Data Flow Diagram

A data flow diagram shows the information flow for any process or system. It offers data inputs, outputs, storage points, and the routes between each destination using symbols such as rectangles and arrows and short text labels. Data flowcharts can range from simple, even hand-drawn, process overviews to detailed, multi-level DFDs that delve progressively deeper into how data is handled. They can be used to model an existing system or to analyze an existing one. A DFD, like all the best diagrams and charts, can frequently visually "say" things that are difficult to explain in words, and they work for both technical and non-technical audiences, from developers to CEO. That is why DFDs have remained so popular over the years.