Introduction to Unified Modeling
Language (UML)
By Rick Mercer with help from
The Unified Modeling Language User Guide, Grady
Booch, James Rumbaugh, Ivar Jacobsen , Addison Wesley,
1999, ISBN 0-201-57168-4
The Unified Modeling Language (UML)
UML or Unified Modeling Language comes
from Rumbaugh, Booch, and Jacobson (the
three amigos) who combined efforts to
standardize on one modeling language
This is primarily a graphical communication
mechanism for developers and customers
We will learn some, but not all, of the UML
it is very complex, few understand all of it
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UML
The main purpose of UML is to
support communication about the analysis and
design of the system being developed
support the movement from the problem domain in
the "world" to the solution domain in the machine
two views of the same system
• one view has diagrams
• source code is another view
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UML is a Modeling Language
UML
graphical notation to describe software design
has rules on how to draw models of
classes
associations between classes
message sends between objects
has become the de facto industry standard
Not official, but everyone uses it
Like a blueprint to show what is going on during analysis,
design and implementation
Some Projects require UML documentation
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UML Defined by the Authors
The Unified Modeling Language User Guide,
Booch, Rumbaugh, Jacobson states:
The UML is a language for
visualizing
specifying
constructing
documenting
the artifacts of a software intensive system
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First up: Class Diagrams
A class diagram
expresses class definitions to be implemented
lists name, attributes, and methods for each class
shows how instances will connect to one others
UML allows different levels of detail on both
the attributes and the methods of one class
could be just the the class name in a rectangle
or like the general form shown on the next slide
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Software Specification (Class Name)
attribute
attribute : type
attribute : type = initial value
classAttribute
derivedAttribute
...
method1()
method2(parameter : Type) : return type
abstractMethod()
+publicMethod()
-privateMethod()
#protectedMethod()
classMethod()
...
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AccountCollection
- allAccounts : HashMap
+AccountCollection ()
+getAccountWithID (ID: String) : Account
+add(accountToAdd: Account) : boolean
+iterator() : Iterator
Note: iterator is needed by the
bank manager
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Sterotypes
Stereotype is a UML element that allows
designers to extend the UML vocabulary
Often used to distinguish an abstract class name
from an interface, both of which are written in
italic
<<interface>>
Iterator
+hasNext(): boolean
+next(): Object
+remove(): void
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Different levels of detail
Tips for modeling
Express as much or as little detail as needed
Often, a rectangle with a name is enough
perhaps a method or an attribute clarifies
Simple is good
Sketches on paper or white board are effective
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Relationships
Three Relationships in UML
1) Dependency
2) Association
3) Generalization
Understanding these relationships is more
important than the lines that UML uses
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1) Dependency: A Uses Relationship
Dependencies
occurs when one object depends on another
if you change one object's interface, you need to
change the dependent object
arrow points from dependent to needed objects
CardReader
Jukebox
CDCollection
SongSelector
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2)Association: Structural Relationship
Association
a relationship between classes indicates some
meaningful and interesting connection
Can label associations with a hyphen connected
verb phrase which reads well between concepts
association
getAccountWithID
Jukebox JukeboxAccountCollection
1 1
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Associations
Associations imply
our knowledge that a relationship must be
preserved for some time (1 ms to forever)
Between what objects do we need to remember a
relationship?
• Does a Transaction need to remember Account?
• Would AccountCollection need to remember
Accounts?
Stores
AccountCollection Account
1 1..*
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Notation and Multiplicity Adornments
UML Association:
a line between two concepts and a name
they are bi-directional * T
zero or more;
"many"
can have a multiplicity
exist in class diagrams 1..*
T one or more
1..52
T one to fifty two
5
Multiplicity T exactly five
adornments
3, 5, 8 exactly three,
T
five or eight
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Multiplicity
Multiplicity defines how many instances of
type A can be associated with one instance of
type B at some point can differ
Game Player
1 2..6
Mother Child
1 1+
performs-in Actor is associated
Actor Film with 0 to many films.
* * A film is associated
can label associations with 0 to many actors
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Depends on Context
Are all three associations possible?
Car Wheel
1 4
Car Wheel
1 5
Car Wheel
1 3
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Association Names Upcase / hyphenate
Read this Type-VerbPhrase-Type (POST is a Point of Sale Terminal)
Store
1
Contains
1.. *
POST Captures Sale Paid-by Payment
1 1.. * 1 1
Not yet worrying about messages, instance variables, data flow,
or classes yet
Just shows which objects have associations
Airline
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1
Aggregation: A Special Association
Aggregation: whole/part relationships
An association that models HAS-A relationships
The objects can exist independently or each other
No one object is more important than the other
Place an open diamond on the whole
Could mean School has a HashMap of Students
School Student
1..* *
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Composition: A Special Association
Composition: Stronger relationship
One can not exist without the other
If the school folds, students live on
but the departments go away also
If a department closes, the school can go on AIC e.g.
School Department
1 1..*
1..*
Model aggregation* or composition? When in doubt, use association (just
Student
a simple line)
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Sequence Diagrams
A class diagram shows a fixed (static) view of
a system
A sequence diagram represents a dynamic
view of a system by attempting to capture
messages sends over time
Can document a scenario such as
User Selects Song
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Sequence Diagrams
Objects are lined up on top in rectangles
Object names :theJukebox
Dashed lines represent lifetime of objects
Rectangles are activation lines
When the object has control
Activation bar of the receivers of the message is
smaller than the sender's activation bar
Not much detail written
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http://www.ifi.uio.no/in219/verktoy/doc/html/doc/user/mg/dgmsuml6.htm
l
6-23
http://www.visual-paradigm.com/
VPGallery/diagrams/Sequence.html
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