This document discusses data flow diagrams (DFDs). It provides background that DFDs were proposed by Larry Constantine in the 1970s and became a popular way to visualize the major steps and data involved in software system processes. A DFD uses graphical representations to show the flow of data through a system using various symbols like processes, data stores, external entities, and data flows. It depicts the end-to-end processing of data through a system by showing the input, process, and output.