Data Flow Diagrams
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What is a Data Flow Diagram?
• A data flow diagram (DFD) is a graphical representation
of the movement of data between external entities,
processes and data stores within a system.
• Simply put, DFD’s show how data moves through an
information system.
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Symbols and Notations Used in DFDs
• Two common systems of symbols are named after their
creators:
– Yourdon and Coad
– Yourdon and DeMarco
– Gane and Sarson
• One main difference in their symbols is that Yourdon-Coad
and Yourdon-DeMarco use circles for processes, while Gane
and Sarson use rectangles with rounded corners,
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Symbols and Notations Used in DFDs
• 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
• Process: 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.”
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Symbols and Notations Used in DFDs
• 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.”
• 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.”
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Symbols and Notations Used in DFDs
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DFD rules
• 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.
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DFD levels and layers
• A data flow diagram can be represented into progressively
more detail by using levels and layers, zeroing in on a
particular piece.
• DFD levels are numbered 0, 1 or 2, and occasionally go to
even Level 3 or beyond.
• The necessary level of detail depends on the scope of what
you are trying to accomplish.
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DFD Level 0-Context Diagram.
• basic overview of the whole system or process being
analyzed or modeled.
• It’s designed to be an at-a-glance view, showing the
system as a single high-level process, with its relationship
to external entities.
• Its used by a wide audience, including stakeholders,
business analysts, data analysts and developers to
understand the system.
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DFD Level 1
• It provides a more detailed breakout of pieces of the
Context Level Diagram.
• It highlights the main functions carried out by the system,
as we break down the high-level process of the Context
Diagram into its subprocesses
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DFD Level 1
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DFD Level 2
• It goes one step deeper into parts of Level 1.
• It may require more text to reach the necessary level of
detail about the system’s functioning.
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DFD Level 2
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Example"Food Ordering System"
It also shows the participants who will interact with the system,
called the external entities. ( the Supplier, Kitchen, Manager,
and Customer)
• In between the process and the external entities, there is
data flow (connectors) that indicate the existence of
information exchange between the entities and the system.
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Level 1 DFD
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