Chapter 4

Contents
• Software design Methodologies
• Data Flow Diagram

• Data Dictionary

• Decision Trees

• Decision Tables
Software Design Methodologies- Structural Analysis
ØStructural Analysis
• Performed prior to the design stage, and it provides the internal
forces and stresses that will be evaluated during the design and code
checking
• It uses graphical diagrams to develop and portray system
specifications that are easily understood by users.
• It also helps to describe the steps that need to occur and the data
required to meet the design function of a particular software.
• mainly focuses on logical systems and functions, and aims to
convert business requirements into computer programs and
hardware specifications.
• During structure analysis high-level functions are successfully
decomposed into more detailed functions.
…Software Design Methodologies- Structural Analysis
There are three orthogonal views related to structured analysis:
• Functional View: This involves data flow diagrams, which define the
work that has been done and the flow of data between things done,
thereby providing the primary structure of a solution.
• Data View: This comprises the entity relationship diagram and is
concerned with what exists outside the system that is being monitored.
• Dynamic View: This includes state transition diagrams and defines
when things happen and the conditions under which they may happen.
…Software Design Methodologies- Structural Analysis
• During Structured Analysis, various techniques and tools are
used for system development. These are:
• Data Dictionary
• Data Flow Diagrams
• Decision Tables
• Structured English
• Decision Trees
• Pseudocode, etc.
Data flow Diagram (DFD) or Bubble Chart
• A graphical representation of flow of data in an information
system. It is capable of depicting incoming data flow, ongoing
data flow and storing data flow.
• There is a prominent difference between DFD and flowchart.
The flowchart depicts flow of control in program modules.
DFD’s depicts flow of data in the system at various level.
…Data flow Diagram (DFD) or Bubble Chart
Types of DFD

1. Logical DFD
• This type of DFD concentrates on the system process, and flow of
data in the system. For example in a bank software system. How data
is moved between different entities?

2. Physical DFD –(Reading Assignment)

….Data flow Diagram (DFD) or Bubble Chart

Entity
• Which are also known as terminators, sources, sinks (destination of data flow),
or actors, are a system or process that sends or receives data to and from the
diagrammed system.
Process
• Process is a procedure that manipulates the data and its flow by taking incoming
data, changing it, and producing an output with it. A process can do this by
performing computations and using logic to sort the data, or change its flow of
direction.
….Data flow Diagram (DFD) or Bubble Chart
Levels of DFD
1. Level 0: Context Diagram
• This DFD level focuses on high-level system processes or functions
and the data sources that flow to or from them. Level 0 diagrams are
designed to be simple, straightforward overviews of a process or
system.
….Data flow Diagram (DFD)
Level 1: Process Decomposition
• While level 1 DFDs are still broad overviews of a system or process, they’re also
more detailed — they break down the system’s single process node into sub
processes. Depicts basic modules in the system and flow of data among various
modules

Level 2: Deeper Dives

• The next level of DFDs dive even deeper into
detail by breaking down each level 1 process
into granular sub processes.
….Data Dictionary
• Data dictionary is a graphical tool for outlining a program’s metadata. The tool
assists in stablishing items, such as variables, that will be contained within a
program.
• Data dictionary contain the heading of Data items, Data Type, Format, Number of bytes
for Storage, size for display, Description, Example and validation.
• Data Item: The name of a particular field used in the program (Player ID,
First_Name
• Data Type: The way the field will be recognised by the system (Integer, String,
Real or Boolean).
• Format: The way data will be displayed by the system( DD/MM/YY or
DD/MM/YYYY)
• Number of bytes for storage: Hard disk space required for saved data.
• Size for display: Amount of RMA required to display the data
• Description: An outline of the type of data expected for the specific item
• Example: A sample of expected data for the item
• Validation : Rules applied to data items to ensure correct data is entered
….Data Dictionary
Why Data dictionary is essential ?
• There are less information and details provided by DFD models. So, a
data dictionary is very essential and needed to have proper knowledge
and usage of contents.
• The details of data items are documented separately in data dictionary.
• Provides all information about names that are used in system models.
• It also provides information about entities and attributes that are
present in system model.
….Data Dictionary
• Most DBMSs have a data dictionary as a standard feature.
Example, refer the following table −
Types of Data Dictionary
1. Active Data dictionary
• A huge responsibility of the database management system is to make sure that
the change in the structure of the database should immediately be reflected in the
data dictionary. It is known as an active data dictionary as they are self-
updating.
2. Passive data dictionary
• These types of dictionaries are not that useful or easy to handle like an active
data dictionary. Every time a database is modified, one has to manually update
the data dictionary to match the database. This dictionary is maintained
separately from the database.
• We may made a passive data dictionary of the database into the MS Word, MS
Excel or in any other word processing tool of your choice and manage it
manually
Decision Tree
• A Decision Tree is a graph that uses a branching method to display all
the possible outcomes of any decision.
• It helps in processing logic involved in decision-making, and
corresponding actions are taken. It is a diagram that shows conditions
and their alternative actions within a horizontal tree framework.
• It helps the analyst consider the sequence of decisions and identifies
the accurate decision that must be made.
• We use a decision tree as a visual representation of a set of business
rules that will show the path to each possible decision when a
predefined set of factors is evaluated.
…..Decision trees
….Decision Tree
Ø A business analyst need to discover and confirm the
following points :
•What factors are essential to making a decision
(conditions)
•What are possible values of each decision factor
(alternatives)
•What are possible outcomes (decisions)
•How each factor influences the outcome
….Decision Tree
Example:
• Conditions included the sale amount (under $50) and whether the customer paid
by check or credit card. The four steps possible were to:
• Complete the sale after verifying the signature.
• Complete the sale with no signature needed.
• Communicate electronically with the bank for credit card authorization.
• Call the supervisor for approval.
….Decision Tree
Advantages of decision trees
• Decision trees represent the logic of If-Else in a pictorial
form.
• helps to identify the actual decision to be made.
• useful for expressing the logic when the value is variable or
action depending on a nested decision.
• used to verify the problems that involve a limited number of
actions.
Decision Tables
Decision Tables
• Decision tables are a method of describing the complex
logical relationship in a precise manner which is easily
understandable.
• It is useful in situations where the resulting actions depend on
the occurrence of one or several combinations of independent
conditions.
• It is a matrix containing row or columns for defining a
problem and the actions.
…Decision Tables
Components of a Decision Table
• Condition Stub − It is in the upper left quadrant which lists all the
condition to be checked.
• Action Stub − It is in the lower left quadrant which outlines all the
action to be carried out to meet such condition.
• Condition Entry − It is in upper right quadrant which provides
answers to questions asked in condition stub quadrant.
• Action Entry − It is in lower right quadrant which indicates the
appropriate action resulting from the answers to the conditions in the
condition entry quadrant.
Example : Decision table/ decision Tree
Example : 𝒏𝒏𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 , 𝟐𝟐 (to get all possible outcomes)
If a customer is old and shop more than 10,000, then 10% discount
If a customer is old and shop less than 10,000, then 5% discount
If a customer is new and shop more than 10,000, then 3% discount
If a customer is new and shop less than 10,000, then 0% discount
Decision Tree Decision Table
….Decision table
• A way to document complicated logic ->(We don’t want to miss any
combination of the different input conditions )
• This helps test all combinations of functions.
Example 1 :-
No. of combinations = No. condition 1 values *
No. condition 2 values
No. Combinations =𝟐𝑵𝒐. 𝒐𝒇 𝑻𝒓𝒖𝒆/𝑭𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒆(𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔)
….Decision table.
Example 2:-
….Decision table.
Example 3:- Library system scenario
….Decision table.
• Simplified decision Table for Example 3
….Decision table.
Advantages of a Decision Table
• Decision tables are very much helpful in requirement design
technique.
• It helps the analyst to search the effects of combinations of different
inputs and other software states that implement business rules.
• It provides a regular way of stating complex business rules.
• It the most preferable choice for requirements management.
• It is a structured exercise to prepare requirements when dealing with
complex business rules.
• It is also used in model complicated logic.
End of Ch.4