JSD - Jackson system development

Jackson System Development (JSD) is a linear method of system development created by Michael A. Jackson and John Cameron in the 1980s. It comprises the whole software life cycle directly or providing a framework for more specialized techniques. When implementing the Jackson System Development method and designing JSD diagrams, you can succesfully use the powerful and helpful tools of ConceptDraw DIAGRAM software extended with Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) solution from the Software Development area of ConceptDraw Solution Park.

ERD Symbols and Meanings

Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD) is a popular software engineering tool for database modeling and illustration the logical structure of databases, which uses one of two notations - Chen's or Crow’s Foot. Crow's foot notation is effective when used in software engineering, information engineering, structured systems analysis and design. Each of these notations applies its own set of ERD symbols. Crow's foot diagrams use boxes to represent entities and lines between these boxes to show relationships. Varied shapes at the ends of lines depict the cardinality of a given relationship. Chen's ERD notation is more detailed way to represent entities and relationships. ConceptDraw DIAGRAM application enhanced with all-inclusive Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) solution allows design professional ER diagrams with Chen's or Crow’s Foot notation on your choice. It contains the full set of ready-to-use standardized ERD symbols and meanings helpful for quickly drawing, collection of predesigned ERD samples, examples and templates. ConceptDraw Pro is a great alternative to Visio for Mac users as it offers more features and can easily handle the most demanding professional needs.

SSADM Diagram

The vector stencils library SSADM from the solution Systems engineering contains specific symbols of SSADM diagrams for ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software. The Systems engineering solution is contained in Software Development area of ConceptDraw Solution Park. The example below illustrates the waterfall model used in SSADM. This model involves 5 stages of developing a product such as requirements specification and its' analysis, design, coding and testing.

Components of ER Diagram

Entity-Relationship model gives the possibility to visually describe a database using the components of ER Diagram, entity relationship stencils, relationship symbols, work flow shapes. ER-diagram lets represent the data or entities, attributes of these entities and relationships between them, using standardized Crow’s Foot notation icons or Chen’s notation icons. An entity is an object of the real world, it can exist independently and has the instances which differ in attribute values (properties). The attributes give an unambiguous (uniquely) identification for the instance and are called the primary key, this key can be composite and combine several attributes. ConceptDraw DIAGRAM is a professional software available with Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) solution from Software Development area that lets create ERDs for various database systems, using Crow’s Foot and Chen’s notations. It is invaluable tool for software engineers and developers, it supports ODBC-compatible databases (Oracle, MySQL, MS Access, MS SQL, InterBase, Firebird and others).

Data Flow Diagram (DFD)

A Data Flow Diagram (DFD) illustrates the flow of data through an information system, visualizes how the information is handled in terms of inputs and outputs, how the data enter to system and leave it. It is effective to use a Data Flow Diagram for creation the system's overview, to show the system's scope and boundaries. There are two different types of notations for DFDs: Yourdon-Coad and Gane-Sarson, which differ in visual representations for processes, data flow, data stores, external entities, etc. Thus, for example the processes are depicted as circles in Yourdon-Coad notation and as rounded squares in Gane-Sarson notation. Gane-Sarson notation is usually used for visualization information systems and Yourdon-Coad - for system analysis and design. The Data Flow Diagrams solution included to Software Development area of ConceptDraw Solution Park offers a lot of DFD templates, samples and examples, libraries of vector stencils for construction without efforts the DFDs according to both Gane-Sarson and Yourdon-Coad notations.

Entity Relationship Diagram - ERD - Software for Design Crows Foot ER Diagrams

ER-model is a data model which lets describe the conceptual schemes in a specific subject area. It can help to highlight the key entities and specify relationships that can be established between these entities. During the database design, it is realized the transformation of ER model into certain database scheme based on the chosen data model (relational, object, network, etc.). There are used two notations for ERDs: Crow's Foot and Chen's. Crow's Foot notation proposed by Gordon Everest represents the entity by rectangle containing its name (name must be unique within this model), and relation - by the line which links two entities involved in relationship. The relationship's plurality is graphically indicated by a "plug" on the end of the link, the optionality - by a circle. Entity-Relationship Diagrams based on Crow's Foot notation can be easily drawn using the ConceptDraw DIAGRAM. Extended with Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) solution, it is the best ERD diagrams software with powerful tools and ready design elements for Crow's Foot and Chen notations.

Data Flow Diagrams

The information system manages the flow of data introduced into the system. To graphically represent and document the flow of data through some information system is used a Data Flow Diagram (DFD). DFD is a way to visualize the flow of data or data processing, to clearly demonstrate what type of data or information is transferred, where they come from and where are sent. It lets to create an overview of the system, to depict the major steps, and effectively model the processes. DFDs are helpful for analyzing and modifying the business systems. Traditionally are used two notations for DFDs creation - Yourdon-Coad and Gane-Sarson. ConceptDraw DIAGRAM software offers a special Data Flow Diagrams solution from Software Development area, which enables to quickly and simply create professional Data Flow Diagrams including the data storage, data flows, external entities, functional transforms, control transforms and signals. Use the offered templates, samples and extensive range of libraries to design your own Data Flow Diagrams in minutes.

Design Element: Crows Foot for Entity Relationship Diagram - ERD

Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) is ideal tool that helps execute the detalization of data warehouse for a given designed system, lets to document the system's entities, attributes (objects' properties), and their interactions each other (relationships). Creation of an ERD requires the choice of specific set of notations, which the best suits for your database design. Two notations - Chen’s and Crow's Foot are applied for ERDs design. Chen's notation was developed first and has linguistic approach, the boxes represent the entities and are considered as nouns, relationships between them are shown as diamonds in a verb form. Over time Chen’s style was adapted into the popular standard - Crow’s Foot notation, where entities are shown as boxes and relationships - as labeled lines. ConceptDraw DIAGRAM software supplied with Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) solution offers samples and templates of ER diagrams, and also ready-to-use vector design elements - ERD Crow′s Foot and Chen's notation icons for easy designing your own ER diagrams for depicting databases.

Notation & Symbols for ERD

The ER diagram is constructed from the specific ERD graphic elements. There are used 2 types of ERD notations: Chen and Crow's Foot. A complete set of work flow shapes, notation & symbols for ERD, entity relationship stencils, included in Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) solution for ConceptDraw DIAGRAM software, makes drawing diagrams based on ERD notation as smooth as possible.

Entity Relationship Diagram Software

The world-best Entity Relationship Diagram software suitable for professional ERD drawing is ConceptDraw DIAGRAM software extended with the Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) solution. This solution contains all libraries, templates and samples you may need for professional ERD drawing.