Module 

3: Analysis

Yogesh Kumar
Asst. Prof.
SCSE
Contents

• Structured Analysis 
• Data Flow Analysis
• Features
• Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs)
• Data Dictionary

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Structured Analysis Development Strategy
• A SA is expected to perform many tasks like learn, develop, document, evaluate, 
recommend the system, etc.  (pg 151)
• In order to be successful, he structure the process they follow in developing new 
systems.
• Structured Analysis is a development method for the analysis of existing manual 
or automated system, leading to the development of specifications for a new or 
modified system.
• Structured Analysis allows the SA to learn about a system or process (activity) in a 
manageable  and a logical way while providing a basis for ensuring that important 
details are not overlooked.
• Structured Analysis means to organize task in Requirement Determination to 
provide an accurate and complete understanding of a current system.

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• Components of Structured Analysis
• Graphic Symbols: 
• Icons and conventions for identifying and describing the components of a system and the 
relationship among these components.
• Data Dictionary:
• Description of all data used in the system
• Procedure and Process Description
• Formal statements using techniques and languages to describe important activities
• Rules
• Standards for describing and documenting the system correctly and completely.
• Structured Analysis == Data flow analysis

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Data Flow Analysis
• SA want to know the answer to the following questions:
• What processes make up a system?
• What data are used in each process?
• What data are stored?
• What data enter and leave the system?
• Data flow analysis studies the flow/use of data in various activities like input, 
processing, storing, retrieving, using, changing and output.
• It documents these activities in data flow diagrams which graphically shows the 
relation between processes and data, and in data dictionaries.

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• Features of Data Flow strategy:
• Data Flow strategy uses both requirement determination and systems design.
• It views the activities of a system from the viewpoint of the data: where they 
originate, how they are used or changed, and where they go, including the 
stops along the way from their origin to their destination.
• Tools of Data flow strategy:
• Data flow strategy shows the use of data in the system pictorially.
• It can be difficult to fully understand a business process through a verbal 
description alone; data flow tools help by illustrating the essential 
components of a system and their interactions.
• Data flow analysis make use of the following tools:
• Data Flow Diagram (DFD)
• Data Dictionary (DD)
• Data Structure diagram
• Structure Chart
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Data Flow Analysis Tools

• Data Flow Diagram (DFD)
• A graphical tool to describe and analyse the 
movement of data through a system – manual or 
automated – including the processes, stores of 
data, and delays in the system.
2 types:
• Logical DFD
• The transformation of data from input to 
output, through processes, may be described 
logically and independentally of the physical 
components (for eg., computers, file cabinets, 
disk units, and word processors) associated 
with the system.
• Physical DFD
• They show the actual implementation and the 
movement of data between people, 
departments, and workstations.

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Data Flow Analysis Tools

• Data Dictionary
• The logical characteristics of current systems data stores, 
including name, description, aliases, contents, and 
organization. 
• Identifies processes where the data are used, and where 
immediate access to information is needed.
• Identifies database requirements during system design.

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Data Flow Analysis Tools

• Data Structure Diagram
• A pictorial description of the relation between entities 
(people, places, events, and things) in a system and the 
set of information about the entity.
• Does not deal with physical data storage.

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Data Flow Analysis Tools

• Structure Chart
• A design tool that pictorially shows the relation 
between processing modules in computer software.
• Describes the hierarchy of component  modules and 
the data that are transmitted between them.
• Includes analysis of input‐to‐output transformations 
and analysis of transactions.

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 Relation of structured analysis 
components

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Data Flow Diagram
• A DFD lets a system analyst study how existing systems work, locate possible
areas prone to failure, track faulty procedures and reorganise components to
achieve better efficiency or effectiveness.
• Components:
A data flow diagram graphically represents:
• processes ‐ jobs that are done with the data. A process transforms incoming
data flow into outgoing data flow.
• data‐stores ‐ files, databases, archives. They can be manual, digital or
temporary.
• external entities/terminators in a business or other system ‐ other systems
or people beyond the control of the current system. These are the places
which provide the organisation with data, or have data sent to them by the
organisation (e.g. customers, partners, government bodies). External entities
are sources and destinations of the system's inputs and outputs.
• connecting data flows ‐ arrows show how data flows from one place to
another. Flows that cross the system boundary are known as Input Output
Descriptions. Label the arrows with the name of the data that moves through
it.
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Notations for DFD
There are 2 notations available to make DFD:
• The Yourdon and Coad style, 
• The Gane and Sarson style.
• They have slight differences in the way 
components are shaped and where their 
numbering goes, for example:

Gane and Sarson datastore notation

Yourdon and Coad datastore notation

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DFD Naming Guidelines

• External Entity Æ Noun
• Data Flow Æ Names of data
• Process Æ Verb Phrase
• A system name
• A subsystem name
• Data Store Æ Noun

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Context level Diagram

• A data flow diagram (DFD) is a design tool to

represent the flow of data through an information
system. Submitted Answers
• A "context level" DFD can be used to show the Quiz 
interaction between a system and outside entities; Student Software 
it can also show the internal data flows within a System
system. This version is also called a context Result/Feedback
diagram.
• It often shows the information system as a single
circular shape with no details of its inner workings:
what it shows is its relationships with the external Fig 1: Context Diagram (0‐level) for Quiz 
entities. Software System

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 • For a diagram to be called a DFD, it needs to show
the inner workings of an information system.
Context diagram • The different levels of a DFD indicate how detailed it
(level 0 DFD) is, e.g. a Level 0 DFD is a broad overview of a
system, showing hardly any detail within the
Box represents whole
system. Level 0 DFD is aka Context Diagram.
system boundary
• Level 1 DFD:
• A level 1 DFD explodes more summarised processes and
Level 1 DFD shows another level of complexity within them.
• The Level 1 DFD shows how the system is divided into sub‐
systems (processes), each of which deals with one or more
of the data flows to or from an external agent.
• It also identifies internal data stores that must be present in
order for the system to do its job, and shows the flow of
data between the various parts of the system.
• A level 2 or 3 DFD shows even more components
Level 2 DFD opened up to show their inner details.
• After context diagram, different levels are termed as
Detailed DFD.
Fig 2: Relationship between different levels of DFD • Question: Draw detailed DFD for Quiz software
BCA205: SA&DSystem from its context diagram 16
Detailed DFD for Quiz 
Software

Fig 3: Detailed DFD for Quiz Software System 17
DFD Conventions/Rules:
• Do not allow a single page of a DFD to get too complex ‐ it should have no more than 10 components. If it
has more than this, combine some components into a single self‐contained unit and create a new DFD for
that unit.
• Each component and subcomponent should be numbered. e.g. a top level DFD has components 1 2 3 4 5.
The subcomponent DFD of component 3 would have components 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, and 3.4; and the
subcomponent DFD of component 3.2 would have components 3.2.1, 3.2.2, and 3.2.3. This enables a
developer to plan in a top‐down manner: starting with representing large concepts, and then repeatedly
breaking these objects into their components.
• All processes must have at least one data flow in and one data flow out.
• All processes should modify the incoming data, producing new forms of outgoing data.
• Each data store must be involved with at least one data flow.
• Each external entity must be involved with at least one data flow.
• A data flow must be attached to at least one process.
• Data flows cannot go directly from one external entity to another external entity: such flows need to go
through at least one process.
• Data flows cannot go directly from an external entity to a data store in the system: such flows need to go
through at least one process.
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BCA205: SA&D 19
To Do in the class:

• Student Registration System
• Context Diagram
• Detailed Diagram

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• Student Registration System
• Context Diagram

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• Student Registration System
• Detailed Diagram

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Assignment:

• Make a Context level diagram for Railway Reservation System.
• Also make its detailed DFD diagrams.
• Need to email it to [email protected] till 22nd April, 5pm.

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Railway Reservation System

• To Solve 
• Context Diagram 
• Detailed Diagram

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Railway Reservation System
Context Diagram

Passenger 
queries/details
Railway 
Passenger Reservation 
System
Result/Confirmed 
Ticket/SMS

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Railway Reservation System
Detailed Diagram

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Data Dictionary
• A Data Dictionary is a document that describes the basic organization of a database.
• Typically a data dictionary will contain a list of variables in the database as well as the assigned variable
names and a description of each type of variable (e.g. character, numeric, dates).
• The data dictionary should also include the values accepted for each variable, and any helpful comments
such as important exclusions and skip patterns.
• The data dictionary is used primarily for data analysis.
• Example (Taken from the CDC Manual: Indicators and methods for cross sectional surveys of vitamin and
mineral status of populations):

Variable Variable name Variable type Variable Width Values/notes

Participant ID number ID Numeric 3 001‐900
Cluster number CLUSTER Numeric 2 1‐30
Age in months AGE Numeric 2.1 6.0‐59.9
Date of birth DOB dd/mm/yyyy 1‐31/1‐12/1900‐2011
Gender GENDER Numeric 1 1 = male 2 = female
Date of survey SURVEY dd/mm/yyyy 15/06/2004 – 20/08/2004
Hemoglobin HB Numeric 2.1 4.0 – 18.0
Iodine IOD Numeric 4.1 0.0 – 1000.0

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Assignment:

Make data dictionary for the following systems:
1. Student Registration System
2. Railway Reservation System

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• Student Registration System

Variable Variable name Variable type Variable Width Values/notes

Student Roll No. ID Numeric 3 001‐900
Salutation SAL Text 2 Mr|Ms
Student First Name FNAME Text 10 A‐Z
Student Last Name LNAME Text 10 A‐Z
Age AGE Numeric 2.1 6.0‐59.9
Date of Birth DOB dd/mm/yyyy 1‐31/1‐12/1900‐1995
Gender GENDER Numeric 1 1 = male 2 = female
Course Applied For COURSE Text 10 A‐Z
Session SESSION Numeric 4 2013‐2014
Mobile Phone MOB Numeric 10 9xxxxxxxxx‐9xxxxxxxxx
Email Id EMAIL Alphanumeric [email protected] [email protected]

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• Railway Reservation System
Variable Variable name Variable type Variable Width Values/notes
PNR No. PNR AlphaNumeric XXX‐5 NWR‐12345
Train No. ID Numeric 5 00000‐99999
Train Name TNAME Alphabets 10 A‐Z
Time TIME HHMM 4 0000‐2359
Boarding Station BNAME Alphabets 10 A‐Z
Destination Station DNAME Alphabets 10 A‐Z
Coach Number COACH_NO AlphaNumeric X1 S1‐S6
Seat Number SEAT_NO Numeric 2 01‐99
Passenger First Name FNAME Text 10 A‐Z
Passenger Last Name LNAME Text 10 A‐Z
Category CATEGORY Numeric 1 1 = Adult, 2 = Child, 3 = Senior 
Citizen
ID Proof Type ID_PROOF Numeric 1 1 = Voter Card, 2 = Ration 
Card, 3 = Driving Licence
Date of Birth DOB dd/mm/yyyy 1‐31/1‐12/1900‐2013
Gender GENDER Numeric 1 1 = male 2 = female
Mobile Phone MOB Numeric 10 9xxxxxxxxx‐9xxxxxxxxx

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• Convert the following 
detailed DFD in more 
apprehend‐able form:
• (Hint: Align all 
processes together, 
entities separate and 
database apart)

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References: 
• Book
• Chapter 4: James A Senn ‐ Analysis and Design of Information systems‐ McGraw‐Hill 
International Edition, 1989.
• DFD ‐ Student Registration Form http://viu.eng.rpi.edu/lab/3/s3_2.html
• Quiz Software ‐ http://vceit.com/p/dfd.htm
• Leveling of DFD: http://www.tutorsglobe.com/homework‐help/software‐
engineering/levelling‐of‐dfd‐7766.aspx
• Making DFD online: https://www.draw.io

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