DFD Definition

DFD (Data Flow Diagram) – this is a graphical tool that defines and expresses the flow of information in the computer system or software engineering during any stage of its analysis. The data flow diagram in some form depicts the flow of input data into outputs through processing routines. Data sources, processors, and data stores are represented graphically as sets of symbols interconnected by lines. They act as a very clear and elaborate summary of the activity related to processing data by the system.

It can bring much help in communication and comprehension across developers. They are used in most cases in requirement collection and system design stages in a software development project. They are used as a documentation tool for the declaration of system requirements, definition for functional specifications, and a way to validate a proposed system architecture. Also quite useful, DFD helps zero in on the opportunities meant for optimization and simplification or automation of the process flow of the data being handled.