Data stored in a system must go through a process.
LEVELS OF DFD
Context Level DFD’s (Level- zero)

A context level DFD is the most basic form
of DFD. It aims to show how the entire
system works at a glance. There is only one
process in the system and 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.
Level 1 DFD
Level 1 DFD’s aim to give an overview of the
full system. They look at the system in more
detail. Major processes are broken down into
sub-processes. Level 1 DFD’s also indentifies
data stores that are used by the major
processes. When constructing a Level 1 DFD,
we must start by examining the Context Level
DFD. We must break up the single process into
its sub-processes. We must then pick out the
data stores from the text we are given and
include them in our DFD.
METHOD
1. On the File menu, point to New, point to Business or Flowchart, and then click Data Flow
Diagram.
2. From Data Flow Diagram Shapes, drag an External interactor shape onto the drawing
page to represent each external source or destination for data.
3. Drag more shapes onto the page to represent the processes, states, or entities involved in the
data flow you are documenting.
4. Indicate the flow of data in your diagram with Center to center shapes and indicate data
loops using Loop on center shapes.
Example-1
Quiz Software
Example-2
Context Diagram: A high-level DFD that views the entire system as a function
Examples of how DFDs can be used

Data flow diagrams are well suited for analysis or modeling of various types of systems
in different fields.
DFD in software engineering: This is where data flow diagrams got their main start in
the 1970s. DFDs can provide a focused approached to technical development, in which
more research is done up front to get to coding.
DFD in business analysis: Business analysts use DFDs to analyze existing systems and
find efficiencies. Diagramming the process can uncover steps that might otherwise be
missed or not fully understood.
DFD in business process re-engineering: DFDs can be used to model a better, more
efficient flow of data through a business process. BPR was pioneered in the 1990s to help
organizations cut operational costs, improve customer service and better compete in the
market.
DFD in agile development: DFDs can be used to visualize and understand business and
technical requirements and plan the next steps. They can be a simple yet powerful tool for
communication and collaboration to focus rapid development.
DFD in system structures: Any system or process can be analyzed in progressive detail
to improve it, on both a technical and non-technical basis.
Task
1. ATM Machine working (cash withdrawal, amount transfer, bill payment, balance
checking)
2. Book issue process (level 0, level1)
3. Admission process in university
4. DFD for Airline Reservation System. (level 0,level1)
5. Data Flow Diagram (Context,Level-1)of assigned Project

Objective: Creating Data Flow Diagram

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Software Engineering Lab # 03

DFD RULES AND TIPS

Context Level DFD’s (Level- zero)

Examples of how DFDs can be used

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