Data Flow Diagrams

Recap
• Collaboration Diagram Semantics
– objects and messages
– static representation of messages which could be sent
– sequence of messages indicated
• Collaboration Diagram Notation
– rectangles for objects
• Object signature: name : Class
– messages with arrows
• Message signature
– [ guard] sequence number : result := messageName(int)
• Collaboration Diagram Issues
– multiplicity
– when to use
 Contents
• Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs)
– When
– Where
– Why
– Notations/Elements
– Examples
 What is a Data Flow Diagram?
• Known as DFDs
• A way to model a real world situation
• They are the interface between the real world
activities and an understanding of how this can be
converted into a computer system.
 Why do we use DFDs?
• It is a way of taking the physical view and
converting it into a logical view.
• The physical view - all documents involved
• The logical view - the data they contain
• Their main purpose is to communicate with the
user, the analyst’s understanding of the scope of
the required system
 Where do they fit in?
• Life Cycle Phases • Analysis (What do we do?)
• Planning – Fact finding
• investigate business process
• Feasibility Study and the current system
• Analysis – modelling the current and
• Design required systems
– deliverables -
• Code and Unit test • requirements specification
• logical models of the required
system
 Data Flow Diagrams (DFD)
• DFDs describe the flow of data or
information into and out of a system
– what does the system do to the data?
• A DFD is a graphic representation of the
flow of data or information through a
system
 Decomposition and Abstraction
• Decomposition - Divide and subdivide into
manageable size problems
• Abstraction - Concentrate on the important issues
and ignore the irrelevant
 4 Main Elements
• external entity - people or organisations that
send data into the system or receive data from the
system
• process - models what happens to the data i.e.
transforms incoming data into outgoing data
• data store - represents permanent data that is used
by the system
• data flow - models the actual flow of the data
between the other elements
 Outside Entity
Is anything outside the system that is of interest to
the system. Can be a person, a company or
another system.

Customer
a

Outside entity shows the Name and a

lowercase alpha character is used to Customer
uniquely identify it. a

If an outside entity is repeated

for the purpose of neat layout a
line is added across the top.
 Data Flow
Is shown by a line with an arrowhead, indicating the
direction of the flow of data. Each data flow
should be named to indicate what data is being
passed. Nouns or adjectives only no verbs are
permitted.
 The Levels
• Context - Overview - contains only one process
• Level 1 - Utilises all four elements
• Level 2 - A breakdown of a level 1 process
• Level 3 - A breakdown of a level 2 process
• There is no rule as to how many levels of DFD
that can be used.
 Rules
Sequence not important - getting the Process correct is
• Context or Level 0 - Identifies the system/
boundary/External Links
• Level 1 - Overview of function
• Level 2 - Breakdown to Understand
– Hard to know where to stop
– Rule of Thumb
– If there are more than 8 data flows break it
– Process of Identifying major Processes
 The Procedure for Constructing
DFD’s
• Draw a document flow diagram of the current
situation
• Draw a systems boundary around the agencies that
are part of the system
• Draw a Context Diagram
• Identify processes in the system
• Complete the level 1 Current Physical DFD
 Notation
Data Flow
• Data Flow
Process box
• Process
External
Entity
• External Entity

• Data Store D Data Store

 Level 0 - Context Diagram
• models system as one process box which
represents scope of the system
• identifies external entities and related inputs
and outputs
• Additional notation - system box

External Data flow out System box

entity
Data flow in
 Level 1 - overview diagram
• gives overview of full system
• identifies major processes and data flows
between them
• identifies data stores that are used by the
major processes
• boundary of level 1 is the context diagram
 Level 2 - detailed diagram
• level 1 process is expanded into more detail
• each process in level 1 is decomposed to
show its constituent processes
• boundary of level 2 is the level 1 process
 Other Notation
• Duplicates marked by diagonal line in corner
• System Boundary
• Elementary Processes - star in corner
• Process that is levelled - dots on top
 Rules for DFDs
• Numbering
• Labelling
• Balancing

5
 Numbering
• On level 1 processes are numbered 1,2,3…
• On level 2 processes are numbered x.1, x.2,
x.3… where x is the number of the parent
level 1 process
• Number is used to uniquely identify process
not to represent any order of processing
• Data store numbers usually D1, D2, D3...
 Labelling
• Process label - short description of what the
process does, e.G. Price order
• Data flow label - noun representing the data
flowing through it e.G. Customer payment
• Data store label - describes the type of data
stored
• Make labels as meaningful as possible
 Balancing and data stores
• Balancing
– any data flows entering or leaving a parent
level must by equivalent to those on the child
level
• Data stores
– data stores that are local to a process need not
be included until the process is expanded
 Conventions
• Balancing
• Process at lower level should have identical data
flows if they flow out of a process
• Modelling Data Stores
• Only use DATA STORES used within this process on
the diagram
• Numbering
• 1 - 1.1 - 1.1.1
• 1.2 - 1.2.1
• Labels
• Should carry as much meaning as possible
 Data Flows
• Allowed to combine several data flows
from lower level diagrams at a higher level
under one data flow to reduce clutter
• Flows should be labelled except when data
to or from a data store consists of all items
in the data store
 Identifying operations
• The SafeHome security function enables the homeowner to configure the security system
when it is installed, monitors all sensors connected to the security system, and interacts
with the homeowner through the Internet, a PC, or a control panel.
• During installation, the SafeHome PC is used to program and configure the system. Each
sensor is assigned a number and type, a master password is programmed for arming and
disarming the system, and telephone number(s) are input for dialing when a sensor event
occurs.
• When a sensor event is recognized, the software invokes an audible alarm attached to the
system. After a delay time that is specified by the homeowner during system
configuration activities, the software dials a telephone number of a monitoring service,
provides information about the location, reporting the nature of the event that has been
detected. The telephone number will be redialed every 20 seconds until a telephone
connection is obtained.
• The homeowner receives security information via a control panel, the PC, or a browser,
collectively called an interface. The interface displays prompting messages and system
status information on the control panel, the PC, or the browser window. Homeowner
interaction takes the following form…
 Context Diagram
• Find the people who send data into the system
– Often data is part of a PHYSICAL transaction
– When handing a bar of chocolate to a shopkeeper, you
are handing him/her a barcode.
• Find the people who get data out of the system.
– The only data you need is data that is transformed or
sent completely out of the system – not data that is
handled by an operator within the system.
 Data Flow Diagram

Context-level DFD for SafeHome security function

 Summary
• Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs)
– When
– Where
– Why
– Notations/Elements
– Safe Home example (Context DFD)
 Identifying operations
• The SafeHome security function enables the homeowner to configure the security system
when it is installed, monitors all sensors connected to the security system, and interacts
with the homeowner through the Internet, a PC, or a control panel.
• During installation, the SafeHome PC is used to program and configure the system. Each
sensor is assigned a number and type, a master password is programmed for arming and
disarming the system, and telephone number(s) are input for dialing when a sensor event
occurs.
• When a sensor event is recognized, the software invokes an audible alarm attached to the
system. After a delay time that is specified by the homeowner during system
configuration activities, the software dials a telephone number of a monitoring service,
provides information about the location, reporting the nature of the event that has been
detected. The telephone number will be redialed every 20 seconds until a telephone
connection is obtained.
• The homeowner receives security information via a control panel, the PC, or a browser,
collectively called an interface. The interface displays prompting messages and system
status information on the control panel, the PC, or the browser window. Homeowner
interaction takes the following form…
 Verbs from the description
• The SafeHome security function enables the homeowner to configure the security system
when it is installed, monitors all sensors connected to the security system, and interacts
with the homeowner through the Internet, a PC, or a control panel.
• During installation, the SafeHome PC is used to program and configure the system. Each
sensor is assigned a number and type, a master password is programmed for arming and
disarming the system, and telephone number(s) are input for dialing when a sensor event
occurs.
• When a sensor event is recognized, the software invokes an audible alarm attached to the
system. After a delay time that is specified by the homeowner during system
configuration activities, the software dials a telephone number of a monitoring service,
provides information about the location, reporting the nature of the event that has been
detected. The telephone number will be redialed every 20 seconds until a telephone
connection is obtained.
• The homeowner receives security information via a control panel, the PC, or a browser,
collectively called an interface. The interface displays prompting messages and system
status information on the control panel, the PC, or the browser window. Homeowner
interaction takes the following form…
Level 2 DFD that refines the monitor sensors process