Exam 5: Data and Process Modeling

-____ is based on combinations of the three logical structures, or control structures (one of which is shown in the accompanying figure), which serve as building blocks for the process.

A DFD shows the structure and detailed contents of a data flow.

-The accompanying figure illustrates symbols used in a(n) ____________________, which shows how data moves through an information system but does not show program logic or processing steps.

Deciding whether to explode a process further or determine that it is a functional primitive is a matter of experience, judgment, and interaction with programmers who must translate the logical design into code.

In a DFD, a process symbol can have only one outgoing data flow.

MATCHING Identify the letter of the choice that best matches the phrase or definition. -A data structure that contains a set of related data elements that are stored and processed together.

A disadvantage of the four-model approach is that the requirements of a new information system always are quite different from the current information system, especially when the proposal is based on new computer technology rather than a large number of new requirements.

In a data dictionary, ____ refers to whether the data element contains numeric, alphabetic, or character values.

If processes must be performed in a specific sequence, you document the information in the ____.

During the systems design phase, a physical model of the new information system is created that follows from the logical model and involves operational tasks and techniques.

The major benefit of ____ is that it gives a clear picture of current system functions before any modifications or improvements are made.

When DFDs are drawn, which of the following conventions should be followed?

To draw a context diagram, you start by placing a single process symbol in the center of the page, which you identify as ____________________.

In a DFD, a data flow must have a process symbol on at least one end.

Because diagram 0 is a(n) ____ version of process 0, it shows considerably more detail than a context diagram.

In a DFD, processes contain the business logic, also called business rules, that transform the data and produce the required results.

In a data dictionary, some data elements have ____ rules, such as an employee's salary must be within the range defined for the employee's job classification.

When documenting a process, the documentation includes a description of the process's characteristics and, for functional primitives, a process description, which is a model that documents the processing steps and business logic.

To show the detail inside a black box, create DFD ____________________, which zooms in on the system and shows major processes, data flows, and data stores.

In a DFD, the Gane and Sarson symbol for a data flow is a ____.