Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- 1 Introduction
- 2 General Diagramming Guidelines
- 3 Guidelines for Common UML Modeling Elements
- 4 UML Use-Case Diagrams
- 5 UML Class Diagrams
- 6 UML Package Diagrams
- 7 UML Sequence Diagrams
- 8 UML Communication Diagrams
- 9 UML State Machine Diagrams
- 10 UML Activity Diagrams
- 11 UML Component Diagrams
- 12 UML Deployment Diagrams
- 13 UML Object Diagrams
- 14 UML Composite Structure Diagrams
- 15 UML Interaction Overview Diagrams
- 16 UML Timing Diagrams
- 17 Agile Modeling
- Bibliography
- Index
8 - UML Communication Diagrams
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 17 December 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- 1 Introduction
- 2 General Diagramming Guidelines
- 3 Guidelines for Common UML Modeling Elements
- 4 UML Use-Case Diagrams
- 5 UML Class Diagrams
- 6 UML Package Diagrams
- 7 UML Sequence Diagrams
- 8 UML Communication Diagrams
- 9 UML State Machine Diagrams
- 10 UML Activity Diagrams
- 11 UML Component Diagrams
- 12 UML Deployment Diagrams
- 13 UML Object Diagrams
- 14 UML Composite Structure Diagrams
- 15 UML Interaction Overview Diagrams
- 16 UML Timing Diagrams
- 17 Agile Modeling
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
UML communication diagrams, formerly known as collaboration diagrams, are used to explore the dynamic nature of your software. Communication diagrams show the message flow between objects in an object-oriented application, and also imply the basic associations (relationships) between classes. Communication diagrams are often used to
■ provide a bird's-eye view of a collection of collaborating objects, particularly within a real-time environment;
■ provide an alternate view to UML sequence diagrams;
■ allocate functionality to classes by exploring the behavioral aspects of a system;
■ model the logic of the implementation of a complex operation, particularly one that interacts with a large number of other objects;
■ explore the roles that objects take within a system, as well as the different relationships in which they are involved when in those roles.
General Guidelines
Create Instance-Level Diagrams to Explore Object Design Issues
Instance-level UML communication diagrams, such as the one shown in Figure 33, depict interactions between objects (instances). Instance-level diagrams are typically created to explore the internal design of object-oriented software. This by far is the most common style of UML communication diagram.
Create Specification-Level Diagrams to Explore Roles
Specification-level UML communication diagrams, such as the one shown in Figure 37, are used to analyze and explore the roles taken by domain classes within a system. This style of UML communication diagram is not common because most modelers identify roles via UML class diagrams.
Apply Robustness Diagram Visual Stereotypes
Figure 33 is effectively a detailed robustness diagram (Jacobson, Christerson, Jonsson, and Overgaard 1992; Rosenberg and Scott 1999).
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Elements of UML™ 2.0 Style , pp. 94 - 102Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2005