Data Flow Modelling

Lecture 4
Introduction to DFDs
What is a Data Flow Model
?
What is a Data Flow Diagram ?
 A means of documenting the flow of
data through a system.

 It is a graphical technique which helps:

 Provide the analyst in the development with an
understanding of the system.
 Convey the analyst’s ideas to others.
Introduction to DFD’s
•A DFD is a diagrammatic representation of the
information flows within a system showing:
How the information enters and leaves the system;
What changes the information;
Where information is stored.

•Data Flow Diagrams are an important technique for

systems analysis inside SSADM.
What does a DFD give us ?
 Boundary definition

 Checking the completeness of

analysis

 Basis of system design

 What do they represent ?

information
Organisation

Data Data information

 Components

Data flows
External
entities
Processes

Data flows

Data Data External

store store entities
 External Entities
An External Entity is whatever or whoever donates
information to the system or receives information from it.

Represented on a Data Flow Diagram as an Oval

containing the name and an identifier. The convention is
that the identifier is a lower-case letter.

An external entity may be a user of the system, an

external organisation, a computer system, or any other
source or recipient of information.
Example - External Entity

Customer
 A Process

A process transforms or manipulates data

within the system. Processes are
represented by rectangles on a Data Flow
Diagram.

Each process box contains the name of

the process, an identifier, and possibly a
location.
Process Boxes
 The process name describes the
process performed on the data received
by the process.
 Process identifiers are numerical.
 The location of the process is used to
denote either -
 The place where the process is performed
 Or the member of staff responsible for
performing the process.
 Process Box
Components
Location

Identifier 1 Manager

Process New
Name Customer
Data Stores

A data store is where information is held within the

system.

A data store is represented on a DFD by an open-

ended box.

D1 Student Details
 DataStore Components

Identifier D1 Student Details

Description of Data Store

 Every Data Store Identifier is unique –

 “M” denotes a Manual data store

 “D” denotes an Electronic data store

 “T” denotes a Transient data store

Data Flows

 A package of information flowing between objects

on the Data Flow Diagram.

 Represented by a line and an arrow to denote the

direction of the information flow.

 Labeled with the name or details of the

information represented by the data flow.
Example - Data Flows
A 1 Manager
Customer
Customer Name Process New
Customer

Customer
Name

D1 Customer
Details
External entity ➨ Data
store

A
Customer

D1 Student Details
Data store ➨ Data
store

D1 Student Details

D3 Course Details
Drawing Data Flow
Diagrams
 Identify
 main inputs & outputs
 processes
 data flows

 Draw Data Flow Diagram

 associate data stores
 internal data flows
Example
A 1 Academic
Student
Student Details Process New
Student

Student
Details
D1 Student
Details
 Checking Data Flow Diagrams
?

 Every process must have at least one data

flow coming from it and one data flow flowing
into it.

 Every external entity and data-store must

have at least one data flow either coming
from it, or flowing into it.

 For every data flow either its source is a

process or its sink is a process.
Correct Processes ?
1 Manager
Register WRONG
New Customer
*

1 Manager
Register
New Customer
CORRECT
*

1 Manager
Register
New Customer
WRONG
*
 Data Store and External Entity
Duplication

 It is sometimes necessary to show that

certain Data Stores and External Entities are
duplicated on the Data Flow Diagram.

d M1 Order File
Customer
Example - Library DFD
1
N e w lib ra r y
J o in D 1 M em b e r
m e m b e r d e ta ils
L ib ra r y
*

M e m b e r u p d a te d w ith
N e w lib ra ry b o r r o w e d b o o k d e t a ils
m em b e r

a 2
B o o k d e ta ils
B o o k b o rro w e d B o rro w D 2 B o o k
P e rs o n u p d a te d a s b o rro w e d
B o o k
*

B o o k re tu rn e d B o o k d e ta ils u p d a t-
e d a s a v a ila b le

3
M e m b e r d e ta ils
B o o k D 1 M em b e r
u p d a te d
R e tu rn e d
*
Example - Amended DFD
1
N e w lib r a r y
J o in D 1 M e m b e r
m e m b e r d e ta ils
L ib r a r y
*

M e m b e r u p d a te d w ith
N e w lib r a r y b o rr o w e d b o o k d e ta ils
m em b e r

a 2
B o o k d e ta ils
B o o k b o rro w e d B o rro w D 2 B o o k
P e rs o n u p d a te d a s b o rro w e d
B o o k
*

B o o k re tu rn e d B o o k d e ta ils u p d a t-
e d a s a v a ila b le

3
R e m in d e r le tte r M e m b e r d e ta ils
B o o k D 1 M e m b e r
u p d a te d
R e tu rn e d
*

O v e rd u e b o o k
d e ta ils

R e m in d e r
*
 1
N e w lib ra r y
J o in D 1 M em b er
m e m b e r d e ta ils
L ib r a r y
*

M e m b e r u p d a te d w ith
N e w lib ra ry b o r r o w e d b o o k d e ta ils
m em b er

a 2
B o o k d e ta ils
B o o k b o rro w e d B o rro w D 2 B oo k
P e rs o n u p d a te d a s b o rro w e d
B oo k
*

B o o k re tu rn e d B o o k d e ta ils u p d a t-
e d a s a v a ila b le

3
R e m in d e r le tte r M e m b e r d e ta ils
B oo k D 1 M em b er
u p d a te d
R e tu rn e d
*

O v e rd u e b o o k
d e ta ils

R e m in d e r
*

b 5
N ew bo ok
N e w b oo k N e w B oo k D 2 B oo k
P u b lis h e r d e ta ils
r e c e iv e d
*
Example - Water Heater
 A small system is used to process temperatures
from a water heater. The temperature is read
and passed to the system. If the temperature
is outside the stored safety limits then an alarm
will sound.
 Draw the external entities on the Heater
system DFD below.

6
C he ck te m p e ra tu re T e m p e ra tu re
D 1
te m p e ra tu re lim it s lim its
r e a d in g
*
Amended DFD

g 6
temperature Check temperature Temperature
Temperature D1
reading temperature limits limits
reader
reading
*

sound alarm

Alarm
Example - Supermarket
DFD
 A supermarket uses point of sale bar code
scanners at their checkout tills. The bar
code on the product is scanned and is then
checked to see if it is valid. If it is a valid
bar code then the stock database is
updated and an entry for that product is
printed on the till receipt. If it is an invalid
bar code then an alarm will sound on the
checkout till and the operator will need to
deal with the problem.
 Draw the processes on the Supermarket
Data Flow Diagram below.
Supermarket DFD
c
B a r
co d e P ro d u c t
D 1
sca n ne r s to c k

A la r m

R e c e ip t
Amended DFD
product details

c 4
Validate
Bar updated product Product
Bar code scanned D1
code details stock
bar
scanner
code *
invalid - sound
valid product alarm
d
details

Alarm
5
Print product
details
on receipt
* product details e

Receipt
DFD Summary
 Identify the components of a Data
Flow diagram

 Understand their usage

 Make amendments to existing

Data Flow diagrams