Data flow diagram is a well known approach to visualize the data processing in business analysis field. A data flow diagram is strong in illustrating the relationship of processes, data stores and external entities in business information system.
| Drawing Data Flow Diagram |
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| Process |
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To create a Process, click once on the Process button on the palette and then click on the diagram. |
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To provide the Process a name, double-click on it and enter the name. |
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To specify the location of the process, right-click on the Process and select Open Specification... from the popup menu. In the Process Specification, enter the Location. |
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You can also enter an ID for the process |
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Click OK to confirm the change. You will see the Process shape is updated to show the location and ID. |
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| External Entity |
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To create an External Entity, click once on the External Entity button on the palette and then click on the diagram. |
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To provide the Process a name, double-click on it and enter the name. |
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| Data Store |
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To create a Data Source, click once on the Data Source button on the palette and then click on the diagram. |
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To provide the Data Source a name, double-click on it and enter the name. |
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By default, the type of the Data Store is Computerized data. There are several other types such as Manual, Transient data file and Transient manual. To set the type, right-click on the Data Store and select Open Specification... from the popup menu. In the Data Store Specification, select the Type from the drop-down menu. |
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Click OK to confirm the change. The selection of type will affects the appearance of the Data Store shape. The result of selecting different types are shown below: |
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| Data Flow |
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To create a Data Flow, click once on the Data Flow button on the palette and then click and drag from the source element to the target element. |
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