Unified Modeling Language (UML)

Introduction

UML is a language for visualizing, specifying, constructing, and documenting the artifacts of software systems, as well as for business modeling.

UML Diagrams

There is a wide variety of UML diagrams. You can choose the one that best suits your needs. The most common ones are:

Class Diagram

A class diagram is a static view of a system. It shows the classes of the system, their attributes, operations (or methods), and the relationships between objects.

Example of a class diagram

Sequence Diagram

A sequence diagram shows interactions between objects in a system. It shows which messages are sent to which objects and in what order.

Example of a sequence diagram

Package Diagram

A package diagram shows the packages of a system and the relationships between them.

Example of a package diagram

Use Case Diagram

  • Identify main & secondary actors;

  • Define functions actors will use;

  • Actors can be real persons or other systems;

  • For a system, there are as many use case diagrams as package programs.

Example of a use case diagram

On the left: main actors. On the right: secondary actors;

Activity Diagram

An activity diagram shows the flow of control in a system. It shows the activities of a system and the control flow between them.

Example of a activity diagram

State Machine Diagram

A state machine diagram shows the states of an object and the transitions between those states.

Example of a state machine diagram

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