Basis of Presentation and Summary of Critical Accounting Policies	3 Months Ended
Jul. 30, 2016
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Critical Accounting Policies	Note 1. Basis of Presentation and Summary of Critical Accounting Policies In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) necessary to fairly present our financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") requires management to make estimates and assumptions affecting the reported amounts therein. Due to the inherent uncertainty involved in making estimates, actual results in future periods may differ from those estimates. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been condensed or omitted. The balance sheet at April 30, 2016 has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date, but it does not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with our financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended April 30, 2016, which are contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The results of operations for the interim periods presented are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for any other interim period or for the full fiscal year. Daktronics, Inc. operates on a 52 to 53 week fiscal year, with our fiscal year ending on the Saturday closest to April 30 of each year. When April 30 falls on a Wednesday, the fiscal year ends on the preceding Saturday. Within each fiscal year, each quarter is comprised of 13 week periods following the beginning of each fiscal year. In each 53 week year, an additional week is added to the first quarter and each of the last three quarters is comprised of a 13 week period. An immaterial reclassification has been made to conform fiscal 2016 to the fiscal 2017 classifications of the statement of cash flows for comparative purposes due to retrospectively adopting Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2016-09, Compensation-Stock Compensation (Topic 718), Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting in the first quarter of fiscal 2017. Investments in affiliates over which we do not have the ability to exert significant influence over the investee's operating and financing activities are accounted for under the cost method of accounting. We have evaluated our relationships with affiliates and have determined that these entities are not variable interest entities. The aggregate amount of investments accounted for under the cost method was $1,211 at July 30, 2016 and April 30, 2016. There have not been any identified events or changes in circumstances that may have a significant adverse effect on their fair value and it is not practical to estimate their fair value. Recent Accounting Pronouncements Accounting Standards Adopted In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued ASU 2016-09, which is intended to simplify certain aspects of the accounting for share-based payment award transactions, including income tax effects when awards vest or settle, repurchase of employees’ shares to satisfy statutory tax withholding obligations, an option to account for forfeitures as they occur, and classification of certain amounts on the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-09 is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is permitted, and we adopted it during the first quarter of fiscal 2017. We have elected to continue to estimate forfeitures expected to occur to determine the amount of compensation cost to be recognized in each period. Provisions related to income taxes have been adopted prospectively. Provisions related to the statement of cash flows have been adopted retrospectively but did not have a material impact on our statement of cash flows. In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-11, Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory, which changes the measurement principle of inventory from the lower of cost or market to the lower of cost and net realizable value. The guidance will require prospective application at the beginning of our first quarter of fiscal 2018, but it permits adoption in an earlier period. ASU 2015-11 was adopted by the Company effective May 1, 2016 and did not have a material impact on our consolidated results of operations, cash flows, and financial position. In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-05, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other-Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40) Customer’s Accounting for Fees Paid in a Cloud Computing Arrangement. This ASU clarifies existing GAAP guidance about a customer’s accounting for fees paid in a cloud computing arrangement ("CCA") with or without a software license. Examples of cloud computing arrangements include software as a service, platform as a service, infrastructure as a service, and other similar hosting arrangements. Under ASU 2015-05, fees paid by a customer in a CCA for a software license are within the scope of the internal-use software guidance if certain criteria are met. If the criteria are not met, the fees paid are accounted for as a prepaid service contract and expensed. We have historically accounted for all fees in a CCA as a prepaid service contract. We adopted ASU 2015-05 in first quarter fiscal 2017 when it became effective, using the prospective method. We did not pay any fees in a CCA in the current period that met the criteria to be in the scope of the internal-use software guidance, and ASU 2015-05 had no impact on our consolidated results of operations, cash flows, and financial position. New Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230) Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments, which will make eight targeted changes to how cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-15 will be effective for us on May 1, 2018, and will require adoption on a retrospective basis unless it is impracticable to apply, in which case we would be required to apply the amendments prospectively as of the earliest date practicable. We are currently evaluating the effect that adopting this new accounting guidance will have on our consolidated cash flows and related disclosures. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which sets out the principles for the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of leases for both parties to a contract (that is, lessees and lessors). ASU 2016-02 requires lessees to apply a dual approach, classifying leases as either finance or operating leases based on the principle of whether or not the lease is effectively a financed purchase of the leased asset by the lessee. This classification will determine whether the lease expense is recognized based on an effective interest method or on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. A lessee is also required to record a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all leases with a term of greater than 12 months regardless of their classification. The new standard requires lessors to account for leases using an approach that is substantially equivalent to existing guidance for sales-type leases, direct financing leases and operating leases. The new guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. We are currently evaluating the effect that adopting this new accounting guidance will have on our consolidated results of operations, cash flows, and financial position. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. ASU 2014-09 is a comprehensive revenue recognition model that requires a company to recognize revenue from the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that the entity expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. The FASB has also issued ASUs 2016-08, 2016-10, and 2016-12 to clarify guidance with respect to principal versus agent considerations, the identification of performance obligations and licensing and certain narrow areas and adds practical expedients. ASU 2014-09 is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017 (as stated in ASU 2015-14, which was issued in August 2015 and defers the effective date), and is now effective for the Company's fiscal 2019. We are evaluating the effect that adopting ASU 2014-09, as clarified, will have on our consolidated results of operations, cash flows, financial position, and related disclosures.

Note 1. Basis of Presentation and Summary of Critical Accounting Policies

In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) necessary to fairly present our financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") requires management to make estimates and assumptions affecting the reported amounts therein. Due to the inherent uncertainty involved in making estimates, actual results in future periods may differ from those estimates.

Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been condensed or omitted. The balance sheet at April 30, 2016 has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date, but it does not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with our financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended April 30, 2016, which are contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The results of operations for the interim periods presented are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for any other interim period or for the full fiscal year.

Daktronics, Inc. operates on a 52 to 53 week fiscal year, with our fiscal year ending on the Saturday closest to April 30 of each year. When April 30 falls on a Wednesday, the fiscal year ends on the preceding Saturday. Within each fiscal year, each quarter is comprised of 13 week periods following the beginning of each fiscal year. In each 53 week year, an additional week is added to the first quarter and each of the last three quarters is comprised of a 13 week period.

An immaterial reclassification has been made to conform fiscal 2016 to the fiscal 2017 classifications of the statement of cash flows for comparative purposes due to retrospectively adopting Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2016-09, Compensation-Stock Compensation (Topic 718), Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting in the first quarter of fiscal 2017.

Investments in affiliates over which we do not have the ability to exert significant influence over the investee's operating and financing activities are accounted for under the cost method of accounting. We have evaluated our relationships with affiliates and have determined that these entities are not variable interest entities.

The aggregate amount of investments accounted for under the cost method was $1,211 at July 30, 2016 and April 30, 2016. There have not been any identified events or changes in circumstances that may have a significant adverse effect on their fair value and it is not practical to estimate their fair value.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Accounting Standards Adopted

In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued ASU 2016-09, which is intended to simplify certain aspects of the accounting for share-based payment award transactions, including income tax effects when awards vest or settle, repurchase of employees’ shares to satisfy statutory tax withholding obligations, an option to account for forfeitures as they occur, and classification of certain amounts on the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-09 is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is permitted, and we adopted it during the first quarter of fiscal 2017. We have elected to continue to estimate forfeitures expected to occur to determine the amount of compensation cost to be recognized in each period. Provisions related to income taxes have been adopted prospectively. Provisions related to the statement of cash flows have been adopted retrospectively but did not have a material impact on our statement of cash flows.

In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-11, Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory, which changes the measurement principle of inventory from the lower of cost or market to the lower of cost and net realizable value. The guidance will require prospective application at the beginning of our first quarter of fiscal 2018, but it permits adoption in an earlier period. ASU 2015-11 was adopted by the Company effective May 1, 2016 and did not have a material impact on our consolidated results of operations, cash flows, and financial position.

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-05, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other-Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40) Customer’s Accounting for Fees Paid in a Cloud Computing Arrangement. This ASU clarifies existing GAAP guidance about a customer’s accounting for fees paid in a cloud computing arrangement ("CCA") with or without a software license. Examples of cloud computing arrangements include software as a service, platform as a service, infrastructure as a service, and other similar hosting arrangements. Under ASU 2015-05, fees paid by a customer in a CCA for a software license are within the scope of the internal-use software guidance if certain criteria are met. If the criteria are not met, the fees paid are accounted for as a prepaid service contract and expensed. We have historically accounted for all fees in a CCA as a prepaid service contract. We adopted ASU 2015-05 in first quarter fiscal 2017 when it became effective, using the prospective method. We did not pay any fees in a CCA in the current period that met the criteria to be in the scope of the internal-use software guidance, and ASU 2015-05 had no impact on our consolidated results of operations, cash flows, and financial position.

New Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230) Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments, which will make eight targeted changes to how cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-15 will be effective for us on May 1, 2018, and will require adoption on a retrospective basis unless it is impracticable to apply, in which case we would be required to apply the amendments prospectively as of the earliest date practicable. We are currently evaluating the effect that adopting this new accounting guidance will have on our consolidated cash flows and related disclosures.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which sets out the principles for the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of leases for both parties to a contract (that is, lessees and lessors). ASU 2016-02 requires lessees to apply a dual approach, classifying leases as either finance or operating leases based on the principle of whether or not the lease is effectively a financed purchase of the leased asset by the lessee. This classification will determine whether the lease expense is recognized based on an effective interest method or on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. A lessee is also required to record a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all leases with a term of greater than 12 months regardless of their classification. The new standard requires lessors to account for leases using an approach that is substantially equivalent to existing guidance for sales-type leases, direct financing leases and operating leases. The new guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. We are currently evaluating the effect that adopting this new accounting guidance will have on our consolidated results of operations, cash flows, and financial position.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. ASU 2014-09 is a comprehensive revenue recognition model that requires a company to recognize revenue from the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that the entity expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. The FASB has also issued ASUs 2016-08, 2016-10, and 2016-12 to clarify guidance with respect to principal versus agent considerations, the identification of performance obligations and licensing and certain narrow areas and adds practical expedients. ASU 2014-09 is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017 (as stated in ASU 2015-14, which was issued in August 2015 and defers the effective date), and is now effective for the Company's fiscal 2019. We are evaluating the effect that adopting ASU 2014-09, as clarified, will have on our consolidated results of operations, cash flows, financial position, and related disclosures.