CS270 Winter 2004, Assignment #2

Assigned: Tuesday January 27, 2004

Due: Tuesday February 10, 2004 in class



  1. Explain the difference between BPA, BPI, and BPR? (1 mark for each distinction, total of 3 marks)


  1. What is the purpose of writing use cases? (1 mark)


  1. What is DFD decomposition? What is DFD balancing? How do you determine to what level a DFD should be decomposed? (1 mark for each, total of 3 marks)


  1. Explain the difference between a syntax error and a semantics error. Which is usually the most difficult to find and fix? Why? (1 mark for each definition, 1 mark for the difficulty, total of 3 marks)


  1. Explain the following terms. Use layperson’s language as though you were describing them to a user: a) process; b) data flow; c) data store; d) external entity. (4 marks)


  1. What is the parent process for process 3.2.1? 4.3.2.3? 1.2? (3 marks)


  1. If you had to select an identifier for an employee entity, what three options do you have? (3 marks)


  1. (a) Given the following, create a context-level DFD (using Gane and Sarson) for a university library system.

(1 mark for each entity, 1 mark for each data flow, total of 12 marks)


The system must record the books owned by the library.

The library manager will update this list of books on a regular basis.


The system must record who has borrowed what books, and which books have been returned.

Before someone can borrow a book, they must show a valid ID card that is checked to ensure that it is still valid against the student database maintained by the Registrar’s Office (for student borrowers), the faculty/staff database maintained by the Personnel Office (for faculty/staff borrowers), or against the library’s own guest database (for individuals issued a “guest” card by the library). The system must also check to ensure the borrower does not have any overdue books or unpaid fines before he or she can borrow another book. Every Monday, the library prints and mails postcards to those people with overdue books. If a book is overdue by more than two weeks, a fine will be imposed.


Sometimes books are lost or are returned in damaged condition. The manager must then remove them from the database and will sometimes impose a fine on the borrower.


(b) Create a Level-0 DFD for the same system.

(20 marks)


  1. Create an ERD from the following information: (using IDEF1X)


(1 mark each of 7 entities, 1 mark each of 6 relationships, total 13 marks)



Total 65 marks