Match the symbol used in DFD with their function.
2021
Match the symbol used in DFD with their function.


- A.
1-iv, 2-iii, 3-i, 4-ii
- B.
1-i, 2-iii, 3-i, 4-ii
- C.
1-iv, 2-i, 3-iii, 4-ii
- D.
1-i, 2-iii, 3-iv, 4-ii
Attempted by 79 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
In Data Flow Diagram (DFD) notation, a small set of shapes each carries a fixed meaning: a closed rectangle marks an External Entity — a source or sink of data that lies outside the system boundary; a pair of parallel lines (an open-ended box) marks a Data Store, where data is held between processes; a circle marks a Process that transforms incoming data into outgoing data; and the remaining D-shaped icon denotes Output, the point where processed data is delivered out of the system, once the other three icons are matched to their standard roles. (The numbers 1-4 and letters i-iv below are the figure's own reference labels for the icons and functions — not the positions of the answer choices.)
Applying this convention to the four icons in the question:
Icon | Standard role | Matched function |
|---|---|---|
Closed rectangle (1) | External entity | iv |
Parallel-line icon (2) | Data store | iii |
Circular icon (4) | Process | ii |
D-shaped icon (3) | Output (by elimination, the only function left) | i |
Checking the full assignment — 1-iv, 2-iii, 3-i, 4-ii — shows each of the four functions (i, ii, iii, iv) used exactly once, a valid one-to-one match. This confirms the assignment is internally consistent with the convention established above.