In accordance with various embodiments, described herein is a system (Data Artificial Intelligence system, Data AI system), for use with a data integration or other computing environment, that leverages machine learning (ML, DataFlow Machine Learning, DFML), for use in managing a flow of data (dataflow, DF), and building complex dataflow software applications (dataflow applications, pipelines). In accordance with an embodiment, the system can provide a service to recommend actions and transformations, on an input data, based on patterns identified from the functional decomposition of a data flow for a software application, including determining possible transformations of the data flow in subsequent applications. Data flows can be decomposed into a model describing transformations of data, predicates, and business rules applied to the data, and attributes used in the data flows.