In Lab $3,$ your assignment is to create a Context Diagram using Visual Paradigm to represent the high$-$level overview of the data flow between the community board of retailers' system and its stakeholders. This diagram will serve as a foundation for further defining the system as the semester progresses.

Below are step$-$by$-$step instructions to guide you through the process:

$1.$ Obtain Visual Paradigm License:

Follow the directions from your professor to acquire a license for Visual Paradigm.

Install the software on your computer and start a new project.

$2.$ Accessing the Context Diagram:

Open Visual Paradigm and navigate to the "System Design" tab.

Under "System Design," select the "Data Flow Diagram" option from the available models.

$3.$ Create a Blank Context Diagram:

Click the plus sign $(+)$ in the "Data Flow Diagram" section and choose the "Blank" template.

Name the diagram $"$CBR Context Diagram $"$ for easy identification.

$4.$ Understanding Context Diagram Elements:

A Context Diagram is a simplified Data Flow Diagram $($DFD$)$ that consists of Processes, External Entities, and Data Flows. These elements can be found at the top of the "System Design" section.

$5.$ Adding Elements to the Diagram:

Start by placing a single process in the middle of the diagram. This Process represents the entire system. Give the Process a name that accurately describes the system. External Entities are stakeholders that interact with the system but are external to it$.$

Create External Entities surrounding the central Process to represent these stakeholders.

$6.$ Connecting External Entities with Data Flows:

Use Data Flows to connect the External Entities to the central Process.

Data Flows indicate the flow of data between the system and the external stakeholders.

Avoid describing the functions $($verbs$)$; instead, just note the data $($noun$)$ being exchanged.

Using Arrows Wisely: Choose the direction of the arrows carefully to avoid creating "black holes" $($data disappearing$)$ or "spontaneous computation" $($data appearing out of nowhere$).$

$7.$ Finalizing the Diagram:

Review your Context Diagram to ensure clarity and correctness.

Save your work properly in Visual Paradigm.

IMPORTANT $-$ Copy and Paste your diagram into a MS Word document. DO not submit $.$vpp artifact. Submit MS Word or $.$pdf files only. Figure out how to put you name, date in the diagram to avoid plagiarism charges.

How do I grade this?

I look for a single process $($not multiple$)$ which is labelled with a system name

I look for multiple external entities that are connected DIRECTLY to the process, these are labelled with the stakeholder$/$entity name

I look for arrows and data labels to show the data flows. Don't put use cases in here.

The diagram should look very simple, like a "star". If it is complicated with many paths, storage and subprocesses, it is not a context diagram.