Systems Analysis & Design

Tenth Edition

Chapter 7
Using Data Flow
Diagrams

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Learning Objectives (1 of 2)

•Comprehend the importance of using logical and

physical data flow diagrams (DFDs) to
graphically depict movement for humans and
systems in an organization
•Create, use, and explode logical DFDs to capture
and analyze the current system through parent
and child levels
•Develop and explode logical DFDs that illustrate
the proposed system

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Learning Objectives (2 of 2)

•Produce physical DFDs based on logical DFDs

you have developed
•Understand and apply the concept of partitioning
of physical DFDs

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Data Flow Diagrams

•Graphically characterize data processes and

flows in a business system
•Depict:
–System inputs
–Processes
–Outputs

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Major Topics

•Data flow diagram symbols

•Data flow diagram levels
•Creating data flow diagrams
•Physical and logical data flow diagrams
•Partitioning
•Communicating using data flow diagrams

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Advantages of the Data Flow
Approach
•Freedom from committing to the technical
implementation too early
•Understanding of the interrelatedness of systems
and subsystems
•Analysis of the proposed system

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Basic Symbols

•A double square for an external entity

•An arrow for movement of data from one point to
another
•A rectangle with rounded corners for the
occurrence of a transforming process
•An open-ended rectangle for a data store

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Figure 7.1 The Four Basic Symbols Used in Data
Flow Diagrams, Their Meanings, and Examples

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External Entities

•Represent another department, a business, a

person, or a machine
•A source or destination of data, outside the
boundaries of the system
•Should be named with a noun

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Data Flow

•Shows movement of data from one point to

another
•Described with a noun
•Arrowhead indicates the flow direction
•Represents data about a person, place, or thing

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Process

•Denotes a change in or transformation of data

•Represents work being performed in the system
•Naming convention:
–Assign the name of the whole system when naming a
high-level process
–To name a major subsystem attach the word
subsystem to the name
–Use the form verb-adjective-noun for detailed
processes

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Data Store

•A depository for data that allows examination,

addition, and retrieval of data
•Named with a noun, describing the data
•Data stores are usually given a unique reference
number, such as D1, D2, D3
• Represents a:
–Database
–Computerized file
–Filing cabinet

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Figure 7.2 Steps in Developing Data Flow
Diagrams

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Creating the Context Diagram

•The highest level in a data flow diagram

•Contains only one process, representing the
entire system
•The process is given the number 0
•All external entities, as well as major data flows
are shown

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Basic Rules

•The data flow diagram must have one process

•A process must have both an input and output
data flow
•A data store must be connected to at least one
process
•External entities should not be connected to one
another

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Figure 7.3 Context Diagram

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Drawing Diagram 0

•The explosion of the context diagram

•May include up to nine processes
•Each process is numbered
•Major data stores and all external entities are
included

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Drawing Diagram 0 (continued)

•Start with the data flow from an entity on the

input side
•Work backward from an output data flow
•Examine the data flow to or from a data store
•Analyze a well-defined process
•Take note of any fuzzy areas

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Figure 7.3 Note Greater Detail in
Diagram 0

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Data Flow Diagram Levels

•Data flow diagrams are built in layers

•The top level is the context level
•Each process may explode to a lower level
•The lower level diagram number is the same as
the parent process number
•Processes that do not create a child diagram are
called primitive

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Creating Child Diagrams

•Each process on diagram 0 may be exploded

to create a child diagram
•A child diagram cannot produce output or
receive input that the parent process does not
also produce or receive
•The child process is given the same number
as the parent process
–Process 3 would explode to Diagram 3

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Creating Child Diagrams
(continued)
•Entities are usually not shown on the child
diagrams below Diagram 0
•If the parent process has data flow connecting to
a data store, the child diagram may include the
data store as well
•When a process is not exploded, it is called a
primitive process

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Figure 7.4 Differences between the Parent Diagram
(above) and the Child Diagram (below)

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Data Flow Diagrams Error
Summary
•Forgetting to include a data flow or pointing an
arrow in the wrong direction
•Connecting data stores and external entities
directly to each other
•Incorrectly labeling processes or data flow

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Data Flow Diagrams Error
Summary (continued)
•Including more than nine processes on a data
flow diagram
•Omitting data flow
•Creating unbalanced decomposition (or
explosion) in child diagrams

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Figure 7.5 Checking the Diagrams
for Errors
•Forgetting to include a data flow or pointing an
arrow in the wrong direction

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continued Figure 7.5 Checking the
Diagrams for Errors

•Connecting data stores and external entities

directly to each other

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continued Figure 7.5 Typical Errors that
Can Occur in a Data Flow Diagram

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Logical and Physical Data Flow
Diagrams
•Logical
–Focuses on the business and how the business
operates
–Not concerned with how the system will be
constructed
–Describes the business events that take place and
the data required and produced by each event

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Logical and Physical Data Flow
Diagrams
•Physical
–Shows how the system will be implemented
–Depicts the system

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Figure 7.7 Features Common of Logical and
Physical Data Flow Diagrams

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Figure 7.8 The Progression of Models from Logical
to Physical

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Figure 7.9 Logical Data Flow
Diagram Example

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Figure 7.9 Physical Data Flow
Diagram Example

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Developing Logical Data Flow
Diagrams
•Better communication with users
•More stable systems
•Better understanding of the business by analysts
•Flexibility and maintenance
•Elimination of redundancy and easier creation of
the physical model

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Developing Physical Data Flow
Diagrams
•Clarifying which processes are performed by
humans and which are automated
•Describing processes in more detail
•Sequencing processes that have to be done in a
particular order
•Identifying temporary data stores
•Specifying actual names of files and printouts
•Adding controls to ensure the processes are
done properly
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Figure 7.10 Physical Data Flow Diagrams Contain
Many Items Not Found in Logical Data Flow
Diagrams

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CRUD Matrix

•The acronym CRUD is often used for

–Create
–Read
–Update
–Delete
•These are the activities that must be present in a
system for each master file
•A CRUD matrix is a tool to represent where each
of these processes occurs in a system

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Figure 7.11 CRUD Matrix

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Event Modeling and Data Flow
Diagrams
•An input flow from an external entity is
sometimes called a trigger because it starts the
activities of a process
•Events cause the system to do something and
act as a trigger to the system
•An approach to creating physical data flow
diagrams is to create a data flow diagram
fragment for each unique system event

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Event Response Tables

•An event table is used to create a data flow

diagram by analyzing each event and the data
used and produced by the event
•Every row in an event table represents a data
flow diagram fragment and is used to create a
single process on a data flow diagram

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Figure 7.12 An Event Response Table for an
Internet Storefront

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Figure 7.13 Data Flow Diagrams for the First Three Rows
of the Internet Storefront Event Response Table

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Use Cases and Data Flow
Diagrams
•Each use case defines one activity and its
trigger, input, and output
•Allows the analyst to work with users to
understand the nature of the processes and
activities and then create a single data flow
diagram fragment

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Partitioning Data Flow Diagrams

•Partitioning is the process of examining a data

flow diagram and determining how it should be
divided into collections of manual procedures
and computer programs
•A dashed line is drawn around a process or
group of processes that should be placed in a
single computer program

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Reasons for Partitioning

•Different user groups

•Timing
•Similar tasks
•Efficiency
•Consistency of data
•Security

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Partitioning Websites

•Improves the way humans use the site

•Improves speed of processing
•Ease of maintaining the site
•Keep the transaction secure

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Communicating Using
Data Flow Diagrams
•Use unexploded data flow diagrams early
when ascertaining information requirements
•Meaningful labels for all data components

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Summary

•Data flow diagrams

–Structured analysis and design tools that allow
the analyst to comprehend the system and
subsystems visually as a set of interrelated data
flows
•DFD symbols
–Rounded rectangle
–Double square
–An arrow
–Open-ended rectangle

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Summary (continued)

•Creating the logical DFD

–Context-level data flow diagram
–Level 0 logical data flow diagram
–Child diagrams
•Creating the physical DFD
–Create from the logical data flow diagram
–Partitioned to facilitate programming

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Summary (continued)

•Partitioning data flow diagrams

–Whether processes are performed by different
user groups
–Processes execute at the same time
–Processes perform similar tasks
–Batch processes can be combined for efficiency
of data
–Processes may be partitioned into different
programs for security reasons

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Copyright

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