Scribd
Upload
147 views13 pages

Data Flow Diagram

A data flow diagram (DFD) maps the flow of data in a process or system using standard symbols. It shows data inputs and outputs, storage points, and routes between destinations. DFDs can range from simple hand-drawn diagrams to complex multi-level diagrams that show how data is handled in detail. They are used to analyze existing systems or model new ones. DFDs effectively communicate processes visually to both technical and non-technical audiences. While still used for data flow software, DFDs are less applicable to interactive or database systems.

Uploaded by

Onyx Black
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
147 views13 pages

Data Flow Diagram

A data flow diagram (DFD) maps the flow of data in a process or system using standard symbols. It shows data inputs and outputs, storage points, and routes between destinations. DFDs can range from simple hand-drawn diagrams to complex multi-level diagrams that show how data is handled in detail. They are used to analyze existing systems or model new ones. DFDs effectively communicate processes visually to both technical and non-technical audiences. While still used for data flow software, DFDs are less applicable to interactive or database systems.

Uploaded by

Onyx Black
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 13

DATA FLOW DIAGRAM

What is a data flow diagram?

A data flow diagram (DFD) maps out the flow of


information for any process or system. It uses
defined symbols like rectangles, circles and
arrows, plus short text labels, to show data inputs,
outputs, storage points and the routes between each
destination. 
What is a data flow diagram?

Data flowcharts can range from simple,


even hand-drawn process overviews, to in-
depth, multi-level DFDs that dig
progressively deeper into how the data is
handled. They can be used to analyze an
existing system or model a new one.
What is a data flow diagram?

Like all the best diagrams and charts,


a DFD can often visually “say” things
that would be hard to explain in
words, and they work for both
technical and nontechnical audiences,
from developer to CEO.
What is a data flow diagram?

That’s why DFDs remain so popular after


all these years. While they work well for
data flow software and systems, they are
less applicable nowadays to visualizing
interactive, real-time or database-oriented
software or systems.
Symbols Used in Data
Flow Diagram
What are Symbols Used and its meaning in the DFD?

1.
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.
What are Symbols Used and its meaning in the DFD?

2.
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.”
What are Symbols Used and its meaning in the DFD?

3.
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.”
What are Symbols Used and its meaning in the DFD?

4.
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.”
Rules in Data Flow
Diagram
What are the Rules in DFD?

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.

You might also like