Data flow diagrams for the eCities information system design

¶ … eCities composes of the annual research that assists local communities to measure and benchmark their performances in order to foster economic development, entrepreneurship and job growth. The eCities also aims to create environment that will enhance expansion of business organizations within the communities. More importantly, the eCities allow the local governments to implement their projects using the online interface that connects 32 items, six factors, township, empirical index and village level data. The benefits that the eCities deliver to the stakeholders make the policy makers to decide expanding the eCities information systems to assist the organization to deliver benefits that are more meaningful to all the stakeholders.

Objective of this project is to design information systems for eCities. The project develops a data flow diagram that provides the goals of the information systems and the computer programs that will be required for the systems.

Data Flow Diagrams

A DFD (Data Flow Diagram) is a graphical representation that reveals the flow of data within the information systems.

Fig 1: Data Flow Diagrams

As being revealed in the data flow diagram, the system will perform the following functions:

1. Adding, deleting and editing student and administration researchers

2. Adding, deleting and editing communities

3. Change of the current year for the data analysis and entry

4. Editing community data

5. Changing the email templates

6. Change of text on various reports and pages

7. Importing historical data

8. Factors and Index export

9. Database Access and Webhost

However, the eCities organizational functions are too complex to be captured only by the data flow diagram. The project decomposes all the functional processes with more explicit level 1 diagram (level 1 DFD).

eCities Level 1 Diagram

Level 1 DFD 0 Process 1.0: Administration

eCities Update Demographic Export Community Data

Administration

Update Current Year E Update Help Screen

Administration

Import Historical Data Export Index

Administration

Level 1 DFD of Process: 2.0 Editing Community Data

Updated Status Community Data

Demographic Data

Community Changing current year data eCities Public Research Data

Update Community Data

Level 1 Diagram Process 3.0: Setting Up Help

Update Help Screen Help Text

Help Update

Update Current Year Update Help Screen

1 DFD of Process 4.0: Changing email templates

Update Email Template Data Submission Template

Email Subject

Email Template Update Email

Email Update

Level 1 DFD of Process 5.0: Changing text on Report and Pages

Online Application Editing Texts

Editing Texts

Login in screen Community Log in Level 1 DFD of Process 6.0: Creating Final Project Report

Export Community Summary / Data

Export Community Summary

Update Current Year Website Data

The table below reveals the software program that will be used to develop the information systems

Table 1: Software Program for the eCities

Software category

Open Source Software

Purpose

Operating system

Window XP, Window Vista Window 7 and Window 8

Desktop and server operating system

Office productivity

Microsoft office

Spreadsheets, Word processing, and Presentations

Web development

Apache web server, PHP, page tool

Hosting, Web development, and Content Management

Database management systems

Mysql

Database management and development

Internet access

Mozilla

Web Browsing

Image processing

GIMP

Image processing

Anti-virus

Avast

Protection the systems against worms, Virus, worms and trojans horse.

The diagram below reveals the data flow diagram for the software program

Conclusion

The project presents the data flow diagrams for the eCities information systems. The data flow diagram reveals all the entities for the systems. The conceptual flow diagram provides the relationships and the attributes of the entities. The decision tables and decisions trees reveal the logical processes of the systems and the rules to follow when a user accesses data within the systems.

Administration

Demographic Data

Community

City

Demographic

Community Name

Community type (city, township, village)

County or counties

Address

Top Official

Top Official Title

Website

Fiscal Year ends

Additional Note

Community

Community Name

County 1

County 2

County 3

County 4

Demographic

Tax

Building

Development

Assessing

Financial

Census

Administration

Username

Password

First name

Last name

Email Address

Phone

Tax

Address

City

Demographic Data

Tax Data

Building Data

Development Data

Accessing Data

Financial Data

Census Data

Access Tax Data

Error

Access Data

Access Admin Data

Update Email Template

Input Username Password

City has different data

Input wrong password or username

1.1: Update Student Researcher

1.1: Update Help Screen

1.1: Export Data

2.3 Final Community data submission to eCities

2.3 Update/Review / 7 categories of data (Tax, Demographic, Census Development,, Building, Assessing, and Financial,)

2.2 Update Data 4 categories (Tax, Demographic, Development, Building)

3.2: Data input screens with help text where help text appears in a popup window

3.1: Administrators is able to explanatory help screens for the fields in the 7 different data categories using the "Update help screens."

4.1 Update community email template" when button is clicked in the login/contact screen

4.2: When a template is updated, a test email is sent to an administrator who will update the template

5.1: Online application allows administrators to edit texts

5.2: When community logs in and data are submitted, the report is released at the top right-hand column. Contact page displays quick analysis report.

6.1: Generate Project Report

6.2: Update eCities

Website

Administrators is allowed to edit texts

Access Demographic Data

Administrator Update Community Data

Button is clicked in the login/contact screen